초록 ▼

An electronic content distribution and exchange system provides authenticated, reliable content downloads and tracking capabilities. Content is distributed to users through the invention's architecture. A user registers for the purchase of content through an interface on a client system or via a Web

An electronic content distribution and exchange system provides authenticated, reliable content downloads and tracking capabilities. Content is distributed to users through the invention's architecture. A user registers for the purchase of content through an interface on a client system or via a Web site. The purchase is for a license to the content, not for the content itself. A list of available content is displayed to the user through the client system or the Web site. The invention's central servers log the purchase of the content into a license database. The electronic copy of the song may be already resident on the client system in a hidden area, carouseled in a protected broadcast channel, in the central database ready to be sent out in slices, or resident on a secure server on the Internet. The user accesses content through the client system's user interface where the user plays the content and controls its playback. The invention's service provides an exchange capability similar to stock trading whereby owners offer licenses to various electronic for sale. A seller places his license for a particular content up for sale on the central server where a buyer that is interested in the license places a bid. When a price is agreed to, the invention's central server transfers license ownership in the license database to the new owner.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A method for protecting and distributing licensed electronic content, comprising the steps of: registering a user as an owner of a license for an electronic content in a license database, the electronic content comprising one or more of: a digital media file or software;offering the license for s

1. A method for protecting and distributing licensed electronic content, comprising the steps of: registering a user as an owner of a license for an electronic content in a license database, the electronic content comprising one or more of: a digital media file or software;offering the license for sale, by a server comprising a processor, based on instructions from the user;receiving a bid from a buyer, by the server, for purchase of the license;determining, by the server, that the user has accepted the bid from the buyer for the purchase of the license based, at least, on the instructions from the user;responsive to determining that the user has accepted the bid: the server transferring ownership of the license for the electronic content in the license database from the user to the buyer;the server instructing the user's client system to delete the electronic content; andthe server delivering the electronic content to the buyer's client system. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein registering the user as the owner of the license is responsive to the user's purchase of the license; and wherein the user's purchase is transacted via a user interface on the user's client system, and wherein a list of available licensable electronic content is displayed to the user through the user's client system. 3. The method of claim 1, wherein registering the user as the owner of the license is responsive to the user's purchase of the license; and wherein the user's purchase is transacted via a Web site, and wherein a list of available licensable electronic content is displayed to the user through the Web site. 4. The method of claim 1, wherein registering the user as the owner of the license is responsive to the user's purchase of the license; and wherein the user's purchase occurs over an Internet connection. 5. The method of claim 1, wherein registering the user as the owner of the license is responsive to the user's purchase of the license; and wherein the user's purchase is transmitted to the server through a log that is backhauled when the user's client system contacts the server through a telephony server. 6. The method of claim 1, wherein said delivering step carousels the electronic content in a protected broadcast channel received by the buyer's client system, and wherein the buyer's client system extracts the electronic content from said protected broadcast channel. 7. The method of claim 1, wherein said delivering step gathers the electronic content to be delivered to the buyer's client system into distribution packages called “slices”, and wherein said delivering step transmits slices to the buyer's client system via communication mediums such as broadcast mechanisms, modems, networks, or the Internet. 8. The method of claim 1, wherein said delivering step is performed by a secure server on the Internet, and wherein said delivering step delivers the electronic content the buyer's client system via the Internet. 9. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic content is accessed by the user through the user's client system's user interface, and wherein the user plays the electronic content and controls how the electronic content is played back via said user interface. 10. The method of claim 1, further comprising validating that the electronic content is licensed to the buyer in the license database for enabling the buyer to retrieve new copies of the electronic content onto a new client system or enabling the buyer's client system to verify that proper electronic content is resident on the buyer's client system. 11. The method of claim 1, further comprising offering licenses for sale for new material to client systems based on instructions from a content originator. 12. The method of claim 1, further comprising registering the buyer as an owner of a device, and in response to the buyer requesting a copy of the electronic content be downloaded to the device, checking that the device is registered to the buyer and that the buyer has a license to the electronic content; andmaking the electronic content available to the device. 13. The method of claim 1, further comprising registering the buyer as an owner of at least two client systems, and providing each client system of the at least client systems with authentication information for other client systems owned by the buyer. 