`US010860691B2
`
`c12) United States Patent
`Estes
`
`(IO) Patent No.: US 10,860,691 B2
`(45) Date of Patent:
`*Dec. 8, 2020
`
`(54) DIGITAL MEDIA REPRODUCTION AND
`LICENSING
`
`(71) Applicant: Media Chain LLC, Miami, FL (US)
`
`(58) Field of Classification Search
`CPC combination set(s) only.
`See application file for complete search history.
`
`(72)
`
`Inventor: Christopher A. Estes, Miami, FL (US)
`
`(56)
`
`References Cited
`
`( *) Notice:
`
`Subject to any disclaimer, the term ofthis
`patent is extended or adjusted under 35
`U.S.C. 154(b) by O days.
`
`This patent is subject to a terminal dis(cid:173)
`claimer.
`
`(21) Appl. No.: 16/731,550
`
`(22) Filed:
`
`Dec. 31, 2019
`
`(65)
`
`Prior Publication Data
`
`US 2020/0154169 Al May 14, 2020
`
`(63)
`
`(51)
`
`(52)
`
`Related U.S. Application Data
`
`Continuation of application No. 15/898,978, filed on
`Feb. 19, 2018, now Pat. No. 10,657,226, which is a
`(Continued)
`
`Int. Cl.
`H04N 2114627
`G06F 21110
`G06Q 30102
`G06F 161487
`G06F 16122
`
`(2011.01)
`(2013.01)
`(2012.01)
`(2019.01)
`(2019.01)
`(Continued)
`
`U.S. Cl.
`CPC .............. G06F 21110 (2013.01); G06F 16122
`(2019.01); G06F 161487 (2019.01); G06F
`211105 (2013.01); G06Q 30102 (2013.01);
`G06Q 3010204 (2013.01); H04N 2114402
`(2013.01); H04N 2114532 (2013.01); H04N
`2114627 (2013.01); H04N 2114667 (2013.01);
`G06F 2221/0713 (2013.01); G06Q 50/184
`(2013.01)
`
`U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
`
`6,920,567 Bl*
`
`6,941,275 Bl*
`
`7/2005 Doherty .................. G06F 21/10
`707 /999 .104
`G06Q 30/0623
`705/26.61
`
`9/2005 Swierczek
`
`(Continued)
`
`OTHER PUBLICATIONS
`
`Habermann, Online Video Anaiytics: YouTube Insight-Advanced
`Techniques, May 17, 2000.
`
`Primary Examiner - Lynn D Feild
`Assistant Examiner - Richard A McCoy
`(74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm - The Brickell IP Group,
`PLLC
`
`(57)
`
`ABSTRACT
`
`Systems and methods for monetizing the reproduction of
`digital media content for the rights-holders of the digital
`media content. Embodiments of the present disclosure relate
`to determining whether a user of a media content item has
`a license to reproduce the media content item. In one
`embodiment, the media content item may be reproduced
`when the user is licensed. The user is prompted to select to
`acquire a license to reproduce the media content item or to
`decline the license to reproduce the media content item
`when the user is not licensed. Further embodiments deter(cid:173)
`mine whether a user may receive a license when the user
`wishes to acquire a license. In an embodiment, the user is
`declined a license when not approved for the license.
`
`23 Claims, 7 Drawing Sheets
`
`122
`
`_______ __J
`
`L ,\nolya c,,.,; l - f ·· 124
`I -°""'-min< ~~lal Media L 125
`L
`ln'urrM_tJc.-i ____ i
`
`[ ~ ~ ; ~0· ~ ~ 1 2 e
`
`/ / '"~-----
`
`y
`
`-, _ _ _ __,,_
`
`132
`
`~--'
`J _..,1 30
`<._-~&die> Lice1·,te0~! _ _ R•_~!_i~~_:_rn_
`"',v/
`·N
`
`__ ., ln\fa1iii:• L£011¥iPg l---· 138
`
`Inter/a~
`
`,
`
`I
`
`- --- l
`TrQn<;irnit Uaor
`IOJ;{llificatk.-i Dal~
`
`i42
`
`EX1076
`Roku V. Media Chain
`U.S. Patent No. 10,489,560
`
`
`
`US 10,860,691 B2
`Page 2
`
`Related U.S. Application Data
`
`continuation of application No. 15/659,175, filed on
`Jul. 25, 2017, now Pat. No. 9,898,590, which is a
`continuation of application No. 13/667,629, filed on
`Nov. 2, 2012, now Pat. No. 9,715,581.
`
`(60) Provisional application No. 61/555,810, filed on Nov.
`4, 2011.
`
`(51)
`
`Int. Cl.
