A distributed content entity includes a protection specification and an
information entity, in which the protection specification and the
information entity are attached and transported together. The protection
specification includes information for controlling the use of the
information entity. A framework generates the distributed content entity,
in which the framework includes a protection specification unit storing
the protection specification and including an access control enforcement
manager and an enhanced access control enforcement manager; an information
unit for storing the protected information entity; and an access checking
unit connected to the protection specification unit and the information
unit. The access checking unit checks whether a user has a privilege to
access the protected information entity based on the protection
specification and the access control manager, and checks whether the
requested access meets conditions determined based on the protection
specification and enforced by the enhanced access control manager. An
example of the enhanced access control manager is a terms and conditions
enforcement manager for enforcing the terms and conditions of an agreement
relating to permitted uses of the protected information entity.