Patent ID: 8081756

Claim:
A computer-readable storage medium that does not consist of a signal, the computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable instructions for performing steps comprising: receiving, at a media server device, a digital-content stream to be provided to a client device for rendering the digital-content stream; providing a first portion of the digital-content stream from the media server device to a buffer of the client device for buffering the first portion of the digital-content stream; receiving, at the media server device, an identifier indicating that a digital rights management protection policy is to be applied to a forthcoming second portion of the digital-content stream that is to be provided to the client device for restricting redistribution of the second portion of the digital-content stream; creating, at the media server device, a license data set including the digital rights management protection policy and a first key for enabling decryption of the second portion of the digital-content stream; transmitting, from the media server device to the client device, the license data set and an indicator indicating a commencement point of the digital-content stream at which the license data set is to be employed, the license data set being transmitted from the media server device in a separate communication out of band with respect to the digital-content stream concurrently with providing the first portion of the digital-content stream to the client device and preceding transmission of the second portion of the digital-content stream from the media server device to the client device; receiving, at the media server device, confirmation from the client device that the client device is enabled to enforce the digital rights management protection policy for the second portion of the digital-content stream; encrypting, at the media server device, the second portion of the digital-content stream using the first key; and providing the encrypted second portion of the digital-content stream from the media server device to the buffer of the client device while at least some of the first portion of the digital-content stream is remaining in the buffer of the client device.