Platform for providing generic e-content

Abstract

A platform for obtaining digital items provides consumers access to digital item from multiple sources such as other consumers, libraries, rental services, and stores. The platform may be implemented as a cloud-based system accessible over the Internet. The platform transforms digital items into different formats when needed for compatibility with a computing device of the end consumer and transfers digital rights management (DRM) restrictions across different DRM schema. Consumers may store personal information in association with a digital item for later re-association with other copies of the same digital item. Consumers may also comment on a digital item and the platform may make those comments available to other consumers that have accessed the same digital item. The platform may also mediate instant messaging between consumers that are both associated with the same digital item. Computing devices of the consumers may receive widgets from the platform that provide additional functionality.