Methods of producing and transmitting content based on compliance

• US 7,827,116 B2
• Filed: 05/26/2005
• Issued: 11/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thundershield, LLC
• Original Assignee: David W. Slaughter, Dwight J. Batts, Gregory A. Piccionelli, Michael M. Gerardi
• Inventors: Gerardi, Michael M., Slaughter, David W., Piccionelli, Gregory A., Batts, Dwight J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shah; Amee A
• Application Number:
  US11/140,598
• Publication Number:
  US 20060064356A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,986 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1, 705/26, 705/27, 705/1.1, 705/317
• US Class Current: 705/317
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/018 Certifying business or products
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0637 Approvals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0643 Graphical representation of items or shoppers

Abstract

A method of transmitting content over a network, the content depicting at least one person and being subject to a record-keeping requirement, includes the steps of: providing information pertaining to a person depicted in at least a portion of the content in accordance with a record-keeping requirement; associating the information with the content; providing the associated information to a custodian; verifying that the information complies with the record-keeping requirement; and transmitting the content over a network.

Claims

1. A method of transmitting content to a computer over a network, the content depicting at least one person and being subject to a federal record-keeping requirement, the method comprising the steps of:

(i) providing information to a computer system pertaining to a person depicted in at least a portion of the content in accordance with a federal record-keeping requirement,

(ii) associating by the computer system the information with the content by storing the information together with an identification of the content in a storage medium independent of a medium used to transmit the content,

(iii) providing by the computer system the associated stored information to a custodian,

(iv) determining by the computer system that the stored associated information complies with the federal record-keeping requirement, and

(v) transmitting the content by the computer system over a network based on the determination of compliance.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the information is classified into a plurality of fields.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein at least a portion of the plurality of fields are associated with authorization criteria.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein at least a portion of the authorization criteria are derived from the federal record-keeping requirement.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein at least one of the plurality of fields is identification of the person and wherein the associated authorization criterion is entry of a valid identification of the person.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein at least one of the plurality of fields is age of the person and wherein the associated authorization criterion is entry of proof that the person'"'"'s age at least equals an age specified by the federal record-keeping requirement.

7. The method of claim 4 wherein at least one of the plurality of fields is names used by the person other than the person'"'"'s legal name and wherein the associated authorization criterion is entry of all names used by the person other than the person'"'"'s legal name when the person has used at least one name other than the person'"'"'s legal name.

8. The method of claim 4 wherein at least one of the plurality of fields is identification of the content and wherein the associated authorization criterion is provision of an identification of the content.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the identification of the content is a unique randomly-generated identification.

10. The method of claim 4 wherein at least one of the plurality of fields is date of production of the content and wherein the associated authorization criterion is entry of a date of production of the content.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein in step (ii) a record is created which includes the information pertaining to the content.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein in step (iii) the record is provided to the custodian.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the custodian possesses records including information associated with a plurality of content.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the custodian possesses a record including information associated with additional content in which the person is depicted.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the record including information associated with the additional content in which the person is depicted is provided to and examined by the computer system when in step (iv) it is determined by the computer system that the information provided in step (i) does not comply with the federal record-keeping requirement and wherein information associated with the additional content is provided to the record created in step (ii) when it is determined by the computer system that the information associated with the additional content complies with the federal record-keeping requirement.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein in step (iv) it is determined that the information provided in step (i) omits an entry for at least one field required by the federal record-keeping requirement.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein prior to step (v) a statement is provided by the computer system comprising information pertaining to the portion of the content in accordance with the federal record-keeping requirement and (b) a location of the custodian.

18. A method of transmitting content over a network, the content being subject to a federal record-keeping requirement, the method comprising the steps of:

(i) providing to a computer system information pertaining to at least a portion of the content in accordance with a federal record-keeping requirement ,

(ii) associating by the computer system the information with the content by storing the information together with an identification of the content in a storage medium independent of a medium used to store the content,

(iii) providing by the computer system the stored associated information to a custodian,

(iv) determining by the computer system that the stored associated information complies with the federal record-keeping requirement, and

(v) transmitting the content over a network based on the determination of compliance.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the content comprises a depiction of at least one person.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein in step (i) information is provided pertaining to the at least one person depicted in the content.

