Digital media reproduction and licensing

• US 10,489,560 B2
• Filed: 09/05/2018
• Issued: 11/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Media Chain, LLC
• Original Assignee: Media Chain, LLC
• Inventors: Estes, Christopher A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Feild, Lynn D
• Assistant Examiner(s): McCoy, Richard A
• Application Number:
  US16/122,136
• Publication Number:
  US 20190005204A1
• Time in Patent Office: 447 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/22 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/487 using geographical or spatial information, e.g. location
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/1015 to users
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/105 Arrangements for software license management or administration, e.g. for managing licenses at corporate level
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0204 Market segmentation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/184 Intellectual property management
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4402 involving reformatting operations of video signals for household redistribution, storage or real-time display details of conversion of video standards at pixel level H04N7/01; video transcoding H04N19/40; adapting incoming signals to the display format of the display terminal G09G5/005; media handling at the source in data packet switching networks H04L65/764
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4627 Rights management associated to the content security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4667 Processing of monitored end-user data, e.g. trend analysis based on the log file of viewer selections

Abstract

Systems and methods for monetizing the reproduction of digital media content for the rights-holders of the digital media content. Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to determining whether a user of a media content item has a license to reproduce the media content item. In one embodiment, the media content item may be reproduced when the user is licensed. The user is prompted to select to acquire a license to reproduce the media content item or to decline the license to reproduce the media content item when the user is not licensed. Further embodiments determine whether a user may receive a license when the user wishes to acquire a license. In an embodiment, the user is declined a license when not approved for the license.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for configuring a multimedia hardware device to enable an authorized stream of a media content item included in a digital media file, comprising:

receiving a request from a user to stream the media content item;

evaluating the request to stream to determine whether the user has acquired a license to stream the media content item and offering the license to stream the media content item to the user when the user does not have the license to stream the media content item;

after the evaluation of the request to stream, extracting user data that is specific to the user that is attempting to stream the media content item when the user at least one of streams and declines to stream the media content item, wherein the user data includes demographic data associated with the user that enables a third party online retailer that is providing the media content item to be streamed by the user to gauge at least one of a demographic that streamed the media content item of a copyright owner and a demographic that declined to stream the media content item of the copyright owner and the user data includes each media content item that the user streamed and each media content item that the user declined to stream that enables the third party online retailer to target marketing of different media content items to the user based on the demographic of the user and based on a history of media content items that the user has streamed and media content items that the user has declined to stream to determine a trend of interest in media content items by the user and to thereby target the marketing of the different media content items to the user based on the determined trend of interest associated with the user;

aggregating the user data into a statistics record for the request to stream the media content item when the user streams or declines to stream the media content item, wherein the statistics, record summarizes the user data associated with the request to steam the media content item;

storing in a license database the statistics record so that the user data is accessible to the third party online retailer that is providing the media content item to be streamed; and

analyzing a plurality of statistics records aggregated from each request to stream the media content item as provided by the third party online retailer to be streamed to provide the third party online retailer with the aggregated user data from each request to stream the media content item.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a license to reproduce the media content from a licensing system when the request is granted by the licensing system; and

preventing streaming of the media content item when the request is declined by the licensing system.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

reproducing the media content item based on a plurality of reproduction parameters in the license that is received from the licensing system.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing in the license database the user data that is associated with the user that is attempting to stream the media content item that is accessible to a third party online media retailer that has been selected by the copyright owner to distribute the media content item.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the user data includes a geographic location of the user who is streaming the media content item.

6. A computer implemented method for configuring a media content licensing and verification system to license media content for streaming the method comprising:

receiving a request from an external device associated with a user to stream a media content item, wherein the request to stream includes digital media information associated with the media content item included in a digital media file and the digital media information includes at least one identification characteristic that is unique to the media content item that is included in the media content item when the media content item is initially created and not dependent on any encoding during any mastering of the media content item;

determining whether the request to stream is to be granted based on a media content record stored in a media catalog database that is associated with the media content item and offering a license to stream the media content item to the user when the user does not have the license to stream the media content item;

after the determination of the request to stream, extracting user data that is specific to the user that is attempting to stream the media content item when the user at least one of streams and when the user declines to stream the media content item, wherein the user data includes demographic data associated with the user that enables a third party online retailer that is providing the media content item to be streamed by the user to gauge at least one of a demographic that streamed the media content item of a copyright owner and a demographic that declined to stream the media content item of the copyright owner and the user data includes each media content item that the user streamed and each media content item that the user declined to stream that enables the third party retailer to target marketing of different media content items to the user based on the demographic of the user and based on a history of media content items that the user has streamed and media content items that the user has declined to stream to determine a trend of interest in media content items by the user and to thereby target the marketing of the different media content items to the user based on the determined trend of interest associated with the user;

aggregating the user data inn a statistics record for the request to stream the media content;

item when the use streams or declines to stream the media content item, wherein the statistics record summarizes the user data associated with the request to stream the media content item;

storing in a license database the statistics record so that the user data is accessible to the third party online retailer that is providing the media content item to be streamed; and

analyzing a plurality of statistics records aggregated from each request to stream the media content item as provided by the third party online retailer to be streamed to provide the third party online retailer with the aggregated user data from each request to stream the media content item.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

generating a license record that includes license granting information associated with the license granted to the external device; and

storing the license record in a registered user database that is associated with the user.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the digital media information includes the at least one identification characteristics that is a fingerprint associated with the media content item.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

storing in the license database the user data that is associated with the user that is attempting to stream the media content item that is accessible to a third party online media retailer that has been selected by the copyright owner to distribute the media content item.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the user data includes additional media content items that the user has previously accessed.

