Networked services licensing system and method

A server-side apparatus associated with a Web service provider for controlling consumption of content, provided by the Web service to a client device, in accordance with rights expression information associated with the content to allow the content to be rendered on the client device, the apparatus comprising:

• one or more processors;
• and
• one or more memories operatively coupled to at least one of the one or more processors and having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by at least one of the one or more processors, cause at least one of the one or more processors to:
• authenticate the server-side apparatus with an authorization entity, the authorization entity being external to the server-side apparatus;
• receive a request to render content from a client device associated with a user;
• transmit, to the authorization entity, a request to provide the Web service;
• receive an authorization from the authorization entity to provide the Web service in response to a determination by the authorization entity that the user is authorized to use the Web service to render the content;
• receive rights expression information associated with content, the rights expression information including conditions of use of the content;
• interpret the rights expression information;
• and
• provide the content to the client device for consumption of the content based on the rights expression information.

At least one non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-readable instructions that, when executed by one or more server-side computing devices, cause at least one of the one or more server-side computing devices to:

• authenticate at least one of the one or more server-side computing devices with an authorization entity, the authorization entity being external to the one or more server-side computing devices;
• receive a request to render content from a client device associated with a user;
• transmit, to the authorization entity, a request to provide a Web service;
• receive an authorization from the authorization entity to provide the Web service in response to a determination by the authorization entity that the user is authorized to use the Web service to render the content;
• receive rights expression information associated with content, the rights expression information including conditions of use of the content;
• interpret the rights expression information;
• and
• provide the content to the client device for consumption of the content based on the rights expression information.