Method and system for managing access to media files

• US 20050240588A1
• Filed: 04/26/2004
• Published: 10/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Siegel, Hilliard B., Gordon, Charles
• Granted Patent: US 7,627,530 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/70 of video data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6236 between heterogeneous systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2101 Auditing as a secondary aspect
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2135 Metering
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• 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 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99939 Privileged access

Abstract

A system and method for managing access rights of media files communicated over a network. In a preferred embodiment, the present invention allows a user to obtain rights to access media files of selected content, which may include a song, album, movie, etc. Once the user obtains rights to access media files of the selected content, information that identifies the user and information that describes the selected content is communicated to a plurality of content providers. By receiving information that identifies the user and information that describes the selected content, each content provider can verify independently that the user is authorized to access one or more files that contain the selected content. The user may then directly contact any one of many service providers to access media files that contain the selected content.

Claims

1. In a computing environment having a merchant server, a client computer and a plurality of content provider servers, a method for managing user access to media files containing selected content, wherein the method comprises:

transacting a user purchase of access rights to selected content, wherein the purchase of access rights is transacted between a merchant associated with the merchant server and a user associated with the client computer; and

communicating transaction information associated with the purchase of access rights from the merchant server to one or more of the content provider servers, wherein the transaction information contains information that allows each receiving content provider server to authorize access of at least one media file containing the selected content to the user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises,

at one or more content provider servers, receiving a request for user access to a media file containing the selected content;

processing the request with the transaction information to determine if the user is authorized to receive access to the media file containing the selected content; and

if it is determined that the user is authorized to receive access to the media file containing the selected content, allowing the user to access the media file containing the selected content.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the request is generated by a media player application executing on the client computer, and wherein the request is communicated from the client computer to a content provider server storing a media file having a data format that is compatible with the media player application.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein allowing the user to access the media file includes downloading the media file containing the selected content from the content provider server to at least one client computer associated with the user.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein allowing the user to access the media file includes streaming the media file containing the selected content from the content provider server to a media player application executing on the client computer.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises, storing the transaction information in a database;

receiving an authorization request from a content provider, wherein the authorization request contains data that identifies the selected content and the user; and

in response to receiving the authorization request;

retrieving the transaction information from the database;

determining if the user is authorized to access the selected content; and

communicating an authorization signal to the content provider, wherein the authorization signal contains information that allows the content provider to authorize access of at least one media file containing the selected content to the user.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises receiving from a content provider an authorization request that contains data identifying the user, and in response to receiving the authorization request, communicating to the content provider an authorization signal that contains information allowing the content provider to authorize user access of at least one media file containing the selected content.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving compensation from the user for the purchase transaction and dividing the compensation between the merchant and an owner of copyright in the selected content.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving compensation from the user for the purchase transaction and dividing the compensation between the merchant, an owner of copyright in the selected content, and one or more content providers in the plurality of content of providers.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a base compensation from the user for the purchase transaction and dividing the base compensation between the merchant and an owner of copyright in the selected content; and

receiving incremental compensation from the user for designating content providers and dividing the incremental compensation among the designated content providers.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving compensation from the user for the purchase transaction, wherein a portion of the compensation is divided between the merchant and an owner of copyright in the selected content, and the remainder of the compensation is maintained in an account and divided among the content providers that provide the user access to the at least one media file containing the selected content.

12. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable components for managing access to media files containing selected content, the computer-executable components comprising:

a data component configured to store transaction information that identifies individual users and selected content purchased by individual users; and

a server component operable to;

transact a user purchase of access rights to selected content, wherein the purchase of access rights is transacted between a merchant associated with a server executing the server component and a user associated with a client computer; and

communicate transaction information associated with the purchase of access rights from the server to one or more content provider servers, wherein the transaction information contains information that allows each content provider server to authorize access of at least one media file containing the selected content to the user.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the server component is further operable to:

store the transaction information in the data component;

receive an authorization request from a content provider of the plurality of content providers; and

in response to receiving the authorization request;

retrieve the transaction information from the database;

determine if the user is authorized to access the selected content; and

communicate an authorization signal to the content provider, wherein the authorization signal contains information that allows the content provider to independently authorize access of at least one media file containing the selected content to the user.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the server component is further operable to:

receive an authorization request from a content provider that contains data identifying the user; and

in response to receiving the authorization request, communicating an authorization signal to the content provider, wherein the authorization signal contains information allowing the content provider to authorize user access of at least one media file containing the selected content.

15. A system for managing user access to media files containing selected content, comprising:

a transaction information database; and

a merchant server in communication with the transaction information database, wherein the merchant server is configured to;

transact a user purchase of access rights to selected content;

store transaction information associated with the user purchase of access rights in the transaction information database; and

communicate an authorization signal to one or more content provider servers, wherein the authorization signal contains information that allows each content provider server to authorize user access of at least one media file containing the selected content.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the merchant server is further configured to:

receive an authorization request for user access to a media file containing the selected content on a content provider server;

process the request with the transaction information in the transaction information database to determine whether the user is authorized to access the media file containing the selected content; and

communicate the authorization signal to the content provider server in response to determining that the user is authorized to access the media file.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the authorization request is received from the content provider server.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the authorization request is received from a media player application executing on a client computer associated with the user.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the authorization signal is communicated to a content provider storing the selected content in a media file format that is compatible with the media player application.

20. A method for managing user access to media files containing selected content, comprising:

transacting a user purchase of access rights to selected content;

receiving an authorization request that identifies the user; and

in response to receiving the authorization request, communicating an authorization signal to a content provider, wherein the authorization signal contains information that allows the content provider to authorize user access of at least one media file containing the selected content.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the authorization request further identifies the selected content.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising determining if the user is authorized to access the selected content based on the user purchase transaction.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the authorization request is received from the content provider.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein the authorization request is received from a media player application executing on a client computer associated with the user.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the authorization signal is communicated to a content provider storing the selected content in a media file format that is compatible with the media player application.