`H04N 2114402
`H04N 21145
`H04N 211466
`G06Q 50/18
`
`(2011.01)
`(2011.01)
`(2011.01)
`(2012.01)
`
`(56)
`
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`A61K 36/48
`725/9
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`715/716
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`705/59
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`713/177
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`G06Q 30/02
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`726/27
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`705/1.1
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`705/310
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`G06Q 30/02
`705/14.16
`4/2012 Cohen ..................... H04L 67/06
`715/221
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`705/317
`5/2012 King ....................... H04L 63/20
`705/14.7
`5/2012 Shintani ................. H04N9/641
`705/30
`H04H 60/58
`725/39
`G06Q 50/00
`726/1
`7/2012 Rigby ..................... G06F 21/10
`705/40
`2012/0303490 Al* 11/2012 Hill ......................... G06F 21/10
`705/27.2
`2/2013 Tang ....................... G06F 21/10
`726/30
`G06Q 30/0201
`386/291
`GlOH 1/365
`434/307 A
`G06Q 50/22
`705/2
`2/2015 Kannan .................... G06K9/22
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`
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`
`2015/0040002 Al *
`
`* cited by examiner
`
`
`
`... ,, . .,,, 10
`
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`
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`Ccmtent
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`
`16
`
`FIG. 1
`
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`Processor 86 1 l 7 4 Mass Storage
`
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`- - - - -~ [
`Ucense Database
`I License Record I
`I License Record I
`
`!
`
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`
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`
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`
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`
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`'t: I I "1Llcense Recmdl
`I Digital t•Aedia Catalog Database 82
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`
`Digital Media Fi!e
`
`Digital Media F He
`
`58
`
`FIG. 2
`
`i HM!
`
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`
`100
`
`Receive Media Content
`
`......... 102
`
`+
`t
`
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`
`Determlne Media Content
`Natural Media Flngerprint
`
`Generate fv'!ed!a Record
`
`i
`
`Store fv1edla Record in
`Digital Media Catalog
`Database
`
`FIG. 3
`
`--·--·- 104
`
`"••··- 106
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`-108
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`110
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`Reproduction
`
`i--122
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`t
`
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`
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`
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`!nforrnation
`
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`
`120
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`Reproduction
`
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`
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`Interface
`I
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`Transmit User ~ 140
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`I
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`·
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`FIG. 4
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`
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`
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`Ucensing Request
`
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`Media
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`
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`
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`
`176
`
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`
`FIG* 5
`
`178'·,,.._ --;:_-=-=~~~;es_
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`license Data
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`
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`
`i....--186
`
`FIG. 6
`
`d r.,;_
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`
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`Transaction Records based
`on Transaction Record Field
`
`204
`
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`
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`
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`
`210
`
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`Statlstlcs Report
`
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`Statistics Roport
`
`FIG. 7
`
`200
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`
`
`
`US 10,860,691 B2
`
`1
`DIGITAL MEDIA REPRODUCTION AND
`LICENSING
`
`CROSS-REFERENCE
`
`The present application is a continuation application of
`U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/898,978, filed Feb. 19,
`2018, and claims the benefit of U.S. Pat. No. 9,898,590, filed
`Jul. 25, 2017, and claims the benefit of U.S. Pat. No.
`9,715,581, filed Nov. 2, 2012, and claims the benefit of U.S.
`Provisional Patent Application No. 61/555,810, filed Nov. 4,
`2011, which are incorporated herein by reference in their
`entirety.
`
`TECHNICAL FIELD
`
`Embodiments relate to licensing digital media for repro(cid:173)
`duction, and more specifically to a digital media licensing
`system for licensing and enabling reproduction of digital
`media on a reproduction device.
`
`BACKGROUND
`
`5
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`2
`tion. The digital media file may be analyzed to identify
`digital media information associated with the media content
`item. A license database may be accessed to determine
`whether a user is licensed to reproduce the media content
`item based on the digital media information. The media
`content item may be reproduced when the user is licensed to
`reproduce the media content item based on the digital media
`information. A licensing query may be provided to the user
`when the user is not licensed to reproduce the media content
`10 item to prompt the user to select to acquire a license to
`reproduce the media content item or to decline the license to
`reproduce the media content item.
