DISTRIBUTION OF DIGITAL CONTENT
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Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and systems for providing items of content over a peer-to-peer system are described. Items of content are requested from a central server by a downloading peer, and the central server determines uploading peers from whom the downloading loading peer may request parts of the content item.
227 Citations
83 Claims
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1-70. -70. (canceled)
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71. A method of providing digital content over a peer-to-peer network, comprising:
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a user requesting a central authority to authorize the download of an item of digital content to a first peer associated with the user; the central authority identifying a plurality of second peers from whom the item can be downloaded; the central authority preparing at least one token each identifying at least one of the plurality of second peers and the first peer, and sending the at least one token to the first peer; the first peer sending one of the at least one tokens to a second peer identified in that token, said token identifying the first peer, the second peer to whom the token is sent, and the item requested by the first peer, with a request for a part of the item from said second peer; wherein the second peers receiving said token transmits the requested part of the item to the first peer.
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77. A method for a central authority to control the delivery of digital content items over a peer-to-peer network, comprising:
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registering peers as able to participate in content delivery over the peer-to-peer network; receiving a request for a digital content item from a first peer; identifying a plurality of second peers from whom the item can be downloaded; preparing at least one token each identifying at least one of the plurality of second peers and the first peer, and sending the at least one token to the first peer to enable the first peer to obtain the item of content from the plurality of second peers.
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80. A method for a user to provide at least a part of an item of digital content over a peer-to-peer network, comprising:
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registering a peer associated with the user with a central authority; obtaining the item of digital content with the right to redistribute it to another peer in the network, such that the presence of the content item at the user'"'"'s peer and the right to redistribute the content item are recorded with the central authority; receiving from another peer a request to provide at least a part of the content item, the request being accompanied by a token originating from the central authority, the token identifying the user'"'"'s peer, the peer from whom the request is received, and the content item; the user'"'"'s peer providing at least one of the parts of the content item to meet the request.
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83. A method of providing digital content over a peer-to-peer network, comprising:
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a first peer requesting an item of digital content from a central authority; the central authority identifying a plurality of second peers from whom the item can be downloaded and advising the first peer; the first peer requesting a part of the item from one of the plurality of second peers; the second peer which received the request sending the requested part of the item to the first peer; the first peer providing a receipt to said second peer, the receipt identifying at least the first peer, said second peer, and the part of the data item; and said second peer providing the receipt to the central authority.
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Specification