21. The method of claim 18 wherein in step (ii) a record is created which includes an identification of the portion of the content and the information pertaining to the portion of the content.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein in step (iii) the record is provided to the custodian.

23. The method of claim 18 wherein in step (v) the content is transmitted over a computer network.

24. The method of claim 18 wherein in step (v) the content is transmitted over a telecommunications network.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein the content is transmitted over a cellular telephone network.

26. The method of claim 18 wherein the content is transmitted to a monitor.

27. The method of claim 18 wherein the content is transmitted to a human viewer.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein the viewer provides to a site that controls transmission of the content verification that the viewing of the content is legally permissible at the viewer'"'"'s physical location.

29. The method of claim 27 wherein the viewer provides to the site that controls transmission of the content proof of the viewer'"'"'s right to receive the transmission of the content.

30. The method of claim 27 wherein the viewer provides to the site that controls transmission of the content a credit card account number.

31. The method of claim 27 wherein the viewer is charged a premium prior to step (v).

32. The method of claim 27 wherein the viewer is provided with a statement prior to step (iv), the statement comprising information pertaining to the portion of the content in accordance with the record keeping requirement and a location of the custodian.

33. The method of claim 18 wherein step (v) is carried out only after step (iv) is completed.

34. The method of claim 18 wherein the content is transmitted to a storage device.

35. A method of preventing transmission of content to a computer over a network, the content depicting at least one person and being subject to a federal record-keeping requirement, the method comprising the sequential steps of:

(i) providing information to a computer system pertaining to a person depicted in at least a portion of the content in accordance with a federal record-keeping requirement,

(ii) associating by the computer system the information with the content by storing the information together with an identification of the content in a storage medium independent of a medium used to transmit the content,

(iii) providing by the computer system the stored associated information to a custodian,

(iv) determining by the computer system that the stored associated information does not comply with the federal record-keeping requirement, and

(v) preventing, by the computer system, transmission of the content to a computer over a network based on the determination of non-compliance.

36. The method of claim 35 wherein the information is classified into a plurality of fields.

37. The method of claim 36 wherein at least a portion of the plurality of fields are associated with authorization criteria that are derived from the federal record-keeping requirement.

38. The method of claim 35 wherein in step (ii) a record is created which includes the information pertaining to the content.

39. The method of claim 38 wherein in step (iii) the record is provided to the custodian.

40. The method of claim 39 wherein the custodian possesses records including information associated with a plurality of content.

41. The method of claim 40 wherein the custodian possesses a record including information associated with additional content in which the person is depicted.

42. The method of claim 41 wherein the record including information associated with the additional content in which the person is depicted is examined when in step (iv) it is determined that the information provided in step (i) does not comply with the federal record-keeping requirement and wherein it is further determined that the information associated with the additional content does not comply with the federal record-keeping requirement.

43. The method of claim 42 wherein in step (iv) it is determined that the information provided in step (i) omits at least one item required by the federal record-keeping requirement.

44. The method of claim 37 wherein in step (iv) it is determined that at least one authorization criterion derived from the federal record-keeping requirement is not satisfied.

45. A method of producing content, the content to be produced depicting at least one person and being subject to a federal record-keeping requirement, the method comprising the steps of:

(i) providing to a computer system information pertaining to a person to be depicted in at least a portion of the content in accordance with a federal record-keeping requirement,

(ii) associating by the computer system the information with the content to be produced by storing the information together with an identification of the content to be produced in a storage medium independent of a medium to be used to store the content,

(iii) providing by the computer system the stored associated information to a custodian,

(iv) determining by the computer system that the stored associated information complies with the federal record-keeping requirement, and

(v) producing the content based on the determination of compliance.

