Method and apparatus for automatically distributing, as needed, a user's digital-works and usage-rights to one or more user-devices. A definition of the usage-rights for a digital-work may be stored at one or more locations on a network. A version of said digital-work suitable for a user-device may be provided by one or more locations on said network. When a user who is authorized to utilize said digital-work is active at a user-device, a version of said digital-work and authorization to utilize is automatically transferred when needed to a user-device. The digital-work and authorization may be automatically transferred as needed to any user-device where an authorized user is active. The usage-rights may only be valid for one or more specific users. The usage authorization at each user-device may be less than defined in the full usage-rights maintained on the network. Authorization to utilize said digital-work at a user-device may be extended from time to time by exchanging user-device status across the network. Digital-works are automatically provided as needed to any user-device that an authorized user is using.