Patent ID: 8813117

Claim:
A method for providing content over a network, comprising: generating a package that includes a plurality of files that correspond to versions of the same content, wherein the package is stored at a content server device separate from another generated package that contains another plurality of files that correspond to versions of other content; generating at least one subset manifest that lists a portion of the plurality of files included in each package, wherein at least one of the plurality of files included in each package is absent from the subset manifest, wherein the at least one subset manifest includes at least a hash for each of the listed files, and wherein the at least one subset manifest includes bytes of text; in response to a request, providing the subset manifest to a client device; enabling the client device to perform a first hash comparison to determine if the hashes included in the subset manifest for each of the listed files are equal to other hashes generated by the client device for each of the files listed in the subset manifest; employing a license server device to perform a second hash comparison to determine if a manifest hash generated by the client device for the subset manifest is equal to another manifest hash for the subset manifest, wherein said another manifest hash is stored at the license server device, and wherein said another manifest hash for the subset manifest is based on the bytes of text in the at least one subset manifest; and if the first hash comparison and the second hash comparison are both affirmative, downloading, at the client device, at least one selected file listed in the subset manifest for playback for a user.