Insuring digital content

A system for insuring digital content involves receiving a request 204 to insure an instance of digital content (e.g. content protected by digital rights management (DRM)), associating insurance 210 with the content, and storing at least one of: a copy of the digital content, metadata related to the digital content, and data related to the insurance in at least one database (106, 108, 110, fig. 1). As a result, digital content can be restored (312, 314, fig. 3) to an owner in an event that the instance of digital content becomes unusable. The insurance may provide for replacement of digital content due to: loss, file corruption, an upgrade to the format or quality of content, or obsolescence of a DRM system protecting content. Ownership of the instance of digital content may be verified 206 prior to associating insurance, e.g. by checking purchase records. Discounted prices may be offered if a minimum number of instances of content are insured. The price of insurance may depend upon the file quality of the content.