PROVIDING LICENSED CONTENT TO A USER

• US 20120046957A1
• Filed: 08/18/2010
• Published: 02/23/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Cragun, Brian J., Petri, John E.
• Granted Patent: US 9,471,923 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/1.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/42 Confirmation, e.g. check or permission by the legal debtor of payment
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

When a user requests licensed content, a dynamic licensing mechanism automatically requests and receives licenses for the licensed content when one or more criterion in a licensing policy is satisfied by license information relating to the content, without the user providing any further input to acquire the licenses.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor;

a memory coupled to the at least one processor;

a browser residing in the memory and executed by the at least one processor that provides an interface for a user to request licensed content;

a licensing policy residing in the memory and defined by the user that specifies at least one criterion for automatically acquiring at least one license; and

a dynamic licensing mechanism that requests the licensed content from a content provider in response to the user requesting the licensed content via the browser, queries the content provider for license information for the licensed content that specifies at least one available license for the licensed content, and when the license information satisfies the at least one criterion in the licensing policy, the dynamic licensing mechanism acquires a license for the licensed content without requiring further input from the user, allowing the user to received the licensed content.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the dynamic licensing mechanism comprises a payment authorization mechanism that authorizes payment to the content provider in exchange for the license for the licensed content.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the dynamic licensing mechanism further comprises a user prompt mechanism that prompts the user for authorization to acquire the license for the licensed content when the license information does not satisfy the at least one criterion in the licensing policy.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the dynamic licensing mechanism further comprises an information send mechanism that sends information from the user to the content provider in exchange for the license to the licensed content.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the license policy specifies maximum cost for the licensed content.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the license policy specifies maximum cost for a document that includes the licensed content.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the license policy specifies maximum cost per time period for the user.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the license policy specifies maximum cost to download the licensed content, maximum cost per unit of time the licensed content is viewed, maximum cost for the licensed content according to time of day the licensed content is received, maximum cost to receive the licensed content for a limited period of time, maximum cost for a bulk license for the licensed content, maximum cost for a flat rate license for the licensed content, maximum cost for a sliding scale license for the licensed content, a preferred license for the licensed content, maximum cost per document that includes the licensed content, maximum cost per time period for the user, whether content substation is allowed according to cost, what an increase in cost will provide to the user, and available discounts for the licensed content.

9. A computer-implemented method for a user to receive licensed content from at least one content provider, the method comprising the steps of:

providing at least one processor;

providing a memory coupled to the at least one processor;

the at least one processor performing the steps of;

a user defining a license policy that specifies at least one criterion for automatically acquiring at least one license;

receiving a request from the user for the licensed content;

sending the request for the licensed content to the at least one content provider;

querying the at least one content provider for license information for the licensed content;

determining when the license information satisfies the at least one criterion in the licensing policy, and in response, acquiring a license for the licensed content without requiring further input from the user; and

the user receiving the licensed content from the at least one content provider.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the acquiring the license for the licensed content comprises authorizing payment to the at least one content provider in exchange for the license for the licensed content.

11. The method of claim 9 further comprising the step of prompting the user for authorization to acquire the license for the licensed content when the license information does not satisfy the at least one criterion in the licensing policy.

12. The method of claim 9 further comprising the step of sending information from the user to the content provider in exchange for the license to the licensed content.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein the license policy specifies maximum cost for the licensed content.

14. The method of claim 9 wherein the license policy specifies maximum cost for a document that includes the licensed content.

15. The method of claim 9 wherein the license policy specifies maximum cost per time period for the user.

16. The method of claim 9 wherein the license policy specifies maximum cost to download the licensed content, maximum cost per unit of time the licensed content is viewed, maximum cost for the licensed content according to time of day the licensed content is received, maximum cost to receive the licensed content for a limited period of time, maximum cost for a bulk license for the licensed content, maximum cost for a flat rate license for the licensed content, maximum cost for a sliding scale license for the licensed content, a preferred license for the licensed content, maximum cost per document that includes the licensed content, maximum cost per time period for the user, whether content substation is allowed according to cost, what an increase in cost will provide to the user, and available discounts for the licensed content.

