Digital file distribution in a social network system

• US 9,026,606 B2
• Filed: 12/04/2013
• Issued: 05/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Inventors: Stremel, Jed, Ramakrishnan, Thyagarajapuram S., Slee, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Thai
• Application Number:
  US14/097,187
• Publication Number:
  US 20140090086A1
• Time in Patent Office: 517 Days
• Field of Search: 709213-216
• US Class Current: 709/213
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2471 Distributed queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1063 Discovery through centralising entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/30 Profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

Systems and methods for obtaining a digital file similar to one used by a device associated with a member of a social network are provided. Digital file information about the digital file is stored on a web-based social network database. The digital file may be located on the same server as the web-based social network database or a third party server such as a mobile phone carrier. A user of the web-based social network database requesting the digital file may require a different format of the digital file than that used by the device of the member. If a different format is requested by the user, a server finds or converts the digital file to be compatible for use by a device specified by the user.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

storing identification information of a digital file associated with a first user of a social networking system;

receiving a request from a second user of the social networking system for the digital file, the second user connected to the first user by a social networking relationship within the social networking system, the social networking relationship represented by a social map comprising interactions and shared experiences between the second user and the first user;

responsive to receiving the request from the second user, determining an action required of the second user under a digital rights management (DRM) scheme of a third-party source of the digital file, the third-party source external to the social networking system, the action required for the second user to access the digital file;

causing the second user to take the required action responsive to determining the required action; and

causing the digital file to be transferred from the third-party source of the digital file to a device of the second user responsive to the second user taking the required action.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the required action comprises accepting a copyright agreement associated with the digital file.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising re-encrypting a key associated with the DRM scheme.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the DRM scheme is associated with a publisher.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the digital file is selected from the group consisting of a ringtone, a game, and an image file.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the source of the digital file is a device of the first user.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising

receiving device information from the device associated with the second user, the device information representing specifications of the device;

storing the device information; and

locating a version of the digital file compatible with the device based on the device information.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions for providing a social networking system, the instructions executed by a processor and causing the processor to:

store identification information of a digital file associated with a first user of a social networking system;

receive a request from a second user of the social networking system for the digital file, the second user connected to the first user by a social networking relationship within the social networking system, the social networking relationship represented by a social map comprising interactions and shared experiences between the second user and the first user;

responsive to receiving the request from the second user, determine an action required of the second user under a digital rights management (DRM) scheme of a third-party source of the digital file, the third-party source external to the social networking system, the action required for the second user to access the digital file;

cause the second user to take the required action responsive to determining the required action; and

cause the first digital file to be transferred from the third-party source of the digital file to a device of the second user responsive to the second user taking the required action.

9. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the required action comprises accepting a copyright agreement associated with the digital file.

10. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, the instructions further causing the processor to re-encrypt a key associated with the DRM scheme.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the DRM scheme is associated with a publisher.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the digital file is selected from the group consisting of a ringtone, a game, and an image file.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the source of the digital file is a device of the first user.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, the instructions further causing the processor to:

receive device information from the device associated with the second user, the device information representing specifications of the device;

store the device information; and

locate a version of the digital file compatible with the device based on the device information.

15. A computer system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing instructions executable by the processor to;

store identification information of a digital file associated with a first user of a social networking system;

receive a request from a second user of the social networking system for the digital file, the second user connected to the first user by a social networking relationship within the social networking system, the social networking relationship represented by a social map comprising interactions and shared experiences between the second user and the first user;

responsive to receiving the request from the second user, determine an action required of the second user under a digital rights management (DRM) scheme of a third-party source of the digital file, the third-party source external to the social networking system, the action required for the second user to access the digital file;

cause the second user to take the required action responsive to determining the required action; and

cause the first digital file to be transferred from the third-party source of the digital file to a device of the second user responsive to the second user taking the required action.

16. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the required action comprises accepting a copyright agreement associated with the digital file.

17. The computer system of claim 15, the memory further storing instructions to cause the processor to re-encrypt a key associated with the DRM scheme.

18. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the DRM scheme is associated with a publisher.