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Music distribution systems

  • US 20060229904A1
  • Filed: 06/07/2006
  • Published: 10/12/2006
  • Est. Priority Date: 08/27/1999
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A system for distributing music to at least one customer household, the system comprising:

  • (a) a data transmission system for blanket transmitting at least one music selection to the at least one customer household in digital format;

    (b) a user station for placement at the at least one customer household, enabling the at least one customer household to preview the at least one music selection a predetermined number of times before billing the at least one customer household for the at least one music selection, the user station including;

    i. a user interface for permitting the at least one customer household to preselect a transmitted music selection for recording;

    ii. a receiver;

    iii. a high capacity storage medium, in communication with the receiver for recording the preselected music selection in digital form;

    iv. an audio output for outputting audio signals from the high capacity storage medium to a playback device for enabling the at least one customer household to playback the recorded music selection; and

    v. a circuit for degrading a quality of the previewed preselected music selections by compressing the preselected music selections by a process selected from the group consisting of;

    compressing the preselected music selections, adding distortion to the preselected music selections, overlaying voice over the preselected music selections, and deleting sections from the preselected music selections. (c) a central controller system having a database for storing therein information corresponding to the at least one customer household and having a key unique to the music selections;

    (d) a communications link for placement between the at least one customer household and the central controller system for verifying to the controller system when a preselected music selection has been made available for playback; and

    (e) a billing system associated with the central controller system to bill the at least one customer household for a music selection that has been made available for playback.

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