Contents distribution system

• US 20020077987A1
• Filed: 12/12/2001
• Published: 06/20/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
• Inventors: Hasegawa, Yutaka
• Application Number:
  US10/016,079
• Publication Number:
  US 20020077987A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/52
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

A system is designed for managing an information service which handles distribution of digital contents and presentation of advertising messages to users over a computer network. In the system, a first database stores advertising messages provided from advertisers who subscribe the information service with payment of advertisement fees. A second database stores a plurality of digital contents, which are subject to legal protection on behalf of content proprietors. A server presents the advertising messages over the computer network to the users who use the information service. The server distributes the digital contents to the users upon request from the users over the computer network. The sever allocates at least a part of the advertisement fees collected from the subscribing advertisers to the content proprietors of the digital contents distributed to the users.

Claims

1. A system for managing an information service which handles distribution of digital contents and presentation of advertising messages to users over a computer network, the system comprising:

a first database containing advertising messages provided from advertisers who subscribe the information service with payment of advertisement fees;

a second database containing a plurality of digital contents which are subject to legal protection on behalf of content proprietors;

a presenting section that presents the advertising messages over the computer network to the users who use the information service;

a distributing section that distributes the digital contents to the users upon request from the users over the computer network; and

an allocating section that allocates at least a part of the advertisement fees collected from the subscribing advertisers to the content proprietors of the digital contents distributed to the users.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the second database contains protected digital contents subject to legal protection and non-protected digital contents not subject to legal protection, such that the allocating section allocates the collected advertisement fees to the proprietors only when the protected digital contents are distributed to the users.

3. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a contributing section that contributes digital contents from users together with status information indicating whether or not the contributed digital contents are subject to the legal protection, and a registering section that registers the contributed digital contents into the second database together with the status information, such that the allocating section allocates the collected advertisement fees only if the registered digital contents are distributed under the legal protection as indicated by the status information.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the second database contains a multiple of digital contents subject to legal protection on behalf of the same proprietor, such that the allocating section allocates a part of the collected advertisement fees to the same proprietor when any of the multiple of the digital contents is distributed to the users.

5. A method of managing an information service which handles distribution of digital contents and presentation of advertising messages to users over a computer network, the method comprising the steps of:

creating a first database containing advertising messages provided from advertisers who subscribe the information service with payment of advertisement fees;

creating a second database containing a plurality of digital contents which are subject to legal protection on behalf of content proprietors;

presenting the advertising messages over the computer network to the users who use the information service;

distributing the digital contents to the users upon request from the users over the computer network; and

allocating at least a part of the advertisement fees collected from the subscribing advertisers to the content proprietors of the digital contents distributed to the users.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the second database contains protected digital contents subject to legal protection and non-protected digital contents not subject to legal protection, such that the allocating of the collected advertisement fees to the proprietors is effected only when the protected digital contents are distributed to the users.

7. The method according to claim 5, further comprising the steps of contributing digital contents from users together with status information indicating whether or not the contributed digital contents are subject to the legal protection, and registering the contributed digital contents into the second database together with the status information, such that the allocating of the collected advertisement fees is effected only if the registered digital contents are distributed under the legal protection as indicated by the status information.

8. The method according to claim 5, wherein the second database contains a multiple of digital contents subject to legal protection on behalf of the same proprietor, such that a part of the collected advertisement fees is allocated to the same proprietor when any of the multiple of the digital contents is distributed to the users.

9. A machine readable medium for use in a server having a CPU and managing an information service which handles distribution of digital contents and presentation of advertising messages to users over a computer network, the medium containing program instructions executable by the CPU for causing the server to perform a method comprising the steps of:

managing a first database containing advertising messages provided from advertisers who subscribe the information service with payment of advertisement fees;

managing a second database containing a plurality of digital contents which are subject to legal protection on behalf of content proprietors;

presenting the advertising messages over the computer network to the users who use the information service;

distributing the digital contents to the users upon request from the users over the computer network; and

allocating at least a part of the advertisement fees collected from the subscribing advertisers to the content proprietors of the digital contents distributed to the users.

10. The machine readable medium according to claim 9, wherein the second database contains protected digital contents subject to legal protection and non-protected digital contents not subject to legal protection, such that the allocating of the collected advertisement fees to the proprietors is effected only when the protected digital contents are distributed to the users.

11. The machine readable medium according to claim 9, wherein the method further comprises the steps of contributing digital contents from users together with status information indicating whether or not the contributed digital contents are subject to the legal protection, and registering the contributed digital contents into the second database together with the status information, such that the allocating of the collected advertisement fees is effected only if the registered digital contents are distributed under the legal protection as indicated by the status information.

12. The machine readable medium according to claim 9, wherein the second database contains a multiple of digital contents subject to legal protection on behalf of the same proprietor, such that a part of the collected advertisement fees is allocated to the same proprietor when any of the multiple of the digital contents is distributed to the users.

13. A computer program executable by a server for managing an information service which handles distribution of digital contents and presentation of advertising messages to users over a computer network, the computer program comprising the steps of:

managing a first database containing advertising messages provided from advertisers who subscribe the information service with payment of advertisement fees;

managing a second database containing a plurality of digital contents which are subject to legal protection on behalf of content proprietors;

presenting the advertising messages over the computer network to the users who use the information service;

distributing the digital contents to the users upon request from the users over the computer network; and

allocating at least a part of the advertisement fees collected from the subscribing advertisers to the content proprietors of the digital contents distributed to the users.

14. The computer program according to claim 13, wherein the second database contains protected digital contents subject to legal protection and non-protected digital contents not subject to legal protection, such that the allocating of the collected advertisement fees to the proprietors is effected only when the protected digital contents are distributed to the users.

15. The computer program according to claim 13, further comprising the steps of contributing digital contents from users together with status information indicating whether or not the contributed digital contents are subject to the legal protection, and registering the contributed digital contents into the second database together with the status information, such that the allocating of the collected advertisement fees is effected only if the registered digital contents are distributed under the legal protection as indicated by the status information.

16. The computer program according to claim 13, wherein the second database contains a multiple of digital contents subject to legal protection on behalf of the same proprietor, such that a part of the collected advertisement fees is allocated to the same proprietor when any of the multiple of the digital contents is distributed to the users.