Systems and methods are provided for intelligently accessing media content based on rights. This may be accomplished by a media guidance application that generates a DRM score associated with a first copy of the media asset. The media guidance application determines that plurality of alternative copies of a media asset are available from other sources and determines DRM scores for the alternative copies. The media guidance application determines that one of the alternative copies has a lower digital rights management score as compared to the first copy of the media asset and stores the alternative copy instead of the first copy of the media asset.