Delivery of items for consumption by a user device

An item-providing system, comprising:

• an item delivery system configured to provide items to a user device, wherein the item delivery system comprises:
• a content delivery module configured to:
• receive a request from the user device to obtain an item;
• access the item, in response to the request, from a content store;
• verify that the user device is authorized to receive the item by accessing a personal media library, the personal media library providing a list of items that the user device previously acquired and is authorized to receive;
• and
• provide the item to the user device if the user device is authorized to receive the item.

A method for providing an item to a user device, comprising:

• receiving a request from the user device to obtain an item, wherein the item is identified in an instruction sent by the item-providing system to the user device;
• accessing the item, in response to the request, from a content store;
• verifying that the user device is authorized to receive the item by determining whether providing the item will exceed a limit which restricts downloading of the item to more than a predetermined number of devices;
• and
• providing the item to the user device if the user device is authorized to receive the item.

A method for providing an item to a user device, comprising:

• receiving a request from the user device to obtain an item;
• accessing the item, in response to the request, from a content store;
• verifying that the user device is authorized to receive the item by accessing a personal media library, the personal media library providing a list of items that the user device previously acquired and is authorized to receive;
• and
• providing the item to the user device if the user device is authorized to receive the item.