VIRTUAL RELEASE PARTY

• US 20110071916A1
• Filed: 12/07/2010
• Published: 03/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: John Grooms
• Original Assignee: John Grooms
• Inventors: Grooms, John
• Application Number:
  US12/941,989
• Publication Number:
  US 20110071916A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/123 Shopping for digital content
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality

Abstract

A method, apparatus and program product provide a mechanism for distributing recorded content whereby content is sold through a limited channel known as a virtual release party, and a user receives a commission for referring a purchaser to a website that sells the content. The user submits an identifier associated with the referring entity to the website when purchasing the content. The referring entity is thus credited automatically with the purchase of the content.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of distributing content upon the announcement of a virtual release party, comprising:

storing the digital content and a threshold sales criterion for that digital content, and accounts for sales generating entities,

delivering the content from the server to purchasers, while accumulating sales information for that digital content for comparison to the threshold criterion,

upon the purchase of said content, obtaining from a local computer an identifier associated with a sales generating entity other than the user of the local computer,

automatically crediting the entity with a purchase of the content, and

only upon achievement of said threshold criterion, delivering the content to purchasers via sources other than the server.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the identifier associated with the entity further includes submitting at least one of a password or a token associated with the entity.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the identifier associated with the entity further includes selecting a link associated with the entity.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the identifier associated with the entity further includes prompting the user for the identifier.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising distributing the content in response to the purchase.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein the distributing includes at least one of downloading and postal delivery.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising creating an account associated with the entity.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising creating an account associated with the user as an enrolled entity.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein connecting to the server computer from the local computer further includes creating a website.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein the website includes links to multiple websites associated with at least one of additional content and additional entities.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising presenting at least a portion of the content to the user prior to the purchase.

12. An apparatus comprising:

a computer; and

program code in communication with the computer, the program code configured to store digital content and a threshold sales criterion for that digital content, and accounts for sales generating entities, and deliver content from the computer to purchasers while accumulating sales information for that digital content for comparison to the threshold criterion, obtain from a user purchasing content an identifier associated with a sales generating entity other than the user, the program code being further configured to automatically credit the entity with a purchase of the content.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the program code initiates prompting the user for the identifier.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the program code initiates distributing the content in response to the purchase.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the program code initiates creating an account associated with the entity.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the program code initiates receiving financial data from the user.

17. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the program code initiates creating a website.

18. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the program code initiates offering to the user non-recordable medium products relating to the content.

19. A program product, comprising:

program code in communication with the computer, the program code configured to store digital content and a threshold sales criterion for that digital content, and accounts for sales generating entities, and deliver content from the computer to purchasers while accumulating sales information for that digital content for comparison to the threshold criterion, obtain from a user purchasing content an identifier associated with a sales generating entity other than the user, the program code being further configured to automatically credit the entity with a purchase of the content; and

a signal bearing medium bearing the program code.

20. The program product of claim 19, wherein the signal bearing medium includes at least one of a recordable medium and a transmission-type medium.