1. A method of enabling the use of a first digital work on plural computing devices, said method comprising the acts of: receiving, at an activation server from a first computing device, a user's credentials and a request to authenticate the first computing device; retrieving activation information associated with the user's credentials, wherein the activation information identifies a number of previously activated computing devices associated with the user's credentials; comparing the activation information identifying the number of activated computing devices associated with the user's credentials to an activation limit number; when the activation limit number has been reached, denying the authentication request received from the first computing device, otherwise: authenticating said credentials by querying a namespace authority; providing a first activation certificate to said first computing device, wherein the activation certificate includes an activation private key encrypted by a public key associated with a secure repository, wherein the secure repository includes a repository private key and the public key; providing the secure repository to said first computing device, wherein the secure repository, when executed, decrypts the activation private key using the repository private key securely; decrypting a symmetric key, bound to said first digital work, using the activation private key wherein the symmetric key operable to decrypt said first digital work; and persisting an association between said credentials and at least some information included in said first activation certificate, wherein said computing device stores software having an activated state and a non-activated state, wherein said first activation certificate transforms said software to said activated state, wherein said software renders a second digital work regardless of whether it is in the activated state, and wherein said software renders said first digital work only if said software is in the activated state.