Digital contents superdistribution system and method of distributing digital contents

• US 7,127,429 B2
• Filed: 02/15/2001
• Issued: 10/24/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kang, Dong-seok
• Primary Examiner(s): Backer, Firmin
• Application Number:
  US09/783,560
• Publication Number:
  US 20010051925A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,077 Days
• Field of Search: 705/50, 705/54, 705/7, 705/53, 705/67
• US Class Current: 705/54
• 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: G06Q 20/3674 involving authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements

Abstract

A digital contents superdistribution and transmittance method through the digital contents download services including accessing a server providing digital contents download services via a communication network to make payment for digital contents on the server, and receiving a download of the digital contents on which a security code is set; distributing the downloaded digital contents for which payment has been made to another user; executing the digital contents on the another user'"'"'s computer, and accessing the server automatically via a communication network; and if the server is accessed and payment is made for the digital contents by the another user, offering a predetermined compensation to the user that has received the download. Accordingly, those who properly receive a download of digital contents can re-distribute the digital contents, and digital contents distribution can be promoted by offering a predetermined portion of profits resulting from the distribution. Furthermore, compatibility with the conventional distribution mechanism for encrypted digital contents can be achieved.

Claims

1. A digital contents superdistribution method through digital contents download services, the superdistribution method comprising:

accessing by a first user a server providing digital contents download services via a first communication network to make payment for digital contents on the server, and receiving a download of the digital contents on which a security code is set;

after the first user makes the payment to the server, distributing the downloaded digital contents from the first user to a second user;

if the distributed digital contents are executed on the second user'"'"'s computer, accessing the server automatically via the first or another communication network; and

after the server is accessed and payment for the distributed digital contents is made by the second user, offering a predetermined compensation via the server to the first user who received the downloaded digital contents.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, if the distributed digital contents are executed on the second user'"'"'s computer, further accessing the server due to a failure of a security check on the security code set on the distributed digital contents.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein, if the server is accessed and payment for the distributed digital contents is made by the second user, further resetting the security code set on the distributed digital contents for the second user who made the payment.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

further distributing the distributed digital contents on which the security code is reset to a third user;

if payment for the further distributed digital contents is made by the third user, offering via the server a predetermined compensation to the second user who further distributed the distributed digital contents, and

if payment for the further distributed digital contents is made by the third user, the security code which has been set on the distributed digital contents is reset for the third user who made the payment.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising

further distributing the downloaded digital contents to additional users by the second user who received the distributed digital contents;

and

repeating said further distributing by the additional users to still other additional users hierarchically.

21. The method of claim 4, further comprising repeating said further distributing and offering the predetermined compensation hierarchically.

6. A digital contents superdistribution method through digital contents download services, the superdistribution method comprising:

downloading to a first client the digital contents on which a security code is set from a server, which provides digital contents download services and to which the first client both accessed via a communication network and made payment for the digital contents;

receiving at the server an access request from a second client via a second communication network if the downloaded digital contents are distributed from the first client to the second client and are executed on the second client; and

offering via the server the first client a predetermined compensation if the second client makes payment for the distributed digital contents.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the access request is automatically made owing to a failure of a security check on a security code set on the distributed digital contents which are executed on the second client.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein, if the second client makes payment for the distributed digital contents, resetting via the server the security code on the distributed digital contents for the second client.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising

offering via the server a predetermined compensation to the second client who has further distributed the digital contents on which the security code is reset to an additional client if the digital contents on which the security code is reset is distributed to additional clients and payment for the digital contents on which a security code is reset is made;

and

if payment for the digital contents on which the security code is reset is made, resetting the security code on the digital contents for the additional client who makes the payment.

22. The method of claim 9, further comprising repeating hierarchically said further distributing by and offering the predetermined compensation to the additional client to additionally distribute the digital contents to still other additional clients.

10. A digital contents superdistribution system comprising:

a server computer to provide digital contents download services;

a first user computer connected to said server computer via a communication network, said first user computer makes payment for digital contents, and receives download services of the digital contents on which a security code is set from said server computer; and

a second user computer that receives a copy of the digital contents of the first user computer, is connected to said server computer via a second communication network, and is automatically connected to said server computer if the copy of the digital contents distributed by said first user computer are executed by said second user computer,

wherein,

if the copy of the digital contents distributed by said first user computer are executed on said second user computer, said second user computer accesses said server computer due to a failure of a security check on the security code set on the copy of the digital contents, and

if said second user computer accesses said server to make payment for the copy of the digital contents, a predetermined compensation is offered to a first user of said first user computer who has distributed the copy of the digital contents received by said second user computer.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein, if said second user computer makes payment for the copy of the digital contents, said server computer resets the security code on the copy of the digital contents of said second user computer.

12. A method of distributing digital contents using a server, comprising:

receiving at the server an indication from a receiving client through a communication network that the receiving client received a copy of digital contents from a distributing client, the distributing client having previously offered compensation for the digital contents using the server, with the indication including an identification of the distributing client and that the receiving client is compliant with a license for the digital contents; and

offering compensation using the server to the distributing client after said receiving at the server the indication from the receiving client.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising

setting by the server the identification of the distributing client on the digital contents prior to said receiving the indication from the receiving client, said setting the identification comprising setting a distributing client security code for the digital contents;

and

resetting the distributing client security code for the copy of the digital contents to a receiving client security code using the server through the communication network if the receiving client is compliant with the license.

14. A method of distributing digital contents, comprising:

verifying at a server that a first client is compliant with a license for the digital contents through a first communication network prior to allowing the first client to access the digital contents;

receiving by a second client a copy of the verified digital contents of the first client;

verifying at the server that the second client is compliant with the license for the digital contents through the first or a second communications network prior to allowing the second client to access the copy of the verified digital contents of the first client; and

offering compensation to the first client if the second client is verified to be compliant with the license.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein

said verifying at the server that the first client is compliant comprises setting a first security code for the digital contents that allows the first client to access the digital contents, and

said verifying at the server that the second client is compliant comprises resetting the first security code for the copy of the verified digital contents of the first client to a second security code that allows the second client to access the digital contents.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said verifying at the server that the second client is compliant further comprises receiving a payment from the second client prior to resetting the first security code to the second security code.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein said receiving by the second client comprises receiving the copy of the verified digital contents of the first client from the first client.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein said receiving by the second client comprises receiving the copy of the verified digital contents of the first client from a third client, where the third client was not compliant with the license.

19. A distributing system to manage the distribution of digital contents having a license, comprising:

a first client having the digital contents and the license, where said first client is verified to be compliant with the license;

a second client having a copy of the verified digital contents of said first client; and

a server that

verifies through a communication network whether said second client is compliant with the license for the digital contents, where said second client cannot access the copy of the verified digital contents of said first client unless said server verifies said second client is compliant with the license, and

offers compensation to said first client if said second client is verified to be compliant with the license.

20. The distributing system of claim 19, wherein said server further

sets a first security code for the digital contents that allows said first client to access the digital contents in order to verify that said first client is compliant with the license, and

resets the first security code for the copy of the verified digital contents of said first client to a second security code that allows said second client to access the digital contents in order to verify that said second client is compliant with the license.