Techniques for Correlating Events to Digital Media Assets

Abstract

Improved approaches to intelligently refer users of one online media store to another online store are disclosed. The inter-store referral can permit a user of an online media store, such as an online media store that offers digital media assets for purchase, to easily access related information, such as event information, from another online store. According to another aspect, improved approaches to access and present event information are disclosed.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for informing a user of related information, said method comprising:
 (a) receiving a request for media item information from an online media store;   (b) determining whether there is available related information at a partner online store that is related to the media item information; and   (c) responding, if it is determined that there is available related information at a partner online store, to the request with a response that includes at least the media item information as well as the available related information or an indication thereto.   
     
     
         2 . A method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said method further comprises:
 (d) responding, if it is determined that there is no available related information at a partner online store, to the request with a response that includes at least the media item information and does not include the available related information or the indication thereto.   
     
     
         3 . A method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the indication to the available related information is a hyperlink. 
     
     
         4 . A method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the response includes the media item information as well as the indication to the available related information. 
     
     
         5 . A method as recited in  claim 4 , wherein said determining (b) comprises:
 (b1) determining an artist associated with the media item information being requested; and   (b2) determining, based on the determined artist, whether the partner online store has available related information that is related to the media item information.   
     
     
         6 . A method as recited in  claim 5 , wherein the partner online store is provided by a business partner, and
 wherein said determining (d2) comprises examining a data file provided by the partner that specifies artists that the partner online store has available related information therefor.   
     
     
         7 . A method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the requested media item information concerns a song or collection of songs available for purchase on the online media store. 
     
     
         8 . A method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the available related information pertains to an event. 
     
     
         9 . A computer readable medium including executable computer program code tangibly stored therein for informing a user of related information, said computer readable medium comprising:
 computer program code for receiving a request for media item information from an online media store;   computer program code for determining whether there is available related information at a partner online store that is related to the media item information; and   computer program code for responding, if the computer program code for determining determines that there is available related information at a partner online store, to the request with a response that includes at least the media item information as well as the available related information or an indication thereto.   
     
     
         10 . A computer readable medium as recited in  claim 9 , wherein said method further comprises:
 computer program code for responding, if the computer program code for determining determines that there is no available related information at a partner online store, to the request with a response that includes at least the media item information and does not include the available related information or the indication thereto.   
     
     
         11 . A computer readable medium as recited in  claim 9 , wherein the indication to the available related information is a hyperlink. 
     
     
         12 . A computer readable medium as recited in  claim 9 , wherein said computer program code for determining comprises:
 computer program code for determining an artist associated with the media item information being requested; and   computer program code for determining, based on the determined artist, whether the partner online store has available related information that is related to the media item information.   
     
     
         13 . A computer readable medium as recited in  claim 12 , wherein the partner online store is provided by a business partner, and
 wherein said computer program code for determining comprises computer program code for examining a data file provided by the partner that specifies artists that the partner online store has available related information therefor.   
     
     
         14 . A computer readable medium as recited in  claim 9 , wherein the requested media item information concerns a song or collection of songs available for purchase on the online media store. 
     
     
         15 . A computer readable medium as recited in  claim 9 , wherein the available related information pertains to an event. 
     
     
         16 . A system for informing a user of related information, said system comprising:
 a computing device capable of executing computer program code for informing a user of related information, the computer program code including at least:
 computer program code for receiving a request for media item information from an online media store; 
 computer program code for determining whether there is available related information at a partner online store that is related to the media item information; and 
 computer program code for responding, if the computer program code for determining determines that there is available related information at a partner online store, to the request with a response that includes at least the media item information as well as the available related information or an indication thereto. 
   
     
     
         17 . A computer readable medium as recited in  claim 16 , wherein said computer program code for determining comprises:
 computer program code for determining an artist associated with the media item information being requested; and   computer program code for determining, based on the determined artist, whether the partner online store has available related information that is related to the media item information.   
     
     
         18 . A computer readable medium as recited in  claim 17 , wherein the partner online store is provided by a business partner, and
 wherein said computer program code for determining comprises computer program code for examining a data file provided by the partner that specifies artists that the partner online store has available related information therefor.   
     
     
         19 . A computer readable medium as recited in  claim 16 ,
 wherein the indication to the available related information is a hyperlink,   wherein the response includes the media item information as well as the indication to the available related information, and   wherein the available related information pertains to an event.