A method for using virtualization to implement information rights management. The method may include: 1) intercepting, at a virtualization module, a request from an application to access data; 2) querying an information-rights-management database for a virtualization policy associated with the access request; 3) receiving, at the virtualization module, the virtualization policy from the information-rights-management database; and 4) controlling access to the data by applying the virtualization policy to the access request in a manner that is transparent to the application. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.