`In another embodiment, a system provides a media con-
`15 tent licensing and verification system to license media
`content for reproduction. A transceiver may receive a media
`licensing request from an external device associated with a
`user. The media licensing request may include digital media
`information associated with a media content item included
`20 in a digital media file. A processor may access a media
`catalog database that includes a plurality of media content
`records where a media content record from the plurality of
`media content records is associated with the media content
`item. The processor may also determine whether the media
`25 licensing request is to be granted based on the media content
`record stored in the media catalog database that is associated
`with the media content item. The processor may grant the
`media licensing request for the external device when the
`media content record associated with the media content item
`30 verifies the granting of the license for the media content item
`to the external device. The processor may also decline the
`media licensing request for the external device when the
`media content record associated with the media content item
`35 does not verify the granting of the license for the media
`content item to the external device.
`Further embodiments, features, and advantages, as well as
`the structure and operation of the various embodiments, are
`described in detail below with reference to the accompany(cid:173)
`ing drawings.
`
`Conventionally, the distribution of media content, such as
`music, movies, and books for example, is in large part
`controlled by owners who are the rights-holders of the media
`content. In conventional systems, the media content is
`incorporated into a physical media such as a compact disk
`(CD), a digital video disk (DVD), a printed publication,
`and/or any other physical media. In such conventional
`systems, the rights-holders of the media content are able to
`control licensing of the media content, the production of
`physical media copies of the media content, and/or the
`distribution of the media content to customers and/or third
`party retailers and thereby monetize the media content.
`There has been a dramatic shift in the marketplace away
`from media content distributed on physical media to digital
`media content that may be distributed via the internet.
`Conventionally, rights-holders of digital media content have
`significantly less control over the distribution of such digital 40
`media content as compared to the distribution of physical
`media. For example, a party that does not hold rights of the
`digital media content may reproduce the digital media
`content and then distribute the digital media content via the
`internet without the permission of the actual rights-holder of 45
`the digital media content. As a result, the actual-rights holder
`of the digital media content cannot monetize the unauthor(cid:173)
`ized distribution of the digital media content.
`The inability of rights-holders of digital media content to
`monetize the unauthorized distribution of the digital media 50
`content limits the financial gain that rights-holders of the
`digital media content obtain in creating the original digital
`media content. Often times such unauthorized distribution of
`the digital media content prohibits the rights-holders of the
`digital media from covering the costs of creating the original 55
`digital media content which discourages creation of digital
`media content.
`
`BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
`
`Embodiments are described with reference to the accom(cid:173)
`panying drawings. In the drawings, like reference numbers
`may indicate identical or functionally similar elements.
`FIG. 1 illustrates a digital media file licensing and autho(cid:173)
`rized reproduction system, according to an embodiment;
`FIG. 2 illustrates a second digital media file licensing and
`authorized reproduction system, according to an embodi(cid:173)
`ment;
`FIG. 3 illustrates a flowchart illustrating an exemplary
`aspect of operation for the media content licensing and
`verification system to analyze a received catalog of media
`content and manage the catalog of media content, according
`to an embodiment;
`FIG. 4 illustrates a flowchart illustrating an exemplary
`aspect of operation for the external multimedia hardware
`device, according to an embodiment;
`FIG. 5 illustrates a flowchart illustrating an exemplary
`aspect of operation for the media content licensing and
`verification system to receive a payment for a license to
`reproduce a digital media file, according to an embodiment;
`FIG. 6 illustrates a flow chart illustrating an exemplary
`65 aspect of operation for the media content licensing and
`verification system to receive licensing information from a
`third party media retailer, according to an embodiment; and
`
`60
`
`BRIEF SUMMARY
`
`Embodiments relate to monetizing the reproduction of
`digital media content for the rights-holder of the digital
`media content. In an embodiment, a computer implemented
`method provides a multimedia hardware device a capability
`to generate an authorized reproduction of a media content
`item included in a digital media file. A digital media file that
`includes a media content item may be loaded for reproduc-
`
`
`
`US 10,860,691 B2
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`3
`FIG. 7 illustrates a flow chart illustrating an exemplary
`aspect of operation for the media content licensing and
`verification system to receive a third-party request for
`licensing statistics.
`
`DETAILED DESCRIPTION
`
`The digital media file licensing and authorized reproduc(cid:173)
`tion system provides a capability to ensure that a user
`possesses a license to reproduce a digital media file and if
`the user does not have a license, providing to the user the
`option to obtain such a license. In the Detailed Description
`herein, references to "one embodiment", "an embodiment",
`an "example embodiment", etc., indicate that the embodi(cid:173)
`ment described may include a particular feature, structure, or
`characteristic, by every embodiment may not necessarily
`include the particular feature, structure, or characteristic.
`Moreover, such phrases are not necessarily referring to the
`same embodiment. Further, when a particular feature, struc(cid:173)
`ture, or characteristic may be described in connection with 20
`an embodiment, it may be submitted that it may be within
`the knowledge of one skilled in the art to effect such feature,
`structure, or characteristic in connection with other embodi(cid:173)
`ments whether or not explicitly described.
