Method and system for collecting, sharing and tracking user or group associates content via a communications network

• US 20050203801A1
• Filed: 01/27/2005
• Published: 09/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Rakuten Commerce LLC (Rakuten Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rakuten Commerce LLC (Rakuten Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Morgenstern, Jared, Lim, Edward
• Application Number:
  US11/045,164
• Publication Number:
  US 20050203801A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.160
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0214 Referral reward systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0249 based upon budgets or funds
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0257 User requested

Abstract

A content collection, sharing, and tracking method and system allows individuals or groups to incorporate the content of one another into their own context for creative referenced re-use. Users browse the content of other users and add content to a tool known as a GRAB BAG. Users may be part of affinity groups such as social networks or have common interests such as an interest in a single Internet auction site. The GRAB BAG storage system keeps track subsequent revisions and contexts for the piece of content in all instances where it is grabbed. When users incorporate the content they have grabbed into their own content, it appears with a link to the original author as well as with links to track the dissemination of the original content. The GRAB BAG storage system is created to reference content so that identical items under two different contexts need not be duplicated in full.

Claims

1. A method of managing content comprising:

receiving a request from a viewer to access content associated with a user or group of users;

presenting the content to the viewer;

receiving a content association request from the viewer relating to requested content; and

,

adding the requested content to content associated with the viewer.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the content association request includes a content identifier associated with the requested content; and

retrieving content using the content identifier.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining if the viewer is authorized to collect the requested content.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining the viewer'"'"'s proposed use of the requested content and determining if the proposed use of the requested content complies with one or more previously specified use criteria for the requested content.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the use criteria are selected from a group consisting of creative common licenses, distribution, modification, and attribution.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising withdrawing all instances of the requested content.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the associated content includes digital content data.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the digital content data includes product purchasing information.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing a reward to the user whose content is retrieved.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing a reward to the user if another user or a viewer makes a purchase of a product or service associated with the user'"'"'s content.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising requiring the viewer to trade at least one of content and rewards to retrieve content.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the viewer is required to pay to retrieve content.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the user is rewarded by a service providing web site.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein collected content is stored as a change from its parent.

15. The method of claim 1 where the user is required to at least one of post comments and contribute to the requested content to collect the associated content.

17. The system of claim 1 wherein:

the content association request includes a content identifier associated with the requested content; and

retrieving content using the content identifier.

18. The system of claim 1 further comprising determining if the viewer is authorized to collect the requested content.

16. A system of managing content comprising:

a request receiving module receiving a request from a viewer to access content associated with a user or group of users;

a presenting module presenting content to the viewer;

a content association request module receiving a content association request from the viewer relating to requested content; and

,

a content association module adding the requested content to content associated with the viewer.

19. A method of managing content, the method comprising:

requesting access to content associated with a user or group of users;

receiving the content; and

,

making a content association request to associate requested content with a viewer.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the content association request includes a content identifier associated with the requested content.