Method and system for managing licenses to content
First Claim
1. A method for managing the use of content over a network, comprising:
- storing at least one of a source digital fingerprint or a source identifier that corresponds to each of a plurality of items of source content, wherein at least one use of a copy of each source content item is licensable;
determining, by a processor, if another identifier included with an item of content is received from a user indicating at least one particular type of use indicated by the user for the item of content, and has an affirmative correspondence to at least one of the stored source identifiers associated with each source content item;
if the determination of the other identifier is negative, determining if another digital fingerprint determined for the received content item is substantially similar to at least one of the source digital fingerprints associated with each source content item;
determining, by a processor, each license previously provided for a user that corresponds to the received content item based on the affirmative correspondence between at least one of the source identifiers and the other identifier or a substantially similar comparison between the source digital fingerprints and the other digital fingerprint; and
if a license for the user for the at least one particular type of indicated use for the received content item is determined to be unavailable, determining at least one other source content item that is non-identical to the received content item and that is both substantially equivalent to the received content item and available for licensing for at the least one particular type of indicated use by the user, wherein the determination of the at least one other source content item is based on at least the affirmative correspondence.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Process for enabling a content provider and its users to easily manage licenses for intended uses for selected or provided content. Licensing information for content previously provided to a user or acquired by the content provider, a digital fingerprint, and/or a digital identifier are employed to uniquely identify a particular instance of the selected/provided content and manage licenses to use this content Once the selected content is provided for processing, the invention can notify the user of at least one of four conditions: (1) a user is currently licensed for at least one type of use for the selected content; (2) if a previous license to the selected content is expired, a current license does not include the selected use, or the user doesn'"'"'t have or has an expired license to use the selected content, and identify steps to obtain a current license for at least one type of use; (3) if a license to use the selected content is not available from the content provider; and (4) identify substantially similar content that is available from the content provider for a license for at least one type of the intended use for one or more of conditions (1), (2), and (3).
64 Citations
35 Claims
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1. A method for managing the use of content over a network, comprising:
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storing at least one of a source digital fingerprint or a source identifier that corresponds to each of a plurality of items of source content, wherein at least one use of a copy of each source content item is licensable; determining, by a processor, if another identifier included with an item of content is received from a user indicating at least one particular type of use indicated by the user for the item of content, and has an affirmative correspondence to at least one of the stored source identifiers associated with each source content item; if the determination of the other identifier is negative, determining if another digital fingerprint determined for the received content item is substantially similar to at least one of the source digital fingerprints associated with each source content item; determining, by a processor, each license previously provided for a user that corresponds to the received content item based on the affirmative correspondence between at least one of the source identifiers and the other identifier or a substantially similar comparison between the source digital fingerprints and the other digital fingerprint; and if a license for the user for the at least one particular type of indicated use for the received content item is determined to be unavailable, determining at least one other source content item that is non-identical to the received content item and that is both substantially equivalent to the received content item and available for licensing for at the least one particular type of indicated use by the user, wherein the determination of the at least one other source content item is based on at least the affirmative correspondence. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A system for managing the use of content over a network, comprising:
a server for enabling actions, including; storing at least one of a source digital fingerprint or a source identifier that corresponds to each of a plurality of items of source content, wherein at least one use of a copy of each source content item is licensable; determining if another identifier included with an item of content is received from a user indicating at least one particular type of use indicated by the user for the item of content, and has an affirmative correspondence to at least one of the stored source identifiers associated with each source content item; if the determination of the other identifier is negative, determining if another digital fingerprint determined for the received content item is substantially similar to at least one of the source digital fingerprints associated with each source content item; determining each license previously provided for a user that corresponds to the received content item based on the affirmative correspondence between at least one of the source identifiers and the other identifier or a substantially similar comparison between the source digital fingerprints and the other digital fingerprint; and if at least one license for the user for the at least one particular type of indicated use for the received content item is determined to be unavailable, determining at least one other source content item that is non-identical to the received content item and that is both substantially equivalent to the received content item and available for licensing for the at least one particular type of indicated use by the user, wherein the determination of the at least one other source content item is based on at least the affirmative correspondence; and a client for enabling actions, including offering at least one license for at least one type of use to the user for the at least one determined equivalent source content item. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A network device for managing the use of content over a network, comprising:
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a memory for storing data; a processor for enabling actions based at least in part on the stored data; and an application that includes components, including; a first component for enabling the storing of at least one of a source digital fingerprint or a source identifier that corresponds to each of a plurality of items of source content, wherein at least one use of a copy of each source content item is licensable; a second component for determining if another identifier included with an item of content is received from a user indicating at least one particular type of use indicated by the user for the item of content, and has an affirmative correspondence to at least one of the stored source identifiers associated with each source content item; a third component for determining if another digital fingerprint determined for the received content item is substantially similar to at least one of the source digital fingerprints associated with each source content item, if the determination of the correspondence of the other identifier to the stored source identifiers is negative; a fourth component for determining each license previously provided for a user that corresponds to the received content item based on the affirmative correspondence between at least one of the source identifiers and the other identifier or a substantially similar comparison between the source digital fingerprints and the other digital fingerprint; a fifth component for if a license for the user for the at least one particular type of indicated use for the received content item is unavailable, determining at least one other source content item that is non-identical to the received content item and that is both substantially equivalent to the received content item and available for licensing for the at least one particular type of indicated use by the user, wherein the determination of the at least one other source content item is based on at least the affirmative correspondence; and a sixth component for enabling the offering of the license for at least one type of use to the user for the at least one determined equivalent source content item. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. A mobile device for managing the use of content over a network, comprising:
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a transceiver for communicating over a network; a memory for storing data; a processor for enabling actions based at least in part on the stored data; and an application that includes components, including; a first component for enabling the storing of at least one of a source digital fingerprint or a source identifier that corresponds to each of a plurality of items of source content, wherein at least one use of a copy of each source content item is licensable; a second component for determining if another identifier included with an item of content is received from a user indicating at least one particular type of use indicated by the user for the item of content, and has an affirmative correspondence at least one of the stored source identifiers associated with each source content item; a third component for determining if another digital fingerprint determined for the received content item is substantially similar to at least one of the source digital fingerprints associated with each source content item, if the determination of the correspondence of the other identifier to the stored source identifiers is negative; a fourth component for determining each license previously provided for a user that corresponds to the received content item based on the affirmative correspondence between at least one of the source identifiers and the other identifier or a substantially similar comparison between the source digital fingerprints and the other digital fingerprint; a fifth component for if a license for the user for the at least one particular type of indicated use for the received content item is unavailable, determining at least one other source content item that is non-identical to the received content item and that is both substantially equivalent to the received content item and available for licensing for the at least one particular type of indicated use by the user, wherein the determination of the at least one other source content item is based on at least the affirmative correspondence; and a sixth component for enabling the offering of the license for at least one type of use to the user for the at least one determined equivalent source content item.
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Specification