`Overview
`FIG. 1 illustrates a digital media file licensing and autho(cid:173)
`rized reproduction system 30 in which embodiments or
`portions thereof, may be implemented. Digital media file
`licensing and authorized reproduction system 30 includes an
`external multimedia hardware device 10, a network 12, a 30
`media content licensing and verification system 16, a media
`content rights-holders system 18, a third party online media
`retailers system 20, and a hardware device manufacturers
`system 22.
`System 30 may monetize the reproduction of a media 35
`content item included within a digital media file. Reproduc(cid:173)
`tion of a media content item may include reproducing sound
`from a digital audio file, reproducing video from a digital
`video file, reproducing text from a digital text file, and/or
`any other reproduction of a digital media file that will be 40
`apparent to those skilled in the relevant art(s) without
`departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure.
`Reproduction may be defined as a first use by a user of the
`media content item. For example, reproduction of the media
`content item may include when a user first accesses a media 45
`content item where the user obtained the media content item
`from an outside source, such as but not limited to a third
`party online media distributor. Reproduction may also be
`defined as further distribution of the media content item by
`the user after the user has initially accessed the media 50
`content item. For example, reproduction of the media con(cid:173)
`tent item may include when the user distributes the media
`content item to other parties after the user has obtained the
`media content item from the third party online media
`distributor.
`A digital media file may represent a MPEG Layer 3 (MP3)
`file, a RealAudio (RA) file, a raw sample (RAW) file, a
`Microsoft wave (WAY) file, a Windows Media Audio
`(WMA) file, and/or any other suitable digital media file that
`will be apparent to those skilled in the relevant art(s) without 60
`departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. The
`media content item may include any portion of data included
`in the digital media file. A user of external multimedia
`hardware device 10 may reproduce the media content item
`with external multimedia hardware device 10. Device 10 65
`may represent a smart phone, a smart tablet, a mobile
`telephone, a television, an audio system, a personal music
`
`4
`player, a portable computing device, other computing
`devices such as a personal computer, a laptop, or a desktop
`computer, computer peripheral such as a printer, a portable
`audio/or a video player, and/or any other suitable electronic
`5 device that can reproduce a media content item that will be
`apparent to those skilled in the relevant art(s) without
`departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure.
`However, the user may not have a license that authorizes
`the user to reproduce the media content item. The digital
`10 media file including the media content item may have been
`procured from various sources that are not licensed to
`reproduce the media content item and do not collect licens(cid:173)
`ing fees for use of the media content item. As such, when the
`user loads the digital media file for reproduction, device 10
`15 may analyze the digital media file to determine the media
`content item included in the file and determine whether the
`user of device 10 is authorized. For example, the device may
`analyze a digital music file to identify the song and artist of
`the media content item that may be a track included in the
`digital music file. The user may be authorized when the user
`has a license to load and/or reproduce a media content item
`included in the digital media file.
`In an embodiment, device 10 may analyze a plurality of
`identifying characteristics associated with the media content
`25 item to identify the media content item and to determine
`whether the user of device 10 is authorized. The plurality of
`identifying characteristics may be an identifying character(cid:173)
`istic associated with the media content item inherently
`present in the media content item such that the media content
`item is not remastered to include the identifying character(cid:173)
`istic after the media content item is initially recorded. The
`plurality of identifying characteristics can represent a fin(cid:173)
`gerprint, digital watermarking, and/or any other suitable
`algorithm to identify copyright ownership of the media
`content item included in the digital media file that will be
`apparent to those skilled in the relevant art(s) without
`departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. In an
`embodiment, device 10 may analyze metadata included in
`the loaded digital media file to identify the media content
`item included in the digital media file.
`System 30 may query a license database locally and/or
`remotely located to system 30 to determine whether the user
`of device 10 has the appropriate license for the media
`content item. Device 10 may refuse to play the digital media
`file and query the user to determine whether the user wishes
`to purchase the appropriate license when the user does not
`have the appropriate license.
`Device 10 may communicate with media content licens(cid:173)
`ing and verification system 16 over network 12 and transmit
`the fingerprint of the media content item to media content
`licensing and verification system 16 when the user selects to
`purchase the appropriate license. Licensing system 16 may
`identify the media content item based on the received
`fingerprint. Licensing system 16 may transmit back to
`55 device 10 the title and/or other information associated with
`the identified media content item and request the user to
`confirm purchase of the license. The user may interface with
`device 10 to conduct the licensing transaction with licensing
`system 16, and after purchasing the license, licensing system
`16 may transmit a license to device 10. After receiving the
`license from licensing system 16, device 10 may commence
`reproduction of the media content item. Moreover, licensing
`system 16 may store a record of the transaction for statistical
`purposes, and/or store a copy of the license in a database
`under a user record associated with the user of device 10.
