Electronic content distribution and exchange system
First Claim
1. A method for protecting and distributing licensed electronic content, comprising the steps of:
- registering a user as an owner of a license for an electronic content in a license database, the electronic content comprising one or more of;
a digital media file or software;
offering the license for sale, by a server comprising a processor, based on instructions from the user;
receiving a bid from a buyer, by the server, for purchase of the license;
determining, by the server, that the user has accepted the bid from the buyer for the purchase of the license based, at least, on the instructions from the user;
responsive to determining that the user has accepted the bid;
the server transferring ownership of the license for the electronic content in the license database from the user to the buyer;
the server instructing the user'"'"'s client system to delete the electronic content; and
the server delivering the electronic content to the buyer'"'"'s client system.
12 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An electronic content distribution and exchange system provides authenticated, reliable content downloads and tracking capabilities. Content is distributed to users through the invention'"'"'s architecture. A user registers for the purchase of content through an interface on a client system or via a Web site. The purchase is for a license to the content, not for the content itself. A list of available content is displayed to the user through the client system or the Web site. The invention'"'"'s central servers log the purchase of the content into a license database. The electronic copy of the song may be already resident on the client system in a hidden area, carouseled in a protected broadcast channel, in the central database ready to be sent out in slices, or resident on a secure server on the Internet. The user accesses content through the client system'"'"'s user interface where the user plays the content and controls its playback. The invention'"'"'s service provides an exchange capability similar to stock trading whereby owners offer licenses to various electronic for sale. A seller places his license for a particular content up for sale on the central server where a buyer that is interested in the license places a bid. When a price is agreed to, the invention'"'"'s central server transfers license ownership in the license database to the new owner.
-
Citations
60 Claims
-
1. A method for protecting and distributing licensed electronic content, comprising the steps of:
-
registering a user as an owner of a license for an electronic content in a license database, the electronic content comprising one or more of;
a digital media file or software;offering the license for sale, by a server comprising a processor, based on instructions from the user; receiving a bid from a buyer, by the server, for purchase of the license; determining, by the server, that the user has accepted the bid from the buyer for the purchase of the license based, at least, on the instructions from the user; responsive to determining that the user has accepted the bid; the server transferring ownership of the license for the electronic content in the license database from the user to the buyer; the server instructing the user'"'"'s client system to delete the electronic content; and the server delivering the electronic content to the buyer'"'"'s client system. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 43, 58)
-
-
15. An apparatus for protecting and distributing licensed electronic content, comprising:
-
a license database;
comprising a processor, and a memory;a plurality of client systems wherein each client system comprises a processor, and a memory; a server comprising a processor, a memory and licensing subsystem for registering a user as an owner of a license for an electronic content in the license database, the electronic content comprising one or more of a digital media file or software; the server memory comprising instructions stored therein that when executed by the server processor causes the server process to perform the steps of; offering the license for sale based on instructions from the user; receiving a bid from a buyer for purchase of the license; determining that the user has accepted the bid from the buyer for the purchase of the license based, at least, on the instructions from the user; and
responsive to determining that the user has accepted the bid;transferring ownership of the license for the electronic content in the license database from the user to the buyer; and instructing the user'"'"'s client system of the plurality of client systems to delete the electronic content; and
delivery subsystem configured for delivering the electronic content to the buyer'"'"'s client system of the plurality of client systems, responsive to determining that the user has accepted the bid. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 44, 59)
-
-
29. A program storage medium readable by a computer, tangibly embodying a program of instructions, which when executed by a processor, perform method steps for protecting and distributing licensed electronic content, comprising the steps of:
-
registering a user as an owner of a license for an electronic content in a license database the electronic content comprising one or more of;
a digital media file or software;offering the license for sale, by the server, based on instructions from the user; receiving a bid from a buyer, by the server, for purchase of the license; determining, by the server, that the user has accepted the bid from the buyer for the purchase of the license based, at least, on the instructions from the user; responsive to determining, by the server, that the user has accepted the bid; transferring ownership, by the server, of the license for the electronic content in the license database from the user to the buyer; instructing, by the server, the user'"'"'s client system to delete the electronic content; and delivering, by the server, the electronic content to the buyer'"'"'s client system. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 45, 60)
-
-
46. A process for protecting and distributing licensed electronic content, comprising the steps of:
-
registering a user, in a license database, as an owner of a license for an electronic content and as an owner of at least two client systems with the electronic content;
wherein the license database contains client system identifications of a plurality of client systems and a list of licensed content associated with each client system, the electronic content comprising one or more of;
a digital media file or software;offering the license for sale, by a server comprising a processor, based on instructions from the user; receiving a bid from a buyer, by the server, for purchase of the license; determining, by the server, that the user has accepted the bid from the buyer for the purchase of the license based, at least, on the instructions from the user; responsive to determining that the user has accepted the bid; the server transferring ownership of the license for the electronic content in the license database from the user to the buyer; the server instructing the at least two client systems of the user to delete the electronic content; and the server delivering the electronic content to the buyer'"'"'s client system. - View Dependent Claims (47, 48, 49)
-
-
50. A program storage medium readable by a computer, tangibly embodying a program of instructions, which when executed by a processor, perform method steps for protecting and distributing licensed electronic content, comprising the steps of:
-
registering a user, in a license database, as an owner of a license for an electronic content and as an owner of at least two client systems with the electronic content;
wherein the license database contains client system identifications of a plurality of client systems and a list of licensed content associated with each client system, the electronic content comprising one or more of;
a digital media file or software;offering the license for sale, by the server, based on instructions from the user; receiving a bid from a buyer, by the server, for purchase of the license; determining, by the server, that the user has accepted the bid from the buyer for the purchase of the license based, at least, on the instructions from the user; responsive to determining that the user has accepted the bid; transferring ownership of the license for the electronic content in the license database from the user to the buyer; instructing the at least two client systems of the user to delete the electronic content; and delivering the electronic content to the buyer'"'"'s client system. - View Dependent Claims (51, 52, 53)
-
-
54. An apparatus for protecting and distributing licensed electronic content, comprising:
-
a license database; a plurality of client systems; a server comprising a processor and licensing subsystem for registering a user, in the license database, as an owner of a license for an electronic content and as an owner of at least two client systems, with the electronic content, of the plurality of client systems;
wherein the license database contains client system identifications of a plurality of client systems and a list of licensed content associated with each client system the electronic content comprising one or more of;
a digital media file or software;the server configured for; offering the license for sale based on instructions from the user; receiving a bid from a buyer for purchase of the license; determining that the user has accepted the bid from the buyer for the purchase of the license based, at least, on the instructions from the user; responsive to determining that the user has accepted the bid; transferring ownership of the license for the electronic content in the license database from the user to the buyer; and instructing the at least two client systems of the user to delete the electronic content; and delivery subsystem configured for delivering the electronic content to the buyer'"'"'s client system of the plurality of client systems, responsive to determining that the user has accepted the bid. - View Dependent Claims (55, 56, 57)
-
Specification