Xbox 360 Digital Rights Management

Digital Rights Management (DRM) technology is used by content providers such as Xbox LIVE Marketplace to control how game and video files are used and distributed. Xbox LIVE Marketplace sells and rents DRM-protected videos, games and add-in content that are covered by media usage rights that allow specific uses of that content.

When you purchase content, you receive a licence to use that content. The licence has two parts: the system licence and the local licence. The system licence applies to the gamertag that purchases the content, and the local licence applies to the console where you first downloaded the content.

Yes, you can transfer content licences from one console to another once every four months.

If your console was recently repaired or if you’ve purchased a new console, use the licence transfer option on your console to transfer content licences. Here’s how:

1. On your console, sign in to Xbox LIVE using the gamertag that you used to purchase the content.
• Don't know your gamertag? See Download, move or delete your Xbox LIVE profile.
• Need to find your Microsoft account? See Find your Microsoft account.
• Can't remember the password for your Microsoft account? See Recover your Microsoft account password.
2. Go to Settings and select Account.
3. Go to Your Billing Options and select Licence Transfer.
4. Follow the instructions to transfer the content licences.

After the licences have been transferred, you need to download the content again to update the local licences. Then the content can be used by other profiles on your console and when you’re not connected to Xbox LIVE.

For information about how to download previously purchased content, see Buy and redownload content from Xbox LIVE.

Protected content is any game, video or add-in that uses Digital Rights Management protection. To play a protected game, video or add-in, you must have the licence for that content.

Examples of protected content

• Games
• TV programmes
• Films
• Music videos
• Game add-in content

A licence is another name for media usage rights.

When you try to use a protected game, video or add-in, the Xbox 360 console checks whether you have a valid licence for that piece of content. If the licence allows you to use the content, the Xbox 360 console plays the content or allows use of the add-in.

If the Xbox 360 console doesn’t find a valid licence for the content or if the licence doesn't permit you to perform the action, your Xbox 360 console won't perform the action. Typically, you receive an error message that states why the action wasn't performed.

Licences are automatically acquired when you download content. If a licence is missing or has become corrupted, you can access the download history on your Xbox 360 console and redownload that content to reacquire its licence. This process refreshes existing licences but doesn't transfer licences to a new console unless you first used a licence transfer tool to do that.

The term “roaming” refers to using content that you purchased on one Xbox 360 console (say, console A) on another Xbox 360 console (say, console B). For example, you might download a game from the Xbox LIVE Games Store to console A, and then attach the hard drive that contains that game to console B. When you attach the hard drive to console B and sign in to Xbox LIVE, you can play the game without any restrictions.

Note For such roaming to be allowed, you must be connected to Xbox LIVE by using the profile that purchased the content so the licence to the content can be verified.

Follow the troubleshooting steps at Can’t play downloaded Xbox LIVE content.

No. Content licences are stored in the Xbox 360 console rather than in the Xbox LIVE account.

To enable someone else's Xbox LIVE account to use your content licences, you must download your Xbox LIVE profile and then transfer your content licences to that person's Xbox 360 console.

• To download your Xbox LIVE profile to a different Xbox 360 console, see Download, move or delete your Xbox LIVE profile.
• To transfer a content licence from one Xbox 360 console to another, see Can I transfer a content licence from one Xbox 360 console to another?

After you've downloaded your Xbox LIVE profile and transferred your content licences to another Xbox 360 console, the content can be used by all the profiles on that console.

Some items that are stored on your Xbox 360 console can’t be transferred from one profile to another. For example, Xbox LIVE Games Store content can’t be transferred to a different profile. If you can't move an item to a different profile, you have to download the item using the second profile in the same way that you obtained the item using the original profile.

Note You must recreate some items in the second profile. For example, you must recreate a saved game under the second profile.