Windows Media DRM is a system for encrypting media files and then issuing licenses to allow viewers or listeners to see and hear the content.

Protect your media content and sell it in different ways - that's the opportunity that DRM can offer to content owners and entrepreneurs.

Your encrypted media files can be distributed from our streaming servers, your streaming servers, from web servers, on CD, on DVD and via peer-to-peer networks - in fact, anyway you want! The files remain encrypted and can't be seen, until the viewer gets a license.

For example, suppose you want to record a conference presentation, and then sell that presentation online. With Windows Media DRM, you encrypt the presentation video file and then you can distribute the encrypted file however you want ... perhaps from your website.

When a viewer watches the video file, the Windows Media Player identifies that the content is protected and takes the viewer to a unique page of information about the content. On the page is a payment option e.g. pay by credit card, or PayPal or even by an SMS message from your mobile phone. Once the payment has been made, the license is sent back to the Windows Media Player and the viewer can watch the content.

As a content owner, you are secure because you know that if that video file is given to another viewer, they will need to buy a new license.