Method and service for providing access to premium content and dispersing payment therefore

• US 20080209462A1
• Filed: 02/26/2007
• Published: 08/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Daisy Labs, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Zepfrog Corp.
• Inventors: Rodov, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 8,521,650 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/4
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/145 Payments according to the detected use or quantity
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/29 characterised by micropayments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2547 Third Party Billing, e.g. billing of advertiser
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4781 Games
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8113 comprising music, e.g. song in MP3 format
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/173 with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal

Abstract

A method and system for providing premium content and dispersing payment therefore. The method includes entering into an agreement with at least one partner that provides premium content and entering into an agreement with at least one customer that grants the customer access to premium content provided by at least one partner. The method further includes collecting defined parameter data of at least one customer accessing the premium content and dispersing payment to at least one partner where the payment is determined from the defined parameter data. The defined parameter data can be approximate time spent.

Claims

1. A method for providing premium content and dispersing payment therefore, the method comprising the steps of:

entering into a first agreement with at least one partner that provides premium content;

entering into a second agreement with at least one customer that grants the customer access to the premium content provided by the at least one partner;

collecting defined parameter data of the at least one customer accessing the premium content; and

dispersing payment to the at least one partner where the payment is determined from the defined parameter data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the premium content is provided through the internet.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first agreement with at least one partner provides that the payment being dispersed is determined from previously collected defined parameter data.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the defined parameter data comprises approximate time spent.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the at least one customer includes more than one and the dispersed payment is determined from the approximate time spent by each of the customers.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the at least one customer includes more than one and the dispersed payment is determined from the approximate time spent by all customers.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of collecting approximate time spent data includes using web beacons.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of collecting approximate time spent data includes using automatic counting software.

9. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of collecting approximate time spent data includes using statistical sampling.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the defined parameter data comprises unique visits.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the defined parameter data comprises survey data.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the defined parameter data comprises variables determined from a customer rating mechanism.

13. A method for providing premium content and dispersing payment therefore, the method comprising the steps of:

forming a premium content bundle including premium content provided by a plurality of partners;

entering into an agreement with at least one customer where the at least one customer agrees to pay for access to the premium content bundle for a period of access;

obtaining approximate time spent from the at least one customer accessing the premium content from the premium content bundle;

calculating a total payment owed to each partner, where the step of calculating includes using approximate time spent; and

dispersing payment to each of the plurality of partners.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the payment being dispersed is determined from previously obtained approximate time spent data.

15. A service comprising:

a plurality of premium content publishers that provide premium content;

at least one customer subscriber to the premium content of the plurality of premium content publishers;

a fee paid by the at least one customer subscriber;

a payment to the at least one of the plurality of premium content publishers; and

a calculation for the payment from at least a portion of the fee determined from collected parameter data.

16. The service of claim 15, wherein the collected parameter data is approximate time spent.

17. The service of claim 16, wherein the approximate time spent is determined by using web beacons.

18. The service of claim 16, wherein the approximate time spent is determined by using automatic counting software.

19. The service of claim 16, wherein the approximate time spent includes a unique visits parameter.

20. The service of claim 15, wherein the collected parameter data comprises survey data.

21. The service of claim 15, wherein the collected parameter data includes previously determined approximate time spent.

22. A method for providing search results, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a search query from a customer; and

delivering search results where a search algorithm uses approximate time spent to deliver the search results.