METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR DETECTING, VERIFYING, PREVENTING AND CORRECTING OR RESOLVING UNAUTHORIZED USE OF ELECTRONIC MEDIA CONTENT

• US 20140283123A1
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Julie C. Lonstein, Wayne D. Lonstein
• Original Assignee: Wayne D. Lonstein
• Inventors: Lonstein, Wayne D., Lonstein, Julie C.
• Granted Patent: US 9,712,531 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/28
• 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: G06F 21/552 involving long-term monitoring or reporting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/184 Intellectual property management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources

Abstract

A method of detecting, verifying, preventing and correcting or resolving unauthorized use of electronic media content. In one embodiment, the method comprises providing an electronic system that allows auditors to register to audit the use of electronic media content, providing the auditors with information through the electronic system regarding a unique identifier that identifies one or more items of electronic media content, owners of electronic media content or other intellectual property or users who have subscribed to the use of electronic media content, obtaining information from auditors through the electronic system regarding unauthorized use of the electronic media content and verifying that the information received from auditors is complete.

Claims

1. A method of detecting, verifying, preventing, correcting or resolving unauthorized use of electronic media content, the method comprising:

providing an electronic system that allows one or more auditors to register to audit the use of electronic media content;

providing the one or more auditors with information through the electronic system regarding a unique identifier that identifies one or more items of electronic media content, one or more owners of electronic media content or one or more users who have accessed or subscribed to use one or more items of electronic media content;

obtaining information from the one or more auditors through the electronic system regarding unauthorized use of one or more items of electronic media content; and

verifying that the information received from the one or more auditors through the electronic system regarding the unauthorized use of one or more items of electronic media is complete.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving information or evidence from the one or more auditors regarding their suitability to be an auditor prior to allowing the one or more auditors to register.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the information from the one or more auditors through the electronic system identifying an unauthorized use of certain electronic media content is photo or video evidence of unauthorized use of the electronic media content or a declaration from the auditor identifying at least the time and location of unauthorized use of specifically identified electronic media content.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic system is a website, an internet application, a computer software application or a mobile software application.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising obtaining information regarding the location of the one or more auditors based on IP address or GPS location of the one or more auditors.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the one or more auditors with information through the electronic system regarding the one or more users who have subscribed to use one or more items of electronic media content provides the auditors with a list of authorized users of the media content within the auditors'"'"' area.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the list is incorporated into a mobile application or software that the auditors can use to help determine unauthorized use of electronic media content.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the unique identifier is special digital signature, digital fingerprint, watermark, pixilation, banner or any other identifying indicia.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing an incentive, payment or award to the one of more auditors for correctly identifying unauthorized use of electronic media content.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic system tracks progress of the audits performed by the one or more auditors and periodically reminds the auditors to complete one or more tasks required by the process to identify unauthorized use of electronic media content.

11. A method of detecting, verifying, preventing, correcting or resolving unauthorized use of electronic media content, the method comprising:

providing an electronic system that allows one or more auditors to register to audit the use of electronic media content;

providing the one or more auditors with mobile application or equipment associating with the electronic system that identifies one or more items of electronic media content, one or more owners of electronic media content or one or more users who have subscribed to use one or more items of electronic media content; and

obtaining information from the one or more auditors through the electronic system regarding the unauthorized use of one or more items of electronic media content.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the mobile application further takes photo or records video of the unauthorized use of the electronic media content.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the equipment reads information transmitted from device receiving, transmitting or displaying the electronic media content.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising obtaining information regarding the location of the auditor based on IP address or GPS location of the auditors.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

sending one or more messages to individual or business entity involved with the unauthorized use of the electronic media content informing the individual or business of the unauthorized use or requesting the individual or business to provide compensation or penalty for the unauthorized use the electronic media content.

16. A method of detecting, verifying, preventing, correcting or resolving unauthorized use of electronic media content, the method comprising:

providing a mobile application that allows one or more auditors to register to audit the use of electronic media content;

assigning the one or more auditors through the mobile application to audit the use of electronic media content based on the one or more auditors'"'"' location;

obtaining picture or video evidence taken with the mobile application from the one or more auditors through the mobile application regarding unauthorized use of one or more items of electronic media content; and

providing an incentive, payment or award to the one of more auditors for correctly identifying the unauthorized use of electronic media content.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the electronic system determines the time and location of the unauthorized use based on IP address or GPS location of the auditor, the time auditor accessed or provided information regarding unauthorized use of the electronic media content through the mobile application, or the time picture or video evidence was taken by the auditor.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the mobile application is software installed on a mobile phone, computer, camera, PDA, optical device or tablet computer.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising providing the one or more auditors with information through the mobile application regarding a unique identifier that identifies one or more items of electronic media content, one or more owners of electronic media content or one or more users who have subscribed to use one or more items of electronic media content.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the one or more auditors will not be assigned to certain area if certain number of auditors has already been assigned to that area.