ENHANCED MEDIA SUBSCRIPTION

• US 20090327125A1
• Filed: 06/26/2008
• Published: 12/31/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Jain, Kamal
• Application Number:
  US12/146,459
• Publication Number:
  US 20090327125A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/40
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination

Abstract

The described implementations relate to enhanced media subscription services. One technique provides digital rights restricted media to a consumer for a period. At the end of the period, based at least in part on consumer use, the technique removes the digital rights restrictions from some of the media and deletes other of the media.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a media selection module configured to make a set of digital rights restricted songs available to a consumer for a time period;

an activity module configured to track the consumer'"'"'s use of individual songs of the set of songs during the time period; and

,

a digital rights management module configured to remove the digital rights restriction from a sub-set of relatively high use songs at the end of the time period.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the activity module is configured to track spins of individual songs by the consumer.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the digital rights management module is further configured to make a remainder of songs of the set that are not in the sub-set inaccessible to the consumer.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the media selection module, the activity module, and the digital rights management module are resident on a server computing device.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a fee calculation module for generating an agreement containing terms associated with the time period such that the agreement can be presented for acceptance by the consumer.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the fee calculation module is configured to display the agreement on a graphical user interface on a media player device that belongs to the consumer.

7. A computer-readable storage media having instructions stored thereon that when executed by a computing device cause the computing device to perform acts, comprising:

supplying a set of songs to a consumer for a subscription period;

tracking the customer'"'"'s use of individual songs of the set during the subscription period; and

,

allowing the consumer to keep a sub-set of relatively high use songs and deleting a remainder of the songs of the set.

8. The computer-readable storage media of claim 7, wherein the tracking comprises tracking a number of spins for each song of the set.

9. The computer-readable storage media of claim 7, wherein the allowing comprises removing any use-restrictions on the songs of the sub-set.

10. The computer-readable storage media of claim 7, further comprising reaching an agreement with the consumer regarding terms of the subscription period.

11. The computer-readable storage media of claim 10, wherein the terms comprise one or more of:

duration of the subscription period, number of subscription periods, cost per subscription period, and a number of songs the consumer is given at the end of each subscription period.

12. The computer-readable storage media of claim 11, wherein the supplying, tracking, and allowing are repeated according to the number of subscription periods specified in the agreement.

13. The computer-readable storage media of claim 11, wherein the allowing comprises providing the consumer full ownership rights in the high use songs of the sub-set.

14. A computer-readable storage media having instructions stored thereon that when executed by a computing device cause the computing device to perform acts, comprising:

providing digital rights restricted media to a consumer for a period; and

,

at an end of the period, based at least in part on consumer use, removing the digital rights restrictions from some of the media and deleting other of the media.

15. The computer-readable storage media of claim 14, wherein the providing comprises supplying a set of songs.

16. The computer-readable storage media of claim 14, wherein the providing is performed by a server computing device that supplies the digital rights restricted media to a media player device that belongs to the consumer.

17. The computer-readable storage media of claim 14, wherein the providing is performed by a media player device that obtains the digital rights restricted media for the consumer.

18. The computer-readable storage media of claim 14, wherein the providing and the removing are performed for multiple sequential periods.

19. The computer-readable storage media of claim 14, wherein the providing and the removing are performed for twelve sequential periods with each sequential period having a duration of one month.

20. The computer-readable storage media of claim 14, further comprising charging the consumer a single fee that covers both the providing and the removing.