Method and system for digital content distribution

• US 20050216548A1
• Filed: 03/04/2005
• Published: 09/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Cloakx LLC
• Original Assignee: Cloakx LLC
• Inventors: Wormington, Brian, Lear, William R. Jr.
• Application Number:
  US11/072,793
• Publication Number:
  US 20050216548A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/201
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/101 applying security measures for digital rights management data processing systems or methods, specially adapted for commerce, e.g. marketing, shopping, billing, auctions or e-commerce G06Q30/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2541 Rights Management protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10; 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 21/2543 Billing , e.g. for subscription services payment schemes, architectures or protocols G06Q20/00; e-commerce G06Q30/00; arrangements for billing for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/21
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25875 involving end-user authentication restricting access to computer systems by authenticating users using a predetermined code G06F21/33; arrangements for secret or secure communication including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4181 for conditional access
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44204 Monitoring of content usage, e.g. the number of times a movie has been viewed, copied or the amount which has been watched monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; protecting generic digital content where the protection is independent of the precise nature of the content G06F21/10; arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services in broadcast systems H04H60/31
• 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 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6581 Reference data, e.g. a movie identifier for ordering a movie or a product identifier in a home shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8358 involving watermark protecting executable software by watermarking G06F21/16; image watermarking in general G06T1/0021; watermarks inserted in still images for transmission purposes H04N1/32144; inserting watermarks during video coding H04N19/467
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/1675 Providing digital key or authorisation information for generation or regeneration of the scrambling sequence pseudo-random number generators in general G06F7/58
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

In a method and system for digital content distribution end-users are rewarded for sending copies of end-user applications, such as software, games, music and movies, to other end-users when the copies are registered. Each copy can contain a watermark, which serves to identify the sender so that he can be rewarded upon registration of the copy.

Claims

1. A method of digital content distribution comprising:

allowing a first end-user to transfer a first copy of a distribution and installation package for an end-user application to a second end-user;

enabling the second end-user to acquire usage rights of the end-user application; and

rewarding the first end-user.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the second end-user is unable to run the end-user application until the second end-user acquires usage rights of the end-user application.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the first copy of the distribution and installation package has a first watermark, wherein the first watermark serves to identify the first end-user.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the first copy of the distribution and installation package comprises multiple packages.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising creating the distribution and installation package.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising allowing the first end-user to create the distribution and installation package.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

allowing the second end-user to transfer a second copy of the distribution and installation package to a third end-user;

enabling the third end-user to acquire usage rights of the end-user application; and

rewarding the second end-user.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising rewarding the first end-user.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the second copy of the distribution and installation package has a second watermark.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein the second copy of the distribution and installation package has the first watermark.

20. The method of claim 5 wherein the third end-user is unable to run the end-user application until the third end-user registers the second copy.

11. A method of digital content distribution comprising:

allowing a first end-user to transfer a first copy of an end-user application to a second end-user;

enabling the second end-user to register the first copy; and

rewarding the first end-user.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the first copy has a first watermark.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the first watermark serves to identify the first end-user.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the second end-user is unable to run the end-user application until the second end-user registers the first copy.

15. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

allowing the second end-user to transfer a second copy of the end-user application to a third end-user; and

enabling the third end-user to register the second copy.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising rewarding the first end-user.

17. The method of claim 15 further comprising rewarding the second end-user.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein the second copy has the first watermark.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein the second copy has a second watermark, wherein the second watermark serves to identify the second end-user.

21. A system for distributing end-user applications comprising:

a consumer electronic device for receiving a copy of an end-user application from a first end-user;

a registrar for registering the copy of the end-user application; and

a reward for the first end-user.