Method and apparatus for offering digital content for sale over a communications network

Abstract

Content in digital form like pictures, music files, videos, software etc. from a plurality of content providers ( 110 ) is sold to a plurality of users ( 130 ) over a communication network like the internet. The content provider submits to a service provider ( 100 ) information about the content to be sold and the service provider provides controlled user access to the content for sale under the conditions defined by the information submitted by the content provider. Purchase data about sold items are stored and the user authentification and payment process for all content providers is carried out centrally through a payment system ( 120 ) thus offering low transaction costs.

1 . A method of offering digital content for sale over a communication network, comprising: 
 receiving from a plurality of registered content providers ( 110 ) sales information about content which the content providers intend to offer for sale,    providing, through a service provider ( 100 ) and an electronic payment system, controlled user access to the content for sale over the communications network under conditions defined by the sales information from the content provider,    detecting and storing purchase data about content purchased by a user, and    distributing sales revenues among the plurality of content providers based on the purchase data.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising a content provider registration process including assigning the content provider a user name and password for enabling content transfer from the content provider to the service provider.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  further comprising a content provider deregistration process restoring the original state of the file system of the content provider.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising a content designation process for designating content for sale over the internet, the content designation process including: 
 scanning a web site of the content provider,  
 displaying content files found during scanning, and  
 selecting content files for sale.  
 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4  wherein the content designation process includes analyzing and displaying the different file types included in the web site of the content provider.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4  wherein the content designation process includes analyzing and displaying for selection the directories of the web site of the content provider where content for sale is stored.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 4  wherein the content designation process includes identifying the catalogue file where the content for sale is linked to.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 4  wherein the content designation process includes inputting sales information in a table format.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 4  wherein the content designation process includes inputting sales information as a text document.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 4  wherein the content designation process comprises displaying a user interface for entering sales information about the content for sale.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the sales information includes a time period for sale and a sales price.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the sales information includes additional comments about the content on sale.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising a content setup process including moving designated content on a web site of the content provider to a protected area ( 106 ) and replacing the content files on the content provider web site by dummy files having the same file name.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the content setup process comprises providing a link from the service provider ( 100 ) to the content file in the protected area enabling user access to the designated content after user authentification.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  wherein the user authentification is carried out through an electronic payment system.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the content setup process comprises an automatic consistency checking procedure of the designated content.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 13  further comprising an automatic content update process automatically replacing content files in the protected area by the corresponding files from the content provider if the content files of the content provider have a younger time stamp.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17  wherein the update process comprises replacing an incomplete content file in the protected area by the complete file including the designated content if the same is available at the content provider.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising a reporting process sending information about sold content from the service provider to the content provider based on the stored purchase data.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the service provider is a web hosting service provider.  
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the digital content includes pictures, music (MP3 files), software, moving pictures, text information, technical advice and/or addresses.  
     
     
         22 . A computer system for offering content for sale over a computer network comprising: 
 a content provider interface ( 101 ) for receiving from a plurality of registered content providers ( 110 ) sales information about a content which the content providers intend to offer for sale,    a storage unit ( 104 ) for storing the received content for sale,    a user interface ( 102 ), for providing, through an electronic payment system ( 120 ) controlled user access to the stored content for sale over the communications network under conditions defined by the sales information from the consent provider,    a further storage unit ( 104 ) for storing purchase data about content purchased by a user, and    a processing unit ( 107 ) for distributing the sales revenues among the plurality of content providers based on the purchase data.    
     
     
         23 . The computer system of  claim 22  wherein the content provider interface is adapted for displaying on a display unit a predetermined display document for entering content sales information by the content provider ( 110 ).  
     
     
         24 . The computer system of  claim 23  wherein the content sales information includes a period of sale and a sales price.  
     
     
         25 . The computer system of  claim 23  wherein the content sales information includes text data containing information about a particular item of a content on sale.  
     
     
         26 . The computer system of  claim 22  wherein the content provider interface ( 101 ) is adapted for scanning a web site of the content provider, displaying available content files, their file types and the directories in which they are stored.  
     
