Systems and methods for detecting authorized players

One embodiment includes method for determining whether a player application is authorized to play protected content. The method comprises reading a digital signature associated with the player application from a predetermined memory location using a protection interface associated with the player application, where the digital signature comprises one or more file designations. The embodiment further comprises mapping, by the protection interface, the one or more file designations to one or more files associated with the player application and transmitting mapping information from the protection interface to a verification application stored on a storage medium. The verification application is configured to determine whether the player application is authorized to play the protected content if the one or more file designations match the one or more files based on the mapping information.