DIGITAL GAME DISTRIBUTION AND ROYALTY CALCULATION

• US 20080243697A1
• Filed: 03/30/2007
• Published: 10/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Hawkins, Dax, Irving, Richard, Bernhardt, Jeffrey R., Ciuba, David M., Bronstein, Manuel, Eichinger, Gretchen, Oommen, Rohan K., Hutto, Josh William
• Application Number:
  US11/694,661
• Publication Number:
  US 20080243697A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/54
• 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: G06Q 20/123 Shopping for digital content
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/56 Financial cryptography, e.g. electronic payment or e-cash
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/60 Digital content management, e.g. content distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/80 Wireless network architectures or network communication protocols for wireless network security H04W12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/061 for key exchange, e.g. in peer-to-peer networks cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key agreement H04L9/0838
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0866 involving user or device identifiers, e.g. serial number, physical or biometrical information, DNA, hand-signature or measurable physical characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/321 involving a third party or a trusted authority

Abstract

Systems and methods of digitally distributing digital game content and tracking royalties for the digital game content may include a correlated title key, retail key, and license key. The a correlated title key, retail key, and license key may be used to generate a royalty rate. For example, a royalty rate may be generated based on the license key. Additionally, a royalty price may be generated based on the title key. Then, a royalty amount may be computed by multiplying the royalty rate and the royalty price. The royalty amount may be stored in a retailer account that corresponds to the retail key.

Claims

1. A method of tracking royalties for a digital game content in a video game system, the method comprising:

establishing a retailer;

generating a retail key for said retailer;

receiving a license key to activate said digital game content; and

correlating said retail key and said license key.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising a title key corresponding to a designation of said digital game content correlated with said retail key and said license key.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

generating a royalty rate based on said license key and a royalty price based on said title key;

computing a royalty amount by multiplying said royalty rate and said royalty base price; and

correlating said royalty amount and said retail key.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said retailer comprises a retailer selected by a user of said video game system.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said retailer includes a retailer who sells said video game system.

6. A method of tracking royalties for a digital game content in a video game system, the method comprising:

receiving a package of data information including a title key, a retail key, and a license key;

generating a royalty rate based on said received license key and a royalty base price based on said received title key;

computing a royalty amount by multiplying said royalty rate and said royalty base price; and

storing said royalty amount to a retailer account corresponding to said retail key.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said license key includes a unique identifier based on a licensing right and a digital game content transaction option.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said royalty rate varies based on said licensing right and said digital game content transaction option in said license key.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said licensing right includes at least one of the following:

a full version, a demonstration version, a limited assets version, and a limited time version.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein said digital game content transaction option includes at least one of the following:

a per instance rental, a per instance purchase, a monthly rental, a retail affiliated purchase, and a gift purchase.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein said retail key includes a unique identifier for a retailer.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

adding said royalty amount to a cumulative royalty amount stored in said retailer account corresponding to said unique identifier for said retailer; and

distributing said cumulative royalty amount stored in said retailer account to said retailer.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said cumulative royalty amount stored in said retailer account is distributed to said retailer after a predetermined reporting period.

14. A digital game content management system that provides royalties to a retailer based on a digital game content, the system comprising:

a transaction module adapted to provide a digital game content transaction option;

a game content catalog module adapted to provide digital game content;

a selection module adapted to receive a selected digital game content transaction option and a selected digital game content from a user; and

a processor in operative communication with said transaction module, said game content catalog module, and said selection module, wherein said processor computes a royalty amount based on said selected digital game content transaction option and said selected digital game content.

15. The system of claim 14 further comprising royalty base storage module in operative communication with said processor, wherein said royalty storage module stores a royalty base price corresponding to said digital game content.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein said selected digital game content option provides a royalty rate, and wherein said processor computes said royalty amount by multiplying said royalty rate by said royalty base price.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein said selection module receives a retailer.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising a royalty account module, wherein said royalty account module stores said royalty amount.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein said royalty account module indexes said royalty amount to said retailer.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein said digital game content transaction option includes at least one of the following:

a per instance rental, a per instance purchase, a monthly rental, a retail affiliated purchase, and a gift purchase.