Storage Device and Method for Using a Common Digital Rights Management Module to Enforce an Association between Content and a User Interface Application

A method for enforcing an association between content and a user interface application, the method comprising:

• performing the following in a digital rights management (DRM) module in a storage device in communication with a host device having a user interface application and a playback module:
• receiving a request from a user interface application in the host device to play back content protected by DRM;
• determining if the user interface application is authorized to play back the content;
• determining if rights associated with the content are valid;
• and
• providing the content to the playback module if the DRM module determines both that the user interface application is authorized to play back the content and that the rights associated with the content are valid.

A host device comprising:

• a user interface application;
• a playback module;
• and
• a digital rights management (DRM) module configured to:
• receive a request from the user interface application to play back content protected by DRM;
• determine if the user interface application is authorized to play back the content;
• determine if rights associated with the content are valid;
• and
• provide the content to the playback module if the DRM module determines both that the user interface application is authorized to play back the content and that the rights associated with the content are valid.

A method for enforcing an association between content and a user interface application, the method comprising:

• performing the following in a digital rights management (DRM) module in a host device storing having a user interface application and a playback module:
• receiving a request from a user interface application to play back content protected by DRM;
• determining if the user interface application is authorized to play back the content;
• determining if rights associated with the content are valid;
• and
• providing the content to the playback module if the DRM module determines both that the user interface application is authorized to play back the content and that the rights associated with the content are valid.