PROCESSING SERVICE REQUESTS FOR DIGITAL CONTENT

Methods and apparatus are disclosed for processing digital content service requests from user devices (1), each service request relating to digital content provided by a content provider, and comprising a server location request and a content request. The server location request comprises an indication of a network name of a content provider from which digital content is desired. The content request comprises an indication of a desired content item and a routing identifier indicating the network location of an applicable content server (9). The method comprises receiving a server location request; determining whether to serve or deny the server location request; receiving a content request; determining whether the content server routing identifier of the content request is of a first or second type; and allowing the content request if the content server routing identifier is not of the second type, or if the content server routing identifier is of the second type but it has been determined in response to an associated server location request that the applicable content provider is of the first type.