Nova Patents
WO0039733B1

Electronic music/media distribution system

Abstract

The electronic media distribution system which facilitates the distribution of media to consumers over a network, such as the Internet, while achieving commercial business objectives and protecting the intellectual property rights associated with the media being distributed. One such media distributed by the system is musical content. The system provides the infrastructure and support for various market participants to engage in buying, selling, finding and distributing music. Content owners, distributors, retailers (112) and consumers (114) are all market participants. The system provides an interface for consumers to locate, access and receive musical content (120) over the Internet. The system facilitates continued control over the musical content (110) sent to consumers (114) by dynamically enforcing retailer agreements and restrictions governing the purchase, use and distribution of the content. The system also provides a service to retailers and distributors in assisting with the management of sales and distribution of music over the Internet.

Term

No projected expiry on record.

  1. Priority and filed
  2. Published
  3. Today

82 claims: 10 independent, 72 dependent

  1. 1
    AMENDED CLAIMS [received by the International Bureau on 20 June 2000 (20.06.00); original claims 1 and 2 replaced by new claims 1-82 (14pages)] 1. A method for distributing electronic information using a computer network comprising the steps of:a. receiving from a consumer a request for a selected item of information;b. formulating one or more offers based on predefined business rule parameters wherein the one or more offers are associated with the selected item of information;c providing the one or more offers to the consumer;d. receiving a selection of one of the offers from the consumer;and e. delivering the requested information to the consumer and enabling the consumer to use the delivered information in accordance with the selected offer.
  2. 16
    The method as claim 1, further comprising the steps of:a. determining whether the consumer has a player;and b. providing the consumer with the player when the consumer does not have the player;and c. activating the player for the consumer.
  3. 36
    A method for delivering electronic information using a computer network comprising the steps of:a. sending a content reference from a first consumer to a second consumer;b. at a central location, receiving from said second consumer a request to render a selected item of information identified by the content reference;c. determining whether the second consumer is authorized to use the selected item of information;and d. at the second consumer, rendering the selected item of information when the second consumer is authorized to use the selected item of information.
  4. 40
    A system for distributing electronic information comprising:a. a request input section for receiving a request for a selected item of information from a consumer;b. an offer formulation section for formulating one or more offers based on predefined business rule parameters, wherein the one or more offers are associated with the selected item of information;c. an offer providing section for providing the one or more offers to the consumer;d. a selection input section for receiving a selection of one of the offers from the consumer;and e. a delivery section for delivering the requested information to the consumer and enabling the consumer to use the delivered information in accordance with the selected offer.
  5. 55
    The system as claim 40, further comprising a registration section which operates to:a. determine whether the consumer has a player;and b. provide the consumer with the player when the consumer does not have the player;and c. activate the player for the consumer.
  6. 75
    A system for delivering electronic information from a first location to a second location wherein the first location sends to the second location a content reference using a computer network comprising:a. a central location for receiving from said second location a request to render a selected item of information identified by the content reference;b. an authorizing section which receives from the central location an identification of the selected item of information;determines whether the second location is authorized to use the selected item of information;and generates an authorization signal when the second location is appropriately authorized;and c. a rendering section which receives the authorization signal and renders the selected item of information at the second location in accordance with the authorization signal.
  7. 79
    A computer readable medium encoded with processing instructions for implementing a method for distributing electronic information using a computer network, the method comprising:a. receiving from a consumer a request for a selected item of information;b. formulating one or more offers based on predefined business rule parameters wherein the one or more offers are associated with the selected item of information;c. providing the one or more offers to the consumer;d. receiving a selection of one of the offers from the consumer;and e. delivering the requested information to the consumer and enabling the consumer to use the delivered information in accordance with the selected offer.
  8. 80
    A computer readable medium encoded with processing instructions for implementing a method for distributing electronic information using a computer network, the method comprising:a. sending a content reference from a first consumer to a second consumer;b. at a central location, receiving from said second consumer a request to render a selected item of information identified by the content reference;c. determining whether the second consumer is authorized to use the selected item of information;and d. at the second consumer, rendering the selected item of information when the second consumer is authorized to use the selected item of information.
  9. 81
    An apparatus for distributing electronic information using a computer network, comprising:a. a processor;and b. a memory in operative connection with the processor for storing the processing instructions enabling the processor to: (i) receive from a consumer a request for a selected item of information;(ii) formulate one or more offers based on predefined business rule parameters wherein the one or more offers are associated with the selected item of information;(iii) provide the one or more offers to the consumer;(iv) receive a selection of one of the offers from the consumer;and (v) deliver the requested information to the consumer to enable the consumer to use the delivered information in accordance with the selected offer.
  10. 82
    An apparatus for distributing electronic information using a computer network, comprising:a. a processor;and b. a memory in operative connection with the processor for storing the processing instructions enabling the processor to: (i) send a content reference from a first consumer to a second consumer;(ii) at a central location, receive from said second consumer a request to render a selected item of information identified by the content reference. (iii) determine whether the second consumer is authorized to use the selected item of information;and (iv) at the second consumer, render the selected item of information when the second consumer is authorized to use the selected item of information.
Independent claims10