Remotely accessing protected files via streaming

A system for permitting a user of a remote device to stream a protected file stored on a source device, said protected file requiring a locally stored license for invocation, said system comprising:

• an interface for receiving a request from the user of the remote device for accessing the protected file on the source device, said protected file broadcasted by the source device via a server message block (SMB) path of the protected file, said request comprising a streaming uniform resource locator (URL) constructed based on the SMB oath and from a device document provided by the source device;
• an authentication component for determining the permission based on the request by authenticating that the user of the remote device has a right to access a protected file based on the locally stored license, said authenticating resulting in translation of the streaming URL to a physical path of the protected file;
• and
• a streaming component for streaming the protected file in response to the request to the remote device via a path constructed by the remote device and for enabling the remote device to stream the protected file without transmitting an additional copy of the license from the source device to the remote device.

A data structure defining a streaming uniform resource locator (URL) constructed by a remote device for use by the remote device to receive a protected file streamed over the URL by a source device, wherein the remote device constructs the streaming URL from a device document provided by the source device. wherein the user of the remote device has a right to access the protected file which requires a locally stored license for invocation, said data structure comprising:

• A streaming protocol by which the file is streamed;
• A path linking the remote device and the source device over which the streamed file is provided enabling the remote device to stream the protected file without transmitting an additional copy of the license from the source device to the remote device;
• and
• A sharing protocol for facilitating the transfer of the streaming file from the source device to the remote device via the path.