14. The method of claim 13, wherein the buyer initiates copying of electronic content from a first client system of the at least client systems to another client system, wherein the first client system and the another client system authenticate each other using the authentication information before copying the electronic content. 15. An apparatus for protecting and distributing licensed electronic content, comprising: a license database; comprising a processor, and a memory;a plurality of client systems wherein each client system comprises a processor, and a memory;a server comprising a processor, a memory and licensing subsystem for registering a user as an owner of a license for an electronic content in the license database, the electronic content comprising one or more of a digital media file or software;the server memory comprising instructions stored therein that when executed by the server processor causes the server process to perform the steps of:offering the license for sale based on instructions from the user;receiving a bid from a buyer for purchase of the license;determining that the user has accepted the bid from the buyer for the purchase of the license based, at least, on the instructions from the user; and responsive to determining that the user has accepted the bid:transferring ownership of the license for the electronic content in the license database from the user to the buyer; andinstructing the user's client system of the plurality of client systems to delete the electronic content; and delivery subsystem configured for delivering the electronic content to the buyer's client system of the plurality of client systems, responsive to determining that the user has accepted the bid. 16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein registering the user as the owner of the license is responsive to the user's purchase of the license; and wherein the user's purchase is transacted via a user interface on the user's client system, and wherein a list of available licensable electronic content is displayed to the user through the user's client system. 17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein registering the user as the owner of the license is responsive to the user's purchase of the license; and wherein the user's purchase is transacted via a Web site, and wherein a list of available licensable electronic content is displayed to the user through the Web site. 18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein registering the user as the owner of the license is responsive to the user's purchase of the license; and wherein the user's purchase occurs over an Internet connection to said licensing subsystem. 19. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising: a telephony server;wherein registering the user as the owner of the license is responsive to the user's purchase of the license; and wherein said user's purchase is transmitted to the licensing subsystem through a log that is backhauled when the user's client system contacts the licensing subsystem through the telephony server. 20. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the delivery subsystem carousels the electronic content in a protected broadcast channel received by the buyer's client system, and wherein the buyer's client system extracts the electronic content from the protected broadcast channel. 21. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said delivery subsystem gathers the electronic content to be delivered to the buyer's client system into distribution packages called “slices”, and wherein said delivery subsystem transmits slices to the buyer's client device via communication mediums such as broadcast mechanisms, modems, networks, or the Internet. 22. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said content delivery subsystem resides on a secure server on the Internet, and wherein said content delivery subsystem delivers the electronic content to the buyer's client system via the Internet. 23. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the electronic content is accessed by the user through the user's client system's user interface, and wherein the user plays the electronic content and controls how the electronic content is played back via said user interface. 24. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the licensing subsystem validates that the electronic content is licensed to the buyer in the license database enabling the buyer to retrieve new copies of the electronic content onto a new client system or enabling the buyer's client system to verify that proper content is resident on the buyer's client system. 25. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising a content originator configured for publishing an offering of licenses for new material to client systems. 26. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the licensing subsystem registers the buyer as an owner of a device, and in response to the buyer requesting a copy of the electronic content be downloaded to the device, the licensing subsystem checks that the device is registered to the buyer and that the buyer has a license to the electronic content before making the electronic content available to the device via the buyer's client system. 27. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the licensing subsystem registers the buyer as an owner of at least two client systems, and wherein the licensing subsystem provides each client system of the at least two client systems with authentication information for other client systems owned by the buyer. 28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the buyer initiates transfer of the electronic content from a first client system of the at least two client systems to another client system, wherein the first client system and the another client system authenticate each other using the authentication information before copying the electronic content. 