Systems and methods for supporting user generated advertising transactions in a video service provider environment

A system for placing an ad with a video service provider comprising:

• an interface to a communications network, said interface capable of receiving a first digital video file from a first user and a second digital video file from a second user, wherein said second digital video file comprises at least a portion of said first digital video file;
• a memory configured to store:
• a) said first file received from said first user,
• b) said second digital video file received from said second user;
• and
• a processor configured to:
• a) receive said first digital video file from said first user,
• b) provide said second user with a plurality of thumbnail images representing a plurality of digital video files, wherein one of said thumbnail images corresponds to said first digital video file,
• c) receive an indication from said second user indicating a purchase request of said first digital video file,
• d) making said second digital video file accessible to said second user for subsequent viewing and inaccessible to said first user for subsequent viewing,
• e) receiving from said second user a second digital video file,
• f) receiving a request from said second user to place said second digital video file as an advertisement,
• g) converting said second digital video file into an ad asset, said ad asset comprising an encoding format compatible with an ad management system of said video service provider,
• h) receiving at said processor from said second user ad campaign data indicating attributes of an ad campaign, said ad campaign data comprising:
• i. a starting date and ending date of said ad campaign,
• ii. an identifier of said ad asset associated with said ad campaign,
• iii. a value corresponding to an aggregate ad placement time, and
• iv. a site location identifier identifying a location of said video service provider where said ad is to be streamed,
• wherein said processor is further configured to transmit said ad asset and said ad campaign data to said ad management system of said video service provider.

A method performed by a data processing system comprising a processor for placing an ad requested by a user with a video service provider in conjunction with one or more on-demand programs requested by video subscribers of the video service provider, said method comprising the steps of:

• receiving a first digital video file over the Internet at a web site hosted by said data processing system from said user, said digital video file representing said ad to be placed by said user;
• storing said first digital video file in a memory of said data processing system;
• using said first digital video file by said data processing system to generate an ad asset, said ad asset comprising a second digital video file and metadata wherein said second digital video file conforms to an encoding format compatible with an ad management system of said video service provider and said meta data reflects said encoding format, said second digital video file stored in said memory;
• receiving at said data processing system from said user ad campaign data indicating attributes of an ad campaign, said ad campaign data comprising:
• an indication that ad campaign is associated with one or more on-demand programs provided by said video service provider,
• a starting date and ending date of said ad campaign,
• an identifier of said ad asset associated with said ad campaign,
• a value indicating an aggregate ad placement time,
• a site location identifier indentifying a location of said video service provider comprising a video distribution network over which said ad is to be streamed;
• and
• transmitting said ad asset and said ad campaign data over an interface of said data processing system to said video service provider capable of providing said one or more on-demand programs.