Trusted and secure techniques for item delivery and execution

A tangible non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising program code, the program code being operable, when executed by an electronic appliance comprising a processor, to cause the electronic appliance to perform steps comprising:

• obtaining a secure container containing a digital representation of a electronic content;
• receiving one or more controls governing interactions with the secure container and which controls specify one or more permissions and/or restrictions relating to use of the electronic content, wherein the one or more controls are received separately from the secure container;
• redistributing the secure container to an intended recipient according to the one or more controls, wherein the first secure container is sent to the intended recipient in a separate transmission from the one or more controls being sent to the intended recipient;
• and
• maintaining a secure audit trail in a second secure container separate from the first secure container, the audit trail including indications of one or more of the following:
• where the first secure container has been, which users have opened the first secure container, and which users have accessed the electronic content.

A system comprising:

• a processor;
• a memory storing computer instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the system to perform a method, the method comprising:
• obtaining a first secure container containing a digital representation of a electronic content;
• receiving one or more controls governing interactions with the first secure container and which controls specify one or more permissions and/or restrictions relating to use of the electronic content, wherein the one or more controls are received separately from the first secure container and the one or more controls specify an intended recipient;
• redistributing the first secure container to the intended recipient according to the one or more controls, wherein the first secure container is sent to the intended recipient in a separate transmission from the one or more controls being sent to the intended recipient;
• and
• maintaining a secure audit trail in a second secure container separate from the first secure container, the audit trail including indications of one or more of the following:
• where the first secure container has been, which users have opened the first secure container, and which users have accessed the electronic content.