29. A program storage medium readable by a computer, tangibly embodying a program of instructions, which when executed by a processor, perform method steps for protecting and distributing licensed electronic content, comprising the steps of: registering a user as an owner of a license for an electronic content in a license database the electronic content comprising one or more of: a digital media file or software;offering the license for sale, by the server, based on instructions from the user;receiving a bid from a buyer, by the server, for purchase of the license;determining, by the server, that the user has accepted the bid from the buyer for the purchase of the license based, at least, on the instructions from the user;responsive to determining, by the server, that the user has accepted the bid:transferring ownership, by the server, of the license for the electronic content in the license database from the user to the buyer;instructing, by the server, the user's client system to delete the electronic content;and delivering, by the server, the electronic content to the buyer's client system. 30. The program storage medium of claim 29, wherein registering the user as the owner of the license is responsive to the user's purchase of the license; and wherein the user's purchase is transacted via a user interface on the user's client system, and wherein a list of available licensable electronic content is displayed to the user through the user's client system. 31. The program storage medium of claim 29, wherein registering the user as the owner of the license is responsive to the user's purchase of the license; and wherein the user's purchase is transacted via a Web site, and wherein a list of available licensable electronic content is displayed to the user through the Web site. 32. The program storage medium of claim 29, wherein registering the user as the owner of the license is responsive to the user's purchase of the license; and wherein the user's purchase occurs over an Internet connection. 33. The program storage medium of claim 29, wherein registering the user as the owner of the license is responsive to the user's purchase of the license; and wherein the user's purchase is transmitted to the server through a log that is backhauled when the user's client system contacts the server through a telephony server. 34. The program storage medium of claim 29, wherein said delivering step carousels the electronic content in a protected broadcast channel received by the buyer's client system, and wherein the buyer's client system extracts the electronic content from said protected broadcast channel. 35. The program storage medium of claim 29, wherein said delivering step gathers the electronic content to be delivered to the buyer's client system into distribution packages called “slices”, and wherein said delivering step transmits slices to the buyer's client system via communication mediums such as broadcast mechanisms, modems, networks, or the Internet. 36. The program storage medium of claim 29, wherein said delivering step is performed by a secure server on the Internet, and wherein said delivering step delivers the electronic content the buyer's client system via the Internet. 37. The program storage medium of claim 29, wherein the electronic content is accessed by the user through the user's client system's user interface, and wherein the user plays the electronic content and controls how the electronic content is played back via said user interface. 38. The program storage medium of claim 29, wherein the steps further comprising validating that the electronic content is licensed to the buyer in said license database for enabling the buyer to retrieve new copies of the electronic content onto a new client system or enabling the buyer's client system to verify that proper electronic content is resident on the buyer's client system. 39. The program storage medium of claim 29, wherein the steps further comprising offering licenses for sale for new material to client systems based on instructions from a content originator. 40. The program storage medium of claim 29, wherein the steps further comprising registering the buyer as an owner of a device, and in response to the buyer requesting a copy of the electronic content be downloaded to the device, checking that the device is registered to the buyer and that the buyer has a license to the electronic content; andmaking the electronic content available to the device. 41. The program storage medium of claim 29, wherein the steps further comprising registering the buyer as an owner of at least two client systems, and providing each client system of the at least client systems with authentication information for other client systems owned by the buyer. 42. The program storage medium of claim 41, wherein the buyer initiates copying of electronic content from a first client system of the at least client systems to another client system, wherein the first client system and the another client system authenticate each other using the authentication information before copying of the electronic content. 43. The process of claim 1, further comprising receiving verification from the user's client system that the electronic has been deleted prior to delivering the electronic content to the buyer's client system. 44. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the server is configured to receive verification from the user's client system that the electronic content has been deleted prior to the delivery subsystem delivering the electronic content to the buyer's client system. 45. The program storage medium of claim 29, wherein the steps further comprising receiving verification from the user's client system that the electronic content has been deleted prior to delivering the electronic content to the buyer's client system. 46. A process for protecting and distributing licensed electronic content, comprising the steps of: registering a user, in a license database, as an owner of a license for an electronic content and as an owner of at least two client systems with the electronic content; wherein the license database contains client system identifications of a plurality of client systems and a list of licensed content associated with each client system, the electronic content comprising one or more of: a digital media file or software;offering the license for sale, by a server comprising a processor, based on instructions from the user;receiving a bid from a buyer, by the server, for purchase of the license;determining, by the server, that the user has accepted the bid from the buyer for the purchase of the license based, at least, on the instructions from the user;responsive to determining that the user has accepted the bid:the server transferring ownership of the license for the electronic content in the license database from the user to the buyer;the server instructing the at least two client systems of the user to delete the electronic content; andthe server delivering the electronic content to the buyer's client system. 