Methods and apparatus for secure distribution of program content

A method, comprising:

• receiving an encrypted program at a processing apparatus;
• transmitting a machine ID over a network to an administrator;
• receiving registration data over the network from the administrator in response to the machine ID;
• transmitting the registration data over the network to a distributor;
• receiving an encrypted decryption key and an encrypted virtual ID at the processing apparatus over the network from the distributor in response to the registration data;
• decrypting the encrypted decryption key using the virtual ID, and decrypting the encrypted program using the decryption key;
• re-encrypting the program using the virtual ID;
• and
• storing the encrypted virtual ID and the re-encrypted program in a first storage device.

An apparatus, comprising:

• an input interface operable to receive an encrypted program and a non-activated decryption key from an administrator, the non-activated decryption key, when activated, being usable to decrypt the encrypted program;
• a network interface operable to provide communication with a network such that (i) an activation request may be transmitted to the administrator over the network, and (ii) activation grant information may be received from the administrator over the network in response to the activation request;
• a data processor operable to convert the non-activated decryption key into an activated decryption key in response to the activation grant information;
• and
• a database operable to store respective activated decryption keys corresponding to a plurality of encrypted programs.

A method, comprising:

• receiving an encrypted program and a non-activated decryption key from an administrator, the non-activated decryption key, when activated, being usable to decrypt the encrypted program;
• transmitting an activation request to the administrator over a network, and receiving activation grant information from the administrator over the network in response to the activation request;
• converting the non-activated decryption key into an activated decryption key in response to the activation grant information;
• and
• storing respective activated decryption keys corresponding to a plurality of encrypted programs in a database.

An apparatus, comprising:

• a network interface operable to provide communication with a network such that (i) respective machine IDs may be received over the network from processing apparatus, and (ii) registration data may be transmitted over the network to the respective processing apparatus in response to the machine IDs;
• and
• a database operable to store the received machine IDs,
• wherein the registration data may be used by the processing apparatus to obtain an encrypted decryption key and an encrypted virtual ID from a distributor over the network, the encrypted decryption key may be decrypted by the processing apparatus using the virtual ID, and the encrypted program may be decrypted by the processing apparatus using the decryption key.

A method, comprising:

• receiving respective machine IDs over a network from processing apparatus;
• transmitting registration data be over the network to the respective processing apparatus in response to the machine IDs;
• and
• storing the received machine IDs in a database,
• wherein the registration data may be used by the processing apparatus to obtain an encrypted decryption key and an encrypted virtual ID from a distributor over the network, the encrypted decryption key may be decrypted by the processing apparatus using the virtual ID, and the encrypted program may be decrypted by the processing apparatus using the decryption key.