Music Distribution System

Abstract

Systems for distributing music to a plurality of customers via the Internet provide each customer with a uniquely identified proprietary device for receiving, playing and recording music. A music server computer system is provided for distributing the music to the proprietary devices over the Internet. The system provides for tracking usage of the music on the proprietary devices and reporting the usage data over the Internet to the music server compute system. The system provides for the secure distribution of digital music content over the Internet to consumers in a manner that allows efficient and economical usage of the content by consumers, while providing adequate usage reporting to copyright owners and providing adequate copy protection to prohibit unauthorized usage.

1 . A method of distributing music to a plurality of customers via the Internet, comprising: 
 (a) providing each customer with a uniquely identified proprietary device for receiving, playing and recording music;    (b) providing a music server computer system for distributing the music to the proprietary devices over the Internet; and    (c) tracking usage of the music on the proprietary devices and reporting usage data over the Internet to the music server computer system.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 combining data reported to the music server computer system from a plurality of the proprietary devices in step (c), and collectively reporting to copyright owners on the combined usage of a plurality of customers.    
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein in step (c) the usage data includes data on the recording of the music on a transportable recorded media.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the transportable recorded media is a recordable CD.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 embedding a unique identifier in music distributed to each proprietary device, the unique identifier identifying the specific proprietary device which received the music, so that any subsequent unauthorized copying of the music can be tracked to a responsible party in control of the specific proprietary device.    
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 distributing the music from the music server computer system to the proprietary devices in a format of reduced quality as compared to commercial pre-recorded CDs, so that a music copy recorded by one of the proprietary devices is of a lesser quality than a commercial pre-recorded CD.    
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the format of reduced quality is an .mp3 format.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 using one of the proprietary devices to record the music by recording a copy on a transportable recorded media in a format such that the copy cannot be duplicated in a playable form.    
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the transportable recorded media is a recordable CD.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 preventing access to the music on the music server computer system by unauthorized users who are not using an authorized proprietary device.    
     
     
         11 .- 17 . (canceled)  
     
     
         18 . A method of distributing music to a plurality of customers over the Internet, comprising: 
 (a) providing each customer with a proprietary device for receiving, storing, playing and recording music;    (b) providing a music server computer system for distributing the music to the proprietary devices over the Internet; and    (c) embedding a unique identifier in music stored on each proprietary device, the unique identifier corresponding to the specific proprietary device which stored the music, so that any subsequent unauthorized copying of the recorded music can be tracked to a responsible party in control of the specific proprietary device.    
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein: 
 in step (c), the unique identifier is embedded in the music by the music server computer system prior to distributing the music to each proprietary device.    
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein: 
 in step (c), the unique identifier is embedded into the music by each proprietary device.    
     
     
         21 - 56 . (canceled)