1. In a networked computing environment including a first computer system and a second computer system a method of granting access to a piece of content on the first computer system, the method including: sending a request from the first computer system to the second computer system, the request seeking permission to access the content; initiating execution of an acknowledgment-monitoring process at the first computer system, the acknowledgment-monitoring process being operable to: (a) detect a second acknowledgment from the second computer system, the second acknowledgment indicating that the second computer system received a first acknowledgment from the first computer system; and (b) send a third acknowledgment to the second computer system if the second acknowledgment is not received by the first computer system within a predefined time period; receiving the request at the second computer system; determining whether to grant the request; sending a status indicator from the second computer system to the first computer system, the status indicator including an indication that the request has been granted; receiving the status indicator at the first computer system and releasing the content to a user; sending the first acknowledgment from the first computer system to the second computer system, the first acknowledgment indicating that the content was successfully released to the user; receiving the first acknowledgment at the second computer system; sending the second acknowledgment from the second computer system to the first computer system; receiving the second acknowledgment at the first computer system; terminating execution of the acknowledgment-monitoring process.