`Device 10 and licensing system 16 may provide data
`associated with the use of the media content item to media
`
`
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`US 10,860,691 B2
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`5
`content rights-holders system 18 over network 12. Rights(cid:173)
`holders system 18 may be accessed by an owner of a
`copyright for the media content item. For example, device
`10 and licensing system 16 may provide data to rights(cid:173)
`holders system 18 that includes the user who is accessing the 5
`media content item, the geographic location of the user who
`is accessing the media content item, other media content
`items that the user may be accessing, the quantity of times
`the media content item is accessed, and/or any other data
`associated with the use of the media content item that will 10
`be apparent to those skilled in the relevant art(s) without
`departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure.
`The data provided by device 10 and licensing system 16
`to rights-holders system 18 for the media content item may
`be used by the copyright owner to develop future licensing 15
`agreements that may be provided to the user of device 10 by
`licensing system 16 for future use of the media content item.
`Payments for the license to use the media content item may
`be received from the user via device 10 and licensing system
`16. Payments may also be distributed to the copyright owner 20
`via rights-holders system 18.
`Device 10 and licensing system 16 may also provide data
`associated with the use of the media content item to third
`party online media retailers system 20. The data provided to
`retailers system 20 may be similar to the data provided to 25
`rights-holders system 18. However, retailers system 20 may
`be accessed by third party online media retailers who have
`been selected by the copyright owner of the media content
`item to distribute the media content item via the Internet.
`The data provided by device 10 and licensing system 16 30
`to retailers system 20 for the media content item may be
`used by the third party online retailers to develop future
`pricing for their online media content item distribution
`including which media content items to distribute in the
`future. The data provided to retailers system 20 may also be 35
`used to help third party online media retailers target the
`marketing of the media content item to demographics that
`have shown a trend of interest in the media content item.
`Payments for the distribution of the media content item by
`the third party on line media retailer may be received from 40
`the user via device 10 and licensing system 16. Payments
`may also be distributed to the third party online media
`retailer via retailers system 20.
`Device 10 and licensing system 16 may also provide data
`associated with the use of the media content item to hard- 45
`ware device manufactures system 22. The data provided to
`manufactures system 22 may be similar to the data provided
`to rights-holders system 18 and retailer system 20. However,
`manufactures system 22 may be accessed by hardware
`device manufacturers who manufacture the hardware that
`may be implemented in device 10 that provides device 10
`with the capabilities to limit reproduction of the media
`content item to when the user has a license to reproduce the
`media content item. Payments for use of the hardware
`provided by the hardware device manufacturers imple(cid:173)
`mented in device 10 by the user of device 10 may also be
`distributed to the hardware device manufacturer via manu(cid:173)
`facturers system 20.
`Device 10 may be configured to connect to network 12.
`Network 12 may include one or more networks, such as the
`Internet. In some examples, network 12 may include one or
`more network technologies such as Ethernet, Fast Ethernet,
`Gigabit Ethernet, a variant of the IEEE 802.11 standard such
`as WiFi, and the like. Communication over network 12 takes
`place using one or more network communication protocols
`including reliable streaming protocols such as transmission
`control protocol (TCP). These examples are illustrative and
`
`6
`not intended to limit the present disclosure. As shown in
`FIG. 1, device 10 may engage in communication with
`network 12 via connection 14, where connection 14 may be
`a wireless, wired, a secured communication connection, any
`combination thereof, and/or any other communication con(cid:173)
`nection that will be apparent to those skilled in the relevant
`art(s) without departing from the spirit and scope of the
`disclosure.
`Licensing system 16 may be configured to engage in
`communication with network 12. As such, device 10 may
`communicate with licensing system 16 via network 12.
`Additionally, rights-holders system 18, retailers system 20,
`and/or manufacturers system 22 may also communicate with
`licensing system 16 and device 10 via network 12. Licensing
`system 16, rights-holders system 18, retailers system 20,
`and/or manufacturers system 22 may engage in communi(cid:173)
`cation with network 12 via a communication connection
`similar to connection 14.
`Device 10, licensing system 16, rights-holders system 18,
`retailers system 20, and/or manufacturers system 22 may
`have a cloud computing configuration. Device 10, licensing
`system 16, rights-holders system 18, retailers system 20,
`and/or manufacturers system 22 may share resources via
`network 12. For example, device 10 may retrieve licen