Digital content aggregation

• US 8,296,190 B1
• Filed: 04/13/2012
• Issued: 10/23/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: T3media Incorporated
• Original Assignee: T3media Incorporated
• Inventors: Pope, Cameron, Lemmons, Mark, Weiner, Dan, Roth, Tucker, Hyde, Jeffrey, Schaff, Kevin
• Primary Examiner(s): Rosen, Nicholas D
• Application Number:
  US13/446,691
• Time in Patent Office: 193 Days
• Field of Search: 705/51, 705/59, 705/26.1, 705/26.43, 705/26.44, 705/27.1
• US Class Current: 705/26.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention are directed toward a content marketplace where digital content can be offered for use by licensees in exchange for a license from a licensor. In some embodiments the content marketplace can provide this licensing forum without hosting the digital content. Instead, the content market place can provide links to the digital content at a digital content host (e.g. third party website). For instance, the content marketplace can embed the digital content into the content market place by embedding an Internet address that points to the digital content at the digital content host. In some embodiments the content marketplace can also provide, among other things, searchable index of digital content available for license, license attributes for license agreements, descriptions of the digital content, and/or standard licenses that can be agreed upon.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving from a licensee, at a computer system, an Internet address that points to digital content, wherein the digital content is located at a digital content host, and wherein a third party has rights to license the digital content;

determining, at the computer system, a licensor from the Internet address that points to the digital content; and

sending, by the computer system, an electronic message to the licensor with a request to license the digital content, wherein the electronic message specifies the digital content.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the Internet address points to a representation of the digital content.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the representation of the digital content is located at the digital content host.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising receiving a proposed license attribute from the licensee.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the determining a licensor form the Internet address that points to the digital content comprises determining contact information for the licensor from data associated with the Internet address and wherein the sending an electronic message sends the electronic message to the licensor.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the determining a licensor comprises:

sending information to a representative; and

receiving contact information from the representative.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the digital content host is hosted by a third party.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the proposed license attribute comprises a plurality of license attributes.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the electronic message includes the Internet address that points to the digital content.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising receiving an indication from the licensor that the licensor is willing to enter into a license agreement with the licensor with the license attribute.

11. The method according to claim 1, further comprising receiving an indication from the licensor providing a different license attribute.

12. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining an attribute of the digital content from metadata associated with the Internet address that points to the digital content;

indexing the digital content based on the attribute of the digital content; and

providing the digital content to licensees through a content marketplace, wherein the digital content is hosted at the digital content host and the content marketplace embeds the digital content using an Internet address that points to the digital content host.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the attribute of the digital content comprises a plurality of attributes of the digital content.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the license attributes includes one or more license attributes selected from the group consisting of license price, license duration, license terms, license restrictions, and license preferences.

15. A method comprising:

receiving, at a computer system, account identifiers from a licensor for an account at a digital content host containing digital content, wherein the digital content host is hosted by a third party;

automatically accessing the digital content host, by the computer system, using the account identifiers;

searching, by the computer system, the digital content host for digital content associated with the account;

identifying, by the computer system, an Internet address found on the digital content host that points to digital content found at the digital content host;

identifying, by the computer system, metadata associated with the digital content found on the digital content host;

embedding, by the computer system, an Internet address that points to the digital content found at the digital content host on a content marketplace website; and

indexing, by the computer system, the digital content using either or both the Internet address and the metadata.

16. The method according to claim 15, providing the digital content to licensees through a content marketplace website, wherein the digital content is hosted at the digital content host and the content marketplace embeds the digital content using an Internet address that points to the digital content host.

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein the Internet address found on the digital content host points to a representation of the digital content that will be licensed.