     
         27 . The computer system of  claim 22  wherein the content provider interface is adapted for transferring content sales information from the content provider to the service provider as a table or a text document.  
     
     
         28 . The computer system of one claims  22  wherein the storage unit ( 104 ) comprises a protected area ( 106 ) allowing a user access to the content after completing a payment transaction.  
     
     
         29 . The computer system of  claim 28  wherein the electronic payment system ( 120 ) is adapted for carrying out the payment transaction.  
     
     
         30 . The computer system of  claim 22  comprising means for automatically replacing content files on sale by the corresponding updated content files of the content provider.  
     
     
         31 . The computer system of  claim 22  comprising processing means ( 107 ) for calculating the sales revenues generated by every item of the content on sale.  
     
     
         32 . The computer system of  claim 22  comprising means for restoring the original state of a file system of a content provider.  
     
     
         33 . The computer system of  claim 22  wherein the digital content includes pictures, music (MP3 files), software, moving pictures, text information, technical advice and contact addresses.  
     
     
         34 . A computer program product comprising executable code for: 
 receiving from a plurality of registered content providers ( 110 ) sales information about content which the content providers intend to offer for sale,    providing, through a service provider ( 100 ) and an electronic payment system ( 120 ), controlled user access to the content for sale over the communications network under conditions defined by the sales information from the content provider,    detecting and storing purchase data about content purchased by a user, and    distributing sales revenues among the plurality of content providers based on the purchase data.    
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 4  further comprising a content provider deregistration process restoring the original state of the file system of the content provider.  
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 13  further comprising a content provider deregistration process restoring the original state of the file system of the content provider.  
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 19  further comprising a content provider deregistration process restoring the original state of the file system of the content provider.  
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 2  further comprising a content designation process for designating content for sale over the internet, the content designation process including: 
 scanning a web site of the content provider,  
 displaying content files found during scanning, and  
 selecting content files for sale.  
 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 5  wherein the content designation process includes analyzing and displaying for selection the directories of the web site of the content provider where content for sale is stored.  
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 4  further comprising a content setup process including moving designated content on a web site of the content provider to a protected area ( 106 ) and replacing the content files on the content provider web site by dummy files having the same file name.  
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 6  further comprising a content setup process including moving designated content on a web site of the content provider to a protected area ( 106 ) and replacing the content files on the content provider web site by dummy files having the same file name.  
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 40  wherein the content setup process comprises providing a link from the service provider ( 100 ) to the content file in the protected area enabling user access to the designated content after user authentification.  
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 41  wherein the content setup process comprises providing a link from the service provider ( 100 ) to the content file in the protected area enabling user access to the designated content after user authentification.  
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 14  further comprising an automatic content update process automatically replacing content files in the protected area by the corresponding files from the content provider if the content files of the content provider have a younger time stamp.  
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 17  further comprising a reporting process sending information about sold content from the service provider to the content provider based on the stored purchase data.  
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 4  wherein the digital content includes pictures, music (MP3 files), software, moving pictures, text information, technical advice and/or addresses.  
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the digital content includes pictures, music (MP3 files), software, moving pictures, text information, technical advice and/or addresses.  
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 19  wherein the digital content includes pictures, music (MP3 files), software, moving pictures, text information, technical advice and/or addresses.  
     
     
         49 . The computer system of  claim 26  wherein the content provider interface is adapted for transferring content sales information from the content provider to the service provider as a table or a text document.  
     
     
         50 . The computer system of one claims  27  wherein the storage unit ( 104 ) comprises a protected area ( 106 ) allowing a user access to the content after completing a payment transaction.  
     
     
         51 . The computer system of  claim 29  comprising means for automatically replacing content files on sale by the corresponding updated content files of the content provider.  
     
     
         52 . The computer system of  claim 30  comprising processing means ( 107 ) for calculating the sales revenues generated by every item of the content on sale.  
     
     
         53 . The computer system of  claim 31  comprising means for restoring the original state of a file system of a content provider.  
     
     
         54 . The computer system of  claim 31  wherein the digital content includes pictures, music (MP3 files), software, moving pictures, text information, technical advice and contact addresses.