Patent ID: 8121295

Claim:
A wireless communication device (WCD) adapted to control playout of media by a media player, the WCD comprising: a wireless network communication interface for communicating wirelessly with a radio access network (RAN), wherein the WCD communicates via the RAN with a provisioning system that provides digital rights management (DRM) keys for a plurality of media distributors, wherein each distributor distributes respective media; a local communication interface for engaging in local communication with the media player; a processor; and data storage containing (i) a DRM controller, and (ii) a plurality of distributor-modules, each corresponding with a respective one of the distributors, and each arranged to hold one or more DRM keys provided by its respective distributor, wherein each distributor-module contains program logic and DRM key data, the program logic being executable to carry out various distributor-module functions; wherein the DRM controller receives via the local communication interface, from the media player, a request seeking a DRM key to facilitate playout of particular media by the media player, wherein the particular media is distributed by a particular one of the distributors, wherein a particular one of the distributor-modules corresponds with the particular distributor, and wherein, responsive to the request from the media player, the DRM controller requests the DRM key from the program logic of the particular distributor-module, wherein the DRM controller then receives the DRM key in response from the program logic of the particular distributor-module and provides the DRM key via the local communication interface in a response to the requesting media player, to facilitate playout of the particular media by the media player.