Patent ID: 7792859

Claim:
A method for providing secure access to digital media files stored on a computer readable digital medium thereby permitting playback of the media files on diverse end devices and providing security against copying, comprising the steps of: reading a security data structure stored on the computer readable digital medium; retrieving a user identifier associated with a user requesting access to the media files; comparing information read from the security data structure with the user identifier; determining an access level for the user based on the comparison; determining whether an access requested by the user is authorized based upon the access level determined for the user; forming a digital signature based upon the user identifier and identification data stored on the computer readable digital medium using a cryptographically secure hashing function; and storing the digital signature in the security data structure stored on the computer readable digital medium; wherein the computer readable digital medium includes a media player library containing a plurality of software modules for selectively accessing a respective one of a plurality of separate and distinct media players and file types, the software modules defining a cross-platform language, the media player library including an intermediate filter driver for: i) leveraging an internal codec of a file type associated with each of the multimedia files and streaming the file type to the end device without the need to perform a file conversion function in order to read or play back the digital content; ii) recognizing the type of digital media and the type of the end device and implementing the device's initialization system that manages the playback of all digital media files; and iii) accessing the files and determining levels authorized by copyright holders of the multimedia files according to the user identifier.