Method and system for licensing a copy of a copyright protected work

• US 6,826,546 B1
• Filed: 10/26/2000
• Issued: 11/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kioba Processing, LLC (IP Investments Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: IdeaFlood, Inc.
• Inventors: Shuster, Gary Stephen
• Primary Examiner(s): Trammell, James P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ABDI, KAMBIZ
• Application Number:
  US09/696,904
• Time in Patent Office: 1,496 Days
• Field of Search: 705/52, 705/56, 705/59, 713/176, 713/181
• US Class Current: 705/52
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

A method and system are provided for facilitating the purchase of a license for a downloaded file of a copyrighted work. In one embodiment, a method for licensing a digital copy of a copyrighted work includes determining an identity of the digital copy by using at least one computer program, calculating a fee for a license for the digital copy by the at least one computer program. The step of calculating includes the step of measuring at least one metric of the digital copy. A license is then provided for the copy after receiving payment of the fee.

Claims

1. At least one computer program embedded on a computer readable medium and used for licensing a digital copy of a copyrighted work distributed to a consumer via a first distribution system, said at least one computer program executable by a processor, said program including the steps of:

determining an identity of said digital copy;

calculating a price of a license for said digital copy, said step of calculating including the step of measuring at least one metric of said digital copy for calculating said price, said at least one metric being a detectable characteristic of said digital copy; and

providing a license for said copy after receiving payment of said price from a consumer;

wherein said at least one computer program is distributed from a second distribution system that is different and unrelated to said first distribution system; and

wherein said step of determining an identity includes the steps of;

generating a first checksum of a first portion of said digital copy;

comparing said first checksum with a library of known checksums for a first match in order to ascertain the identity of said digital copy;

generating a second checksum of a second portion of said digital copy; and

comparing said second checksum with said library of known checksums for a second match in order to further ascertain the identity of said digital copy, said library of known checksums being stored in a database that is electronically accessible to said processor;

wherein said first portion is based on a shorter portion of said digital copy than said second portion.

2. The program of claim 1, including the step of verifying that said digital copy is a usable copy.

3. The program of claim 2, wherein said digital copy is a usable copy if said digital copy includes a valid serial number.

4. The program of claim 2, wherein said digital copy is a usable copy if said digital copy is not encrypted.

5. The program of claim 1, wherein said step of measuring includes the step of identifying a version of said digital copy with respect to available versions of said copyrighted work.

6. The program of claim 1, wherein said step of measuring includes the step of determining a length of said digital copy.

7. The program of claim 1, wherein said step of measuring includes the step determining a sampling rate of said digital copy.

8. The program of claim 1, wherein said step of measuring includes the step determining a type of work of said digital copy.

9. The program of claim 1, wherein said step of determining an identity includes the steps of:

scanning said digital copy for an identifying code; and

comparing said code with known reference codes for a match in order to ascertain the identity of said digital copy.

10. The program of claim 1, further comprising the step of allowing said consumer to upgrade said digital copy to a second digital copy including at least one of a newer version, a better quality copy, a valid serial number, and a higher sampling rate.

11. A web host for licensing a digital copy of a copyrighted work distributed to a consumer from a decentralized distribution system, comprising:

at least one web server;

a storage medium accessible by said at least one web server, said storage medium including at least one database, said at least one database including a plurality of known checksums of copyrighted works and a plurality of reference codes for identifying copyrighted works; and

at least one computer program operable with said at least one web server performing various functions including identifying said digital copy from said decentralized distribution system and calculating a fee for a license for said digital copy based on various metrics of said digital copy, said metrics being detectable characteristics of said digital copy;

wherein said identifying function of said digital copy includes comparing first and second checksums of said digital copy to said known checksums of copyrighted works for a first match and a second match and wherein said first and second checksums are generated using two different length portions of said digital copy.

12. The web host of claim 11, wherein said calculating function of said fee for said license includes determining at least one of a version, a length, a sampling rate and a type of work of said digital copy.