Digital media distribution system with expiring advertisements

• US 20040148424A1
• Filed: 01/24/2003
• Published: 07/29/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Aaron Berkson, Stefan Nadarajah
• Original Assignee: Aaron Berkson, Stefan Nadarajah
• Inventors: Berkson, Aaron, Nadarajah, Stefan
• Application Number:
  US10/350,569
• Publication Number:
  US 20040148424A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/236
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/566 Grouping or aggregating service requests, e.g. for unified processing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A method and system for distributing “free” media content via a network or the internet, whereby media content files are bundled with advertisements that automatically expire and can automatically resurrect and/or update themselves. The nature of the expiration/resurrection/updating of these advertisements is based on a pre-defined number of impressions, a preset time limit and/or other usage protocols included in the header information of the file which are interpreted and enforced by a media player and/or other software/hardware components The distribution model for this system supports client-server models, peer-to-peer models and other networked models such as digital kiosks. This system supports media content that is linear (e.g. purely audio or audio/visual) and/or non-linear (e.g. interactive games, software, etc.) and this methodology can apply to any compression format of such content. This system can also incorporate appropriate security measures to prevent users from abusing the system.

Claims

1. A bundled content file for digital media distribution and for use with a media player comprising:

header information having rules by which the media content file can be played on the media player, as well as identifiers of the content, and usage information;

primary media content; and

primary advertisement content;

wherein said primary advertisement content must be played in order to play said primary media content.

2. The bundled media content file according to claim 1, wherein said identifiers of the content comprise one or more of the following:

an ID number, content type, content sub-type, title, author, copyright owners, publication date, rating, length, compression format, number of advertisements, advertisement playback type, and number of impressions/time frame required for advertisements, and expiration date for advertisements.

3. The bundled media content file according to claim 1 wherein said rules in said header information define conditions under which said primary advertisement content expires, updates or resurrects.

4. The bundled media content file according to claim 3, wherein said rules in said header information further define security/anti-piracy functions and “

pay to disable ad”

functions.

5. The bundled media content file according to claim 1, wherein said usage information stores the number of times said primary advertisement content and said primary media content have been played.

6. The bundled media content file according to claim 1 wherein said primary media content is audio, audio/visual, or interactive.

7. The bundled media content file according to claim 1, wherein said primary advertisement content is audio, audio/visual, or interactive.

8. The bundled media content file according to claim 1, wherein said primary advertisement content is played before, after or intermittently through said primary media content.

9. The bundled media content file according to claim 1, further comprising auxiliary media content.

10. The bundled media content file according to claim 1, further comprising auxiliary advertisement content.

11. A method of distributing digital media content via a network or the Internet comprising:

bundling primary media content with header information and primary advertising content;

regulating and enabling the download of files via media player/enforcement software;

moving said primary media content bundled with said primary advertisement content to a client device from a central server;

maintaining and updating a content library as well as tracking the number of downloads and users via said central server; and

expiring said primary advertising content after moving to said client device once rules in said header information have been complied with.

12. The method of distributing media content according to claim 11, further comprising the step of invalidating the media content if a user has not experienced said advertising content in accordance with said header information.

13. The method of distributing media content according to claim 11, further comprising the step of establishing anti-advertisement bypass measures.

14. The method of distributing media content according to claim 11, further comprising the step of rebundling said primary advertisement content to maintain the systems compliance with advertisers'"'"' requirements.

15. The method of distributing media content according to claim 11, further comprising the step of informing and instructing users on usage rules for the downloaded file.

16. The method of distributing media content according to claim 11, further comprising the step of incorporating media player/enforcement software into an existing media player.

17. The method of distributing media content according to claim 11, further comprising the steps of:

sharing files from a first client device to a second client device;

deducing from said header information and said usage information that said second client had not experienced said primary advertisement content;

resurrecting said primary advertisement content; and

requiring said second client to play said primary advertisement content according to said rules in said header information.

18. The method of distributing media content according to claim 11, further comprising the step of updating said primary advertisement content.

19. The method of distributing media content according to claim 11, further comprising the step of copying said downloaded files to a portable or hard-copy medium with said primary advertisement content still bundled.

20. The method of distributing media content according to claim 11, further comprising the step of copying said downloaded files to a portable or hard-copy medium without said primary advertisement content bundled after it has expired.

21. The method of distributing media content according to claim 11, further comprising the step of permitting users to copy a finite number of CD/DVD/DVD-audio discs in a given time frame.

22. The method of distributing media content according to claim 11, further comprising the step of expiring said primary advertisement content as defined by said header information after a defined number of impressions.

23. The method of distributing media content according to claim 11, further comprising the step of expiring said primary advertisement content as defined by said header information after a given time period.

24. The method of distributing media content according to claim 11, further comprising the step of expiring said primary advertisement content as defined by said header information after a defined number of impressions in a defined time period, wherein a certain time must elapse between playing of said primary advertisement content.

25. The method of distributing media content according to claim 12, further comprising the step of disallowing playback until rebundling takes place if a file has been invalidated.

26. The method of distributing media content according to claim 11, further comprising the step of disabling said primary advertisement content by making a payment.

27. The method of distributing media content according to claim 11, wherein said primary media content originates from another client device in a nonbundled form before bundling with said header information and said advertisement content.

28. A method of distributing digital media content via a network or the Internet comprising:

bundling primary media content with header information;

regulating and enabling the download of files via media player/enforcement software;

moving said primary media content to a client device from a central server;

streaming primary advertisement content to a client device from a central server;

maintaining and updating a content library as well as tracking the number of downloads and users via said central server; and

expiring said primary advertising content once rules in said header information have been complied with.

29. The method of distributing media content according to claim 28, further comprising the steps of:

sharing files from a first client device to a second client device;

deducing from said header information and said usage information that said second client had not experienced said primary advertisement content;

moving new header information from said central server to said second client device;

streaming said primary advertisement content from said central server to said second client device; and

requiring said second client to play said primary advertisement content according to said rules in said new header information.

30. The method of distributing media content according to claim 28, wherein said primary media content originates from another client device in a nonbundled form before bundling with said header information.

31. A method of distributing digital media content via a network or the Internet comprising:

regulating and enabling the download of files via media player/enforcement software;

moving header information from a client device from a central server;

streaming said primary media content and said primary advertisement content to a client device from a central server;

maintaining and updating a content library as well as tracking the number of users via said central server; and

expiring said primary advertising content after moving to said client device once rules in said header information have been complied with.

32. An article of manufacture comprising:

a computer usable medium having a machine readable program code means for bundling primary media content with header information and primary advertising content;

a machine readable program code means for tracking usage information as well as regulating and enabling the download of files via media player/enforcement software;

a machine readable program code means for moving said primary media content bundled with said primary advertisement content to a client device from a central server;

a machine readable program code for maintaining and updating a content library as well as tracking the number of downloads and users via said central server; and

a machine readable program code for expiring said primary advertising content after moving to said client device once rules in said header information have been complied with.