47. The process of claim 46, wherein said delivering step carousels the electronic content in a protected broadcast channel received by the buyer's client system, and wherein the buyer's client system extracts the electronic content from said protected broadcast channel. 48. The process of claim 46, further comprising validating that the electronic content is licensed to the buyer in the license database for enabling the buyer to retrieve new copies of the electronic content onto a new client system or enabling the buyer's client system to verify that proper electronic content is resident on the buyer's client system. 49. The process of claim 46, further comprising receiving verification from each client system of the at least two client systems that the electronic has been deleted prior to delivering the electronic content to the buyer's client system. 50. A program storage medium readable by a computer, tangibly embodying a program of instructions, which when executed by a processor, perform method steps for protecting and distributing licensed electronic content, comprising the steps of: registering a user, in a license database, as an owner of a license for an electronic content and as an owner of at least two client systems with the electronic content; wherein the license database contains client system identifications of a plurality of client systems and a list of licensed content associated with each client system, the electronic content comprising one or more of: a digital media file or software;offering the license for sale, by the server, based on instructions from the user;receiving a bid from a buyer, by the server, for purchase of the license;determining, by the server, that the user has accepted the bid from the buyer for the purchase of the license based, at least, on the instructions from the user;responsive to determining that the user has accepted the bid: transferring ownership of the license for the electronic content in the license database from the user to the buyer;instructing the at least two client systems of the user to delete the electronic content; anddelivering the electronic content to the buyer's client system. 51. The program storage medium of claim 50, wherein said delivering step carousels the electronic content in a protected broadcast channel received by the buyer's client system, and wherein the buyer's client system extracts the electronic content from said protected broadcast channel. 52. The program storage medium of claim 50, wherein the steps further comprising validating that the electronic content is licensed to the buyer in the license database for enabling the buyer to retrieve new copies of the electronic content onto a new client system or enabling the buyer's client system to verify that proper electronic content is resident on the buyer's client system. 53. The program storage medium of claim 50, wherein the steps further comprising receiving verification from each client system of the at least two client systems that the electronic has been deleted prior to delivering the electronic content to the buyer's client system. 54. An apparatus for protecting and distributing licensed electronic content, comprising: a license database;a plurality of client systems;a server comprising a processor and licensing subsystem for registering a user, in the license database, as an owner of a license for an electronic content and as an owner of at least two client systems, with the electronic content, of the plurality of client systems; wherein the license database contains client system identifications of a plurality of client systems and a list of licensed content associated with each client system the electronic content comprising one or more of: a digital media file or software;the server configured for: offering the license for sale based on instructions from the user;receiving a bid from a buyer for purchase of the license;determining that the user has accepted the bid from the buyer for the purchase of the license based, at least, on the instructions from the user;responsive to determining that the user has accepted the bid: transferring ownership of the license for the electronic content in the license database from the user to the buyer; andinstructing the at least two client systems of the user to delete the electronic content; anddelivery subsystem configured for delivering the electronic content to the buyer's client system of the plurality of client systems, responsive to determining that the user has accepted the bid. 55. The apparatus of claim 54, wherein said delivery subsystem carousels the electronic content in a protected broadcast channel received by the buyer's client system, and wherein the buyer's client system extracts the electronic content from said protected broadcast channel. 56. The apparatus of claim 54, wherein the licensing subsystem validates that the electronic content is licensed to the buyer in the license database enabling the buyer to retrieve new copies of the electronic content onto a new client system or enabling the buyer's client system to verify that proper content is resident on the buyer's client system. 57. The apparatus of claim 54, wherein the server is configured to receive verification from each client system of the at least two client systems that the electronic content has been deleted prior to the delivery subsystem delivering the electronic content to the buyer's client system. 58. The process of claim 1, further comprising the user's client system deleting the electronic content. 59. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the user's client system is configured for deleting the electronic content. 60. The program storage medium of claim 29, wherein the steps further comprising the user's client system deleting the electronic content.