46. The method of claim 45 wherein the information is classified into a plurality of fields.

47. The method of claim 46 wherein at least a portion of the plurality of fields are associated with authorization criteria.

48. The method of claim 47 wherein at least a portion of the authorization criteria are derived from the federal record-keeping requirement.

49. The method of claim 48 wherein at least one of the plurality of fields is identification of the person and wherein the associated authorization criterion is entry of a valid identification of the person.

50. The method of claim 48 wherein at least one of the plurality of fields is age of the person and wherein the associated authorization criterion is entry of proof that the person'"'"'s age at least equals an age specified by the federal record-keeping requirement.

51. The method of claim 48 wherein at least one of the plurality of fields is names used by the person other than the person'"'"'s legal name and wherein the associated authorization criterion is entry of all names used by the person other than the person'"'"'s legal name when the person has used at least one name other than the person'"'"'s legal name.

52. The method of claim 48 wherein at least one of the plurality of fields is identification of the content and wherein the associated authorization criterion is provision of an identification of the content.

53. The method of claim 52 wherein the identification of the content is a unique randomly-generated identification.

54. The method of claim 48 wherein at least one of the plurality of fields is date of production of the content and wherein the associated authorization criterion is entry of a date of production of the content.

55. The method of claim 45 wherein in step (ii) a record is created which includes the information pertaining to the content.

56. The method of claim 55 wherein in step (iii) the record is provided to the custodian.

57. The method of claim 56 wherein the custodian possesses records including information associated with a plurality of content.

58. The method of claim 57 wherein the custodian possesses a record including information associated with additional content in which the person is depicted.

59. The method of claim 58 wherein the record including information associated with the additional content in which the person is depicted is provided to and examined by the computer system when in step (iv) it is determined that the information provided in step (i) does not comply with the federal record-keeping requirement and wherein information associated with the additional content is provided by the computer system to the record created in step (ii) when it is determined that the information associated with the additional content complies with the federal record-keeping requirement.

60. The method of claim 59 wherein in step (iv) it is determined that the information provided in step (i) omits an entry for at least one field required by the federal record-keeping requirement.

61. The method of claim 45 wherein in step (v) a statement is included in the content, the statement comprising (a) information pertaining to the portion of the content in accordance with the federal record-keeping requirement and (b) a location of the custodian.

62. A method of producing content over a network, the content depicting at least one person, the method comprising the steps of:

(i) providing to a computer system information pertaining to a person to be depicted in at least a portion of the content, the information being classified into a plurality of fields, at least a portion of the field being associated with authorization criteria,

(ii) associating by the computer system the information with the content to be produced by storing the information together with an identification of the content to be produced in a storage medium independent of a medium to be used to store the content,

(iii) providing by the computer system the stored associated information to a custodian,

(iv) determining by the computer system that the stored associated information complies with the authorization criteria, and

(v) producing the content based on the determination of compliance.

63. The method of claim 62 wherein at least one of the plurality of fields is model release and wherein the associated authorization criterion is entry of a model release signed by the person.

64. The method of claim 63 wherein in step (i) the person executes a model release at a location in which the content is to be produced and wherein a digitized version of the executed model release is entered.

65. The method of claim 62 wherein at least one of the plurality of fields is medical release and wherein the associated authorization criterion is entry of a medical release signed by the person.

66. The method of claim 65 wherein an additional authorization criterion is freedom from communicable diseases and wherein a medical record of the person is examined pursuant to the signed medical release in order to verify that the person is free from communicable diseases.

67. The method of claim 62 wherein step (iv) is carried out only after step (iii) is completed.

68. The method of claim 62 wherein prior to step (i) it is determined whether information to be provided is subject to a regulation of a jurisdiction in which the information is located prohibiting the disclosure thereof.

69. The method of claim 68 wherein only information that is determined not to be subject to a regulation of a jurisdiction in which the information is located prohibiting the disclosure thereof is provided.