11. A system for configuring a multimedia hardware device, to generate an authorized stream of a media content item included in a digital media file, comprising:

at least one processor; and

a memory coupled with the processor, the memory including instructions that, when executed by the processor cause the processor to;

receive a request from a user requesting to stream the media content item;

evaluate the request to stream to determine whether the user has acquired a license to stream the media content item and offer the license to stream the media content item to the user when the user does not have the license to stream the media content item;

after the evaluation of the request to stream, extract user data that is specific to the user that is attempting to stream the media content item when the user at least one of streams and declines to stream the media content item, wherein the user data includes demographic data associated with the user that enables a third party online retailer that is providing the media content item to be streamed by the user to gauge at least one of a demographic that streamed the media content item of a copyright owner and a demographic that declined to stream the media content item of the copyright owner and the user data includes each media content item that the user streamed and each media content item that the user declined to stream that enables a third party online retailer to target marketing of different media content items to the user based on the demographic of the user and based on a history of media content items that the user has streamed and media content items that the user has declined to stream to determine a trend of interest in media content items by the user and to thereby target the marketing of the different media content items to the user based on the determined trend of interest associated with the user, aggregate the user data into a statistics record to stream the media content item for the request when the user, streams or declines to stream the media content item, wherein the statistics record summarizes the user data associated with the request to stream the media content item, store in the license database the statistics record so that the user data is accessible to the third party online retailer that is providing the media content item to be streamed, and analyze a plurality of statistics records aggregated from each request to stream the media content item as provided by the third party online retailer to be streamed to provide the third party online retailer with the aggregated user data from each request to stream the media content item.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive a license to stream the media content item from a licensing system when the request is granted by the licensing system; and

prevent streaming of the media content item when the request is declined by the licensing system.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to stream the media content item based on a plurality of streaming parameters included in the license that is received from the licensing system.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to store in the license database the user data that is associated with the user that is attempting to stream the media content item that is accessible to a third party online media retailer that has been selected by the copyright owner to distribute the media content item.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the user data includes a quantity of times that the user has previously accessed the media content item and additional media content items.

16. A system for configuring a media content licensing and verification system to license media content for streaming, comprising:

a receiver configured to receive a request from an external device associated with a user to stream the media content item, wherein the request includes digital media information associated with the media content item included in a digital media file and the digital media information includes at least one identification characteristic that is unique to the media content item that is included in the media content item when the media content item is initially created and not dependent on any encoding during any mastering of the media content item;

at least one processor; and

a memory coupled with the processor, the memory including instructions that, when executed by the processor cause the processor to;

determine whether the request a stream is to be granted based on the media content record stored in the media catalog database that is associated with the media content item and offer a license to stream the media content item to the user when the user does not have the license to stream the media content item, after the determination of the request to stream, extract user data that is specific to the user that is attempting to stream the media content item when the user at least one of, streams and declines to stream, wherein the user data includes demographic data associated with the user that enables a third party online retailer that is providing the media content item to be streamed by the user to gauge at least one of a demographic that streamed the media content item of a copyright owner and a demographic that declined to stream the media content item of the copyright owner and the user data includes each media content item that the user streamed and each media content item that the user declined to stream that enables the third party online retailer to target marketing of different media content items to the user based on the demographic of the user and based on a history of media content items that the user has streamed and media content items that the user has declined to stream to determine a trend of interest in media content items by the user and to thereby target the marketing of the different media content items to the user based on the determined trend of interest associated with the user, aggregate the user data into a statistics record for the request to stream the media content item when the streams or declines to stream the media content item, wherein the statistics record summarizes the user data associated with the media licensing request to stream the media content item, and store in a license database the statistics record so that the user data is accessible to the third party online retailer that is providing the media content item to be streamed, and analyze a plurality of statistics records aggregated from each request for to stream the media content item as provided by the third party line retailer to be streamed to provide the third party online retailer with the aggregated user data from each request to stream the media content item.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the processor is further configured to:

generate a license record that includes license granting information associated with the license granted to the external device; and

store the license record in a registered user database that is associated with the user.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the processor is further configured to store in the license database the user data that is associated with the user that is attempting to stream the media content item that is accessible to a third party online media retailer that has been selected by the copyright owner to distribute the media content item.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the user data includes a geographic location of the user who is accessing the media content item that enables the copyright owner to gauge geographic locations where the media content item is being accessed.