Digital rights management (DRM) is a system of content types and mobile phone behavior that allows a content provider to control how a phone user uses and re-distributes media content (such as a ring tone or a game).
This control is achieved by pairing the media content with rights that control how often and for how long a phone user can use the content on the mobile phone. For example, a content provider can permit a phone user to receive and play a song once as a preview. Or, the content provider can allow the phone user to purchase the rights to play the song indefinitely.
DRM provides the following three message types that protect content with varying levels of security:
| DRM message type | Description |
| Forward Lock | A single message that allows a phone user to use the content without limits on one device (mobile phone), but prohibits the user from forwarding the content to another device. |
| Combined Delivery Lock | A single message that allows a phone user to use the content with or without limitations on one device, but prohibits the phone user from forwarding the content to another device. |
| Separate Delivery Lock | A pair of messages (one with content, one with the rights to the content) that allows a phone user to use the content with or without limitations on one device, if the user has received the rights to use the content. The phone user can forward the contents to another phone user but not the rights. Information about obtaining rights is embedded in the content file, so a new receiver of the content can obtain the rights to use the content. |
Java Developer's Library
Messaging information on Nokia Developer