A rights-managed email is provided for sending protected content from a sender to a recipient, whereby the recipient can render the protected content with a corresponding license if the recipient satisfies terms set forth in the license. In the email, a main information portion has a message that the email is rights management protected, and an attachment portion has the protected content. The recipient if enabled can render the protected content in the attachment portion. If not enabled, the recipient can only review the main information portion having the message. The enabled recipient recognizes that the email has the protected content in the attachment portion thereof, discounts the main information portion of the email, and examines the attachment portion of the email and proceeds based thereon to render the protected content in the attachment portion.