Digital media reproduction and licensing

• US 10,515,191 B2
• Filed: 10/03/2018
• Issued: 12/24/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• 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:
  US16/150,919
• Publication Number:
  US 20190034598A1
• 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 determining a target demographic for media marketing, comprising:

receiving a first request from first user and a second request from a second user to reproduce the media content item;

evaluating each of the first and second request to determine whether each of the first and second users has previously acquired a license to reproduce the media content item and offering the license to reproduce the media content item to each user when the each user does not have the license to reproduce the media content item;

after the evaluation of the first request, extracting first user data specific to first user when the first user accepts the offer and acquires the license;

after the evaluation of the second request, extracting second user data specific to the second user when the second user declines the offer to acquire the license;

aggregating the extracted first and second user data into a statistics record,

wherein the statistics record summarizes the first user data and second user data;

storing in a license database the statistics record so that the summarized first and second user data is accessible to a third party;

analyzing by the third party, the statistics record, to determine the target demographic based on a first demographic corresponding to the first user data and a second demographic corresponding to the second user data;

and marketing, by the third party, the media content item to a plurality of other users corresponding to the determined target demographic.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a license to reproduce the media content from a licensing system when at least one of the first request and second is granted by the licensing system; and

preventing reproduction of the media content item when the first and second requests are 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 a licensing system.

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

storing in the license database the first and second user data that is associated with the respective first and second user that is attempting to reproduce the media content item that is accessible to a third patty online media retailer that has been selected by a copyright owner to distribute the media content item.

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

storing in the license database the first and second user data that is associated with the respective first and second user that is attempting to reproduce the media content item that is accessible to a hardware device manufacturer that manufacturers hardware for the multimedia hardware device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second user data includes respective first and second geographic locations of the respective first and second user who is accessing the media content item.

7. A computer implemented method for configuring a media content licensing and verification system to license media content for reproduction, the method comprising:

receiving a request from an external device associated with a user and a second request from a second external device associated with a second user to reproduce a media content item, wherein the request and second request includes digital media information associated with the media content item included in a digital media file;

determining whether the request and the second request 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 reproduce the media content item to each of the user and the second user when the each user does not have the license to reproduce the media content item;

after the determination of the request extracting user data that is specific to the user that is attempting to reproduce the media content item when the user is granted the license;

after the determination of the second request, extracting second user data that is specific to the second user that is attempting to reproduce the media content item when the user declines the license;

aggregating the extracted user data and second user data into a statistics record, wherein the statistics record summarizes the user data and second user data associated with the request;

storing in a license database the statistics record so that the user data and second user data is accessible to a party other than the user and the second user;

and analyzing a plurality of statistics records aggregated from requests for the media content item when the user is granted the license and when the second user declines the license to determine a target demographic based on a first demographic corresponding to the user data and a second demographic based on the second user data;

and marketing, by the party, the media content item to a plurality of other users corresponding to the target demographic.

8. The method of claim 7, 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.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the digital media information includes a fingerprint associated with the media content item.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

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

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

storing in the license database the user data that is associated with the user that is attempting to reproduce the media content item that is accessible to a hardware device manufacturer that manufacturers hardware that is implemented by the multimedia hardware device.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the user data includes additional media content items that the user has previously accessed.

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

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

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

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the processor is further configured to reproduce the media content item based on a plurality of reproduction parameters included in the license that is received from the licensing system.

16. The system of claim 12, 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 reproduce the media content item that is accessible to a third party online media retailer that has been selected by a copyright owner to distribute the media content item.

17. The system of claim 12, 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 reproduce the media content item that is accessible to a hardware device manufacturer that manufacturers hardware that is implemented by the multimedia hardware device.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the user data includes a quantity of times that the user has previously accessed the media content item and additional media content items.

20. The system of claim 18, 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.

21. The system of claim 18, 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 reproduce the media content item that is accessible to a third party online media retailer that has been selected by a copyright owner to distribute the media content item.

22. The system of claim 20, 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 reproduce the media content item that is accessible to a hardware device manufacturer that manufacturers hardware that is implemented by the multimedia hardware device.

23. The system of claim 18, 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.

13. A system for configuring a multimedia hardware device to generate an authorized reproduction 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 and a second request from a second user, each request requesting to reproduce the media content item;

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

after the evaluation of the request, extract user data that is specific to the user that is attempting to reproduce the media content item when the user acquires the license,

after the evaluation of the request, extract second user data that is specific to the second user that is attempting to reproduce the media content item when the user declines the license,

aggregate the extracted user data and second user data into a statistics record, wherein the statistics record summarizes the user data and the second user data associated with the respective request and second request,

store in the license database the statistics record so that the user data and the second user data is accessible to a party other than the user,

and analyze a plurality of statistics records aggregated from requests for the media content item when the user acquires the license and when the second user declines the license to determine a target demographic based on a first demographic corresponding to the user data and a second demographic based on the second user data;

and market, by the party, the media content item to a plurality of other users corresponding to the target demographic.

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

a receiver configured to receive a request from an external device associated with a user to reproduce the media content item, wherein the request includes digital media information associated with the media content item included in a digital media file;

the receiver further configured to receive a second request from a second external device associated with a second user to reproduce the media content item, wherein the second request includes digital media information associated with the media content item included in a digital media file;

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 and second request 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 reproduce the media content item to each of the user and second user when the each user does not have the license to reproduce the media content item,

after the determination of the request, extract user data that is specific to the user that is attempting to reproduce the media content item when the user acquires the license,

after the determination of the second request, extract second user data that is specific to the second user that is attempting to reproduce the media content item when the second user declines the license,

aggregate the extracted user data and second user data into a statistics record, wherein the statistics record summarizes the user data and second user data associated with the respective request and second request, and

store in a license database the statistics record so that the user data and second user data is accessible to a party other than the user and second user,

and analyzing a plurality of statistics records aggregated from requests for the media content item when the user is granted the license and when the second user declines the license to determine a target demographic based on a first demographic corresponding to the user data and a second demographic based on the second user data;

and market, by the party, the media content item to a plurality of other users corresponding to the target demographic.