System and method for providing access to electronic works

US7376581B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• UNIVERSAL MUSIC GROUP, INC. · US

Inventors

• John William DeRose · San Diego, US
• Alexander van Zoest · San Diego, US
• Matthew John DiMeo · San Diego, US
• Brian Mason Degenhardt · San Diego, US
• Charles Lawrence Sismondo · San Diego, US
• Brian J. Callahan · San Diego, US
• George Matthew Costello · Village of La Jolla, US
• Tristan Anne Barnum · San Diego, US
• James Park · San Diego, US
• Joshua Stephens · San Diego, US
• Michael Oliphant · San Diego, US
• David Story · San Diego, US
• John Knott · San Diego, US
• James Martin Moore · San Diego, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Feb 5, 2002
• Grant date: May 20, 2008
• Expiry date: Feb 5, 2022

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G06Q30/0277
• WIPO field: IT methods for management
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

The present invention is a system and method for providing access to electronic works over a network. In a preferred embodiment, the present invention offers a user access to electronic copies of works, such as songs, albums, movies, or music videos, over a network. The user responds to the offer by requesting to access to a particular work. Before such a request is granted, the present invention may verify that the user is authorized to access to the work. In one embodiment, the user verifies that they are authorized to access an electronic copy of the work by demonstrating that they possess a physical copy of the work. In another embodiment, the user verifies that they are authorized to access an electronic copy of the work by demonstrating that they ordered or purchased a copy of the work. If a user's authorization is verified, the user may then be provided with access to an electronic copy of the work by such techniques as downloading or streaming.