Patent Application
20090043694
The present application relates generally to a system and method for distributing digital content and more specifically to a system and method for integrating Digital Rights Management (DRM) information and payment information for the digital content.
With the development of computer and network related technologies, many users choose to purchase and/or distribute digital content (e.g., digital music, digital videos, digital documents, and digital photos) over networks. In many situations, it is desirable to facilitate and simplify the process of the purchase and/or distribution of the digital content over networks.
The present application is illustrated by way of example and not limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings, in which like references indicate similar elements and in which:
A system and method for integrating Digital Rights Management (DRM) information and payment information for digital content are described. In the following detailed description of the embodiments, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the application may be practiced. The following detailed description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present inventions is defined only by the appended claims.
The term “DRM” used in the following description denotes “Digital Rights Management” attempting to control access to or usage of digital content (such as software, music, movies), which can otherwise be copied with very little cost or effort. Beyond restrictions under copyright law, most DRM schemes attempt to impose additional restrictions on the digital content at the discretion of the digital content's publisher, in which DRM information of the digital content can be used to convey the restriction information of the digital content to users or potential users.
The term “peer-to-peer network” denotes a computer network that relies primarily on the computing power and bandwidth of the participants in the network rather than concentrates in a relatively low number of servers. An important goal of a peer-to-peer network is that all clients provide resources, including bandwidth, storage space, and computing power.
Network System
In some embodiments, a peer-to-peer network can be used to distribute the digital content package 120 from a buyer system (e.g., the first buyer system 114) to another buyer system (e.g., the second buyer system 116). The peer-to-peer network can be, for example, a centralized peer-to-peer network, a decentralized peer-to-peer network, a structured peer-to-peer network, an unstructured peer-to-peer network, and/or a hybrid peer-to-peer network. The peer-to-peer network can be either a First Generation peer-to-peer network or a Second Generation peer-to-peer network.
The network system 100 provides an interface, as shown in detail in
The network system 100 also provides a payment module to receive a payment 122 from a buyer based on the received payment information, and an authorization module, after receiving the payment 122, to allow the buyer to play the digital content under restrictions by the received DRM information. In an embodiment, the network system 100 further provides a notification module to notify the buyer of allowance to play the received digital content. In an embodiment, the payment module, authorization module, and notification module may reside in the payment system 112 as shown in detail in
The DRM information and payment information for the digital content may be included in a header of the digital content.
In some embodiments, the first buyer system 114 may provide a website working as a virtual jukebox (not shown). The virtual jukebox can be used by a user of the first buyer system 114 to post or advertise a list of digital songs originally received from one or more seller systems such as the seller system 110. The user of the virtual jukebox is allowed to play or listen to a song selected from the list of digital songs after making a payment of a predetermined amount of money (e.g., $0.10). In some embodiments, the payment of the predetermined amount of money is made by pressing a select button near the chosen song, or simply by pressing a linking title of the chosen song. In some embodiments, the virtual jukebox includes integrated payment information and DRM information for the listed digital songs. The payment information may be either combined with, or embedded into the DRM information of the digital song. The payment information may, for example, inform the user of the predetermined amount of money for playing or listening to each of the listed songs. The DRM information may, for example, include the number of times the selected song may be played. In some embodiments, the DRM information permits the selected song to be played only a single time, thus creates a virtual jukebox, in which a selected song is played once after a payment is made.
Interface
Data Structure
Buyer System
The buyer system 500 may include a digital content storage 510 accessible to the buyer to store the received digital content package 120. The buyer system 500 may also include a preview module 512 to allow the buyer to preview the received digital content using a media player 514, for example, for a predetermined number of times (such as 3 times for a track of music) or for a predetermined length of time (such as 10 minutes for a movie). Other known preview ways can also be used. The buyer system 500 may further include a payment transmission module 516, which can be used by the buyer, if determined to buy the digital content, to transmit a payment for the digital content to the payment system 112 via the network 118 based on the received payment information (like 216, 316).
Payment System
Methods of Distributing Digital Content
At 710 of the embodiment, the second buyer receives a digital content package 120 from the first buyer. The digital content package 120 includes the digital content (e.g., 210, 310) and its header (e.g., 212, 312), and the header includes DRM information (e.g., 214, 314) and payment information (e.g., 216, 316) of the digital content. In one embodiment, the payment information is combined with the DRM information. In another embodiment, the payment information is embedded into the DRM information.
At 712, the second buyer may store the digital content package 120 in a digital content storage 510, which is accessible to the second buyer.
At 714, if determined to buy the digital content, the second buyer may transmit a payment 122 to the payment system 112 based on the received payment information.
At 716, after receiving the payment 122, the payment module 610 of the payment system 600 may allow the second buyer to play the digital content under restrictions described in the received DRM.
Before transmitting the payment 122 at step 714, the preview module 512 may permit the second buyer to preview the received digital content to help the second buyer determine whether or not to buy the digital content. In one embodiment, the second buyer is permitted to preview the received digital content (such as digital music) for a predetermined number of times (such as 3 times) with no charge. In another embodiment, the second buyer is permitted to preview the received digital content (such as a digital movie) for a predetermined length of time (such as 10 minutes) with no charge.
After allowing the second buyer to play the digital content at step 716, the notification module 614 of the payment system 600 may notify the second buyer of the allowance to play the received digital content. The notification module 614 may send the notification in many ways, such as by e-mails or e-messages via the network.
The example computer system 800 includes a processor 802 (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU) or both), a main memory 804 and a static memory 806, which communicate with each other via a bus 808. The computer system 800 may further include a video display unit 810 (e.g., a liquid crystal display (LCD) or a cathode ray tube (CRT)). The computer system 800 also includes an alpha-numeric input device 812 (e.g., a keyboard), a cursor control device 814 (e.g., a mouse), a disk drive unit 816, a signal generation device 818 (e.g., a speaker) and a network interface device 820.
The disk drive unit 816 includes a machine-readable medium 822 on which is stored one or more sets of instructions (e.g., software 824) embodying any one or more of the methodologies or functions described herein. The software 824 may also reside, completely or at least partially, within the main memory 804 and/or within the processor 802 during execution thereof by the computer system 800, the main memory 804 and the processor 802 also constituting machine-readable media.
The software 824 may further be transmitted or received over a network 826 via the network interface device 820.
While the machine-readable medium 822 is shown in an example embodiment to be a single medium, the term “machine-readable medium” should be taken to include a single medium or multiple media (e.g., a centralized or distributed database, and/or associated caches and servers) that store the one or more sets of instructions. The term “machine-readable medium” shall also be taken to include any medium that is capable of storing, encoding or carrying a set of instructions for execution by the machine and that cause the machine to perform any one or more of the methodologies of the present invention. The term “machine-readable medium” shall accordingly be taken to include, but not be limited to, solid-state memories, optical and magnetic media, and carrier wave signals.
Although the present application has been described with reference to specific embodiments, it will be evident that various modifications and changes may be made to these embodiments without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the application Accordingly, the specification and drawings are to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense.
