Service for managing digital content resales

• US 9,064,276 B2
• Filed: 05/24/2011
• Issued: 06/23/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hill, Peter F., Vrignaud, Andre
• Primary Examiner(s): Nigh, James D
• Application Number:
  US13/115,047
• Publication Number:
  US 20120303491A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,491 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26.41, 705/26.44, 705/27.2, 705/51, 705/52
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 2220/10 Usage protection of distributed data files
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 2220/12 Usage or charge determination
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0613 Third-party assisted
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0643 Graphical representation of items or shoppers

Abstract

A content management system couples DRM protection of content items with a digital content store to allow content items to be transferred or resold from one user to another. The content management system can generate application-specific digital stores that allow end users to conduct transactions with other users to buy, sell, and/or trade content items associated with the application. In response to a sale or trade of a content item between two users, DRM protections associated with the content item can allow the content item to be removed from one user computing device and provided to another user computing device, while maintaining the same number of outstanding active copies of the content item before and after the transaction.

Claims

1. A server system comprising one or more computing devices and computer storage, said computer storage storing executable code that, when executed, enables the server system to perform a process that comprises:

providing a service module for inclusion into mobile applications developed by external developers, the service module configured to add in-application purchasing functionality to a mobile application that runs on mobile computing devices of users, the in-application purchasing functionality enabling a user to purchase and download add-on digital content items for the mobile application through execution of the mobile application on a mobile computing device;

receiving one or more files defining a first mobile application that includes the service module;

providing the first mobile application for download to mobile computing devices through an electronic catalog;

generating a first application-specific digital store for the first mobile application on a content management system, the first application-specific digital store configured to communicate over a network with the service module to enable users, via mobile computing devices having the first mobile application stored thereon, to purchase and download add-on digital content items for the first mobile application from within the first mobile application;

providing access to the first application-specific digital store to mobile computing devices that have the first mobile application stored thereon, the access provided via the service module, the mobile computing devices being distinct from the content management system;

providing access to add-on digital content items for the first mobile application via the first application-specific digital store, the first application-specific digital store enabling resale of add-on digital content items by the users of the first mobile application via mobile computing devices of the users, thereby making the add-on digital content items available to other users of the first mobile application via the first application-specific digital store; and

in response to a first user purchasing, using a first instance of the service module, one of the digital content items from a second user via the electronic catalog, causing the purchased digital content item to be (1) removed from a second mobile computing device of the second user by a second instance of the service module and (2) provided to a first mobile computing device of the first user by the first instance of the service module.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the purchased digital content item comprises at least one of game levels, game items and game characters.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the first mobile application is a sports league simulation.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the purchased digital content item is associated with an authorization token.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the authorization token is configured to define usage rights for the purchased digital content item.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the authorization token includes an expiration time, the expiration time identifying a time when the purchased digital content item can no longer be used.

7. The system of claim 4, wherein the authorization token identifies a user computing device on which the purchased digital content item can be used.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the service module comprises one or more of a digital rights management (DRM) module, a distribution module, or a purchasing module.

9. A method for reselling digital content, the method comprising:

by a computer system_operated by a first party that provides network-based access to an electronic catalog, said electronic catalog including functionality for users to resell copies of digital content items;

receiving a first mobile application developed by an external developer different from the first party, the first mobile application including a service module configured to add in-application purchasing functionality to mobile applications that run on mobile computing devices of users, the in-application purchasing functionality enabling users to purchase and download add-on digital content items for the mobile applications through execution of the mobile applications on mobile computing devices, the service module provided by the first party;

generating an application-specific digital store associated with the first mobile application, the application-specific digital store configured to communicate over a network with the service module to enable users, via mobile computing devices having the first mobile application installed thereon, to purchase and download add-on digital content items for the first mobile application;

providing access to the application-specific digital store for mobile computing devices that have the first mobile application stored thereon via the service module, said mobile computing devices being distinct from the computer system; and

providing, in the electronic catalog, add-on digital content items for resale by users of the first mobile application to thereby make the add-on digital content items available to other users of the first mobile application via the application-specific digital store and the service module.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the digital content items are listed within the first mobile application and are purchased from within the first mobile application.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising monitoring purchases of the digital content items.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising determining pricing information based on resale prices of the purchased digital content items.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

in response to a buyer purchasing one of the digital content items from a seller via the electronic catalog, obtaining the purchased digital content item from a computing device of the seller; and

providing the purchased digital content item to a computing device of the buyer for use with an instance of the first application.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the digital content items for resale include digital content items created by users of the first mobile application different from the external developer.

20. The method of claim 9, wherein the service module comprises one or more of a digital rights management (DRM) module, a distribution module, or a purchasing module.

15. Non-transitory physical computer storage having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by a computing system, cause the computing system to perform operations comprising:

providing a service module for inclusion into mobile applications developed by external developers, the service module configured to add in-application purchasing functionality to a mobile application that runs on mobile computing devices of users, the in-application purchasing functionality enabling a user to purchase and download add-on digital content items for the mobile application through execution of the mobile application on a mobile computing device;

receiving one or more files defining a first mobile application that includes the service module;

providing the first mobile application for download to mobile computing devices through an electronic catalog;

generating a first application-specific digital store for the first mobile application on a content management system, the first application-specific digital store configured to communicate over a network with the service module to enable users, via mobile computing devices having the first mobile application installed thereon, to purchase and download add-on digital content items for the first mobile application from within the first mobile application from mobile computing devices that have instances of the first mobile application including the service module stored thereon, the mobile computing devices being distinct from the content management system; and

providing access to add-on digital content items for the first mobile application via the first application-specific digital store, the first application-specific digital store accessible on mobile computing devices having instances of the first mobile application and service module stored thereon.

16. The non-transitory physical computer storage of claim 15, wherein the stored instructions additionally cause the computing system to:

in response to a first user purchasing within the first mobile application, using a first instance of the service module, one of the digital content items from a second user via the electronic catalog, causing the purchased digital content item to be (1) provided to a first mobile computing device of the first user by the first instance of the service module and (2) removed from a second mobile computing device of the second user by a second instance of the service module.

17. The non-transitory physical computer storage of claim 16, wherein the first mobile computing device and the second mobile computing device are smartphones.

18. The non-transitory physical computer storage of claim 16, wherein the purchased digital content item comprises at least one of game levels, game items and game characters.

19. The non-transitory physical computer storage of claim 15, wherein the service module comprises one or more of a digital rights management (DRM) module, distribution module, or a purchasing module.