17. A computer-implemented method for a user to receive content from a content provider, the method comprising the steps of:

providing at least one processor;

providing a memory coupled to the at least one processor, the memory including the integrated circuit design;

the at least one processor performing the steps of;

a user defining a license policy that specifies criteria for automatically acquiring at least one license, the criteria including maximum cost for a licensed object, maximum cost per document that includes the licensed object, and maximum cost per time period for the user;

receiving a request from the user for a document;

sending the request for the document to the content provider;

when all objects in the document are unlicensed, rendering the document to the user;

when at least one object in the document is a licensed object, determining when the user has an existing license for the licensed object, and in response, rendering the document to the user;

when the user does not have an existing license for the licensed object, performing the steps of;

querying the content provider for license information for the licensed object, the license information including price for the licensed object;

determining when the price for the licensed object in the license information is less than the maximum cost for the licensed object specified in the license policy, when the price for the document is less than the maximum cost per document specified in the license policy, and when the price for the document does not cause the maximum cost per time period for the user specified in the license policy to be exceeded, and in response, acquiring a license for the licensed content without requiring further input from the user, and the user receiving the document including the licensed object;

determining when the price for the licensed object in the license information is less than the maximum cost for the licensed object specified in the license policy and when the price for the document is more than the maximum cost per document specified in the license policy, rendering a partial document to the user that does not include the licensed object;

determining when the price for the licensed object in the license information is less than the maximum cost for the licensed object specified in the license policy, when the price for the document is less than the maximum cost per document specified in the license policy, and when the price for the document causes the maximum cost per time period for the user specified in the license policy to be exceeded, and in response, rendering a partial document to the user that does not include the licensed object; and

determining when the price for the licensed object in the license information is more than the maximum cost for the licensed object specified in the license policy, and in response, prompting the user for authorization, and when the user authorizes, acquiring a license for the licensed content and rendering the document including the licensed object to the user, and when the user does not authorize, rendering a partial document to the user that does not include the licensed object.

18. An article of manufacture comprising software stored on recordable media, the software comprising:

a dynamic licensing mechanism that requests licensed content from a content provider in response to a user requesting the licensed content via a browser, queries the content provider for license information for the licensed content that specifies at least one available license for the licensed content, and when the license information satisfies at least one criterion in a licensing policy defined by the user for automatically acquiring at least one license, the dynamic licensing mechanism acquires a license for the licensed content without requiring further input from the user, allowing the user to received the licensed content.

19. The article of manufacture of claim 18 wherein the dynamic licensing mechanism comprises a payment authorization mechanism that authorizes payment to the content provider in exchange for the license for the licensed content.

20. The article of manufacture of claim 18 wherein the dynamic licensing mechanism further comprises a user prompt mechanism that prompts the user for authorization to acquire the license for the licensed content when the license information does not satisfy the at least one criterion in the licensing policy.

21. The article of manufacture of claim 18 wherein the dynamic licensing mechanism further comprises an information send mechanism that sends information from the user to the content provider in exchange for the license to the licensed content.

22. The article of manufacture of claim 18 wherein the license policy specifies maximum cost for the licensed content.

23. The article of manufacture of claim 18 wherein the license policy specifies maximum cost for a document that includes the licensed content.

24. The article of manufacture of claim 18 wherein the license policy specifies maximum cost per time period for the user.

25. The article of manufacture of claim 18 wherein the license policy specifies maximum cost to download the licensed content, maximum cost per unit of time the licensed content is viewed, maximum cost for the licensed content according to time of day the licensed content is received, maximum cost to receive the licensed content for a limited period of time, maximum cost for a bulk license for the licensed content, maximum cost for a flat rate license for the licensed content, maximum cost for a sliding scale license for the licensed content, a preferred license for the licensed content, maximum cost per document that includes the licensed content, maximum cost per time period for the user, whether content substation is allowed according to cost, what an increase in cost will provide to the user, and available discounts for the licensed content.