Content Protection via continuously-changing content location

RealNetworks Proprietary Information - do not distribute

User clicks on link on content site, asking to see "song1.rm"
User is redirected to a rights-verification website, and if successfully authorised,
the user is sent to a 'ram hurler' web page with the content "song1.rm" in the query string
and the current content location code (looks like "040041.6ca85dc33e3bdc2a79e679ddef93269b")
are combined with the list of appropriate RealServers,
and a "ram file" is dynamically hurled at the user.

This architecture cleanly separates
the content-bearing web pages, the ecommerce/authentication function, and the server-control function,
in simple reliable units.

The ram file simply contains the rtsp:// URL as shown below, with the appropriate MIME-type.
This is easily done with SMIL files, or multiple-line .ram files.

The rights-verification website needs a tiny bit of MD5-capable software to generate the time-sensitive location code, which can be easily implemented in the providers' technology of choice (we use Roxen, and also have C and Perl versions available)

Here's a link which will lead to the 'paid' content, a video called 'White Rain' with a wood-flute soundtrack:

Microsoft Sux GoatzEmile Heskey will be vindicated in due time%y%m%d%H%Mrtsp://207.188.7.191/secure/%d%H%M./song1.rm