Method and apparatus for content protection in a secure content delivery system

In a server apparatus comprising a processor, server memory and a network interface, the server apparatus connectable to one or more client process over a computer network, a method comprising:

• (a) receiving a token from a client process through the network interface, the token containing data identifying a time period and data uniquely identifying a title;
• (b) determining whether the client process is authorized to access the title at a specific time;
• (c) if the client is authorized in step (b), accessing the server memory and a title uniquely identified by the token;
• and
• (d) supplying to the client process at least a portion of the title identified by the token.

An access server connectable to one or more requestor processes and one or more content servers over a computer network, each content sever including server memory storing one or more content titles in an unexecutable form, the access server comprising:

• conversion logic configured to convert a title identifier received from a requestor process into a location identifier, the title identifier corresponding to a title selected by the requestor process, the location identifier indicating an address on the network for the content server storing the selected title;
• activator generator logic configured to generate an activator usable by the requestor process, the activator containing data necessary to process the requested title stored on the content server into executable form;
• and
• token generating logic configured to generate a token containing data identifying the title requested by the requester process and data specifying a time period for accessing the requested title from the content server.

A content server connectable to a client system and an access server over a computer network, the content server comprising:

• a processor,
• a server memory coupled to the processor, the server memory storing one or more content titles in an unexecutable form,
• a network interface coupled to the server memory and the processor, the network interface providing access to the computer network, and
• program logic responsive to a token received from the client system containing data identifying a content title stored on the content server, the program logic configured to authenticate the title identification data and, after authentication, enabling access to at least a portion of the title identified by the token.