Systems and methods are described herein for embedding and detecting a watermark in a digital content file, such as an audio file or a video file. If the watermark is detected in the digital content, a certificate associated with the digital content is located. The certificate contains copyright information that indicates permissible uses of the digital content file, e.g., the digital content file may be played one time, five times, any number of times during a specified time period, etc. If the watermark is not detected, the file is processed. In one implementation, a device configured to process the digital content file is also configured to locate a certificate associated with the digital content file before processing it. If the certificate is not found, the file is not played. If the certificate is found, the device only processes the file in accordance with instructions in the associated certificate.