Methods, systems, and products for distributing digital media

• US 8,739,200 B2
• Filed: 10/11/2007
• Issued: 05/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: McQuaide, Arnold Chester Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Flynn, Nathan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Parra, Omar S
• Application Number:
  US11/973,935
• Publication Number:
  US 20090100480A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,420 Days
• US Class Current: 725/29
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0235 constrained by time limit or expiration date
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4325 by playing back content from the storage medium reproduction of recorded television signals H04N5/76; reproduction of recorded television signals H04N9/79

Abstract

Methods, systems, and products are disclosed for advanced distribution of digital media. A list of subscriber addresses to a new release of a digital media is retrieved at a server associated with a producer. An electronic copy of the digital media is sent from the server to a subscriber'"'"'s address in the list of subscribers. The electronic copy of the digital media is stored in a memory of a device and may be retrieved at a specified date. The memory may have a partitioned portion that is dedicated to new releases of media offered by the producer. A cost associated with the device and/or the digital media is subsidized by the producer, such that only the producer, the subscriber, and/or a service/network provider have access to the partitioned portion of the memory.

Claims

1. A method of distributing digital media, comprising:

retrieving, at a server associated with a producer, a list of subscriber addresses to a distribution plan for new releases of media, such that only authorized subscribers to the distribution plan receive a new release of media;

sending an electronic copy of the new release of media from the server to a client device at a subscriber'"'"'s address in the list of subscribers;

partitioning memory in the client device for different producers of digital media;

dedicating a partitioned portion of the memory in the client device to each of the different producers;

storing the electronic copy of the new release of media in the partitioned portion of the memory that is dedicated to the producer, such that the new release of media is only storable to and retrievable from the partitioned portion of the memory associated with the producer;

transferring the electronic copy of the new release of media from the partitioned portion of the memory to another memory location in response to a purchase of the electronic copy of the new release of media;

retrieving a date of premiè

re of the electronic copy of the new release of media;

comparing a date of purchase of the electronic copy of the new release of media to the date of premiè

re;

calculating a calendar difference from the date of premiè

re to the date of purchase;

retrieving a purchase price for the electronic copy of the new release of media;

determining a number of bi-daily intervals in the calendar difference; and

discounting the purchase price according to the number of bi-daily intervals in the calendar difference.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising preventing retrieval of the new release of media prior to the date of premiè

re.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein on the date of premiè

re, making the new release of media retrievable from the partitioned portion of the memory.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising receiving and storing promotional content that is related to the new release of media.

5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising retrieving the promotional content selected from the group consisting of a video clip, a game, educational content, a coupon, and a printable sticker.

6. The method according to claim 4, further comprising retrieving, prior to the date of premiè

re of the new release of media, the promotional content from the partitioned portion of the memory.

7. The method according to claim 4, further comprising retrieving a preview of the new release of media.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein retrieving the promotional content comprises retrieving previews of other new releases.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising accessing a set of rules stored in the memory, the set of rules determining which ones of the new releases of media offered by the producer is stored in the partitioned portion of the memory.

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising declining to store media in the partitioned portion of the memory, based on the set of rules.

11. The method according to claim 9, further comprising:

comparing the set of rules and a subscriber profile to a profile of the new release of media; and

when the set of rules permits, storing the new release of media in the partitioned portion of the memory.

12. The method according to claim 1, further comprising incentivizing a subscriber to retrieve the new release of media from the partitioned portion of the memory with a vote in an election campaign.

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising tallying votes of subscribers who retrieve the new release of media offered by the producer.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising diluting the votes of the subscribers in the election campaign, such that honorary members of an academy have greater voting power than the subscribers.

15. The method according to claim 1, further comprising incentivizing a subscriber to retrieve the new release of media from the partitioned portion of the memory with a coupon from a merchant having a zone improvement plan associated with the subscriber'"'"'s address.

16. A system, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing code that when executed causes the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising;

receiving an electronic copy of a new release of media at a client device, the client device having an address associated with a distribution plan of a producer that distributes the new release of media to a list of subscribers;

partitioning the memory in the client device to different producers of digital media;

dedicating a partitioned portion of the memory in the client device to each of the different producers;

storing the electronic copy of the new release of media in the partitioned portion of the memory that is dedicated to content offered by the producer, such that the new release of media is only storable and retrievable from the partitioned portion of the memory associated with the producer;

incentivizing retrieval of the new release of media from the partitioned portion of the memory with a vote in an election campaign and with a coupon from a merchant having a zone improvement plan associated with the subscriber;

generating a prompt to purchase the electronic copy of the new release of media;

retrieving the electronic copy of the new release of media from the partitioned portion of the memory;

retrieving a date of premiè

re of the electronic copy of the new release of media;

comparing a date of purchase of the electronic copy of the new release of media to the date of premiè

re;

calculating a calendar difference from the date of premiè

re to the date of purchase;

retrieving a purchase price for the electronic copy of the new release of media;

determining a number of bi-daily intervals in the calendar difference; and

discounting the purchase price according to the number of bi-daily intervals in the calendar difference;

tallying votes of subscribers who purchase the new release of media offered by the producer; and

diluting the votes of the subscribers in the election campaign such that honorary members of an academy have greater voting power than the subscribers.

17. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing processor executable instructions for performing a method of distributing digital media, the method comprising:

retrieving a list of subscriber addresses to a distribution plan for new releases of media, such that only authorized subscribers to the distribution plan receive a new release of media;

sending an electronic copy of the new release of media from a server to a client device at a subscriber'"'"'s address in the list of subscribers;

partitioning memory in the client device to different producers of digital media;

dedicating each partitioned portion of the memory in the client device to a different producer of digital media;

dedicating a partitioned portion of the memory to the producer;

storing the electronic copy of the new release of media in the partitioned portion of memory that is dedicated to the new releases of media offered by the producer, such that the new release of media is only storable and retrievable from the partitioned portion of the memory associated with the producer;

incentivizing a subscriber to retrieve the new release of media from the partitioned portion of the memory with a vote in an election campaign and with a coupon from a merchant having a zone improvement plan associated with the subscriber;

generating a prompt to purchase the electronic copy of the new release of media;

retrieving the electronic copy of the new release of media from the partitioned portion of the memory;

retrieving a date of premiè

re of the electronic copy of the new release of media;

comparing a date of purchase of the electronic copy of the new release of media to the date of premiè

re;

calculating a calendar difference from the date of premiè

to the date of purchase;

retrieving a purchase price for the electronic copy of the new release of media;

determining a number of bi-daily intervals in the calendar difference; and

discounting the purchase price according to the number of bi-daily intervals in the calendar difference;

tallying votes of subscribers who purchase the new release of media offered by the producer; and

diluting the votes of the subscribers in the election campaign such that honorary members of an academy have greater voting power than the subscribers.