Systems and methods for selling content over a network

A content service for providing content to a consumer device, comprising:

• a server infrastructure to couple to a content access client over a network implemented by a network operator, the network comprising infrastructure to provide a service to a plurality of consumer devices, the server infrastructure to interface with a content provider having a collection of content, the server infrastructure configured to:
• receive, via the network, content selection information indicating selected content from the collection of content of the content provider, wherein the content selection information is received from the content access client on a consumer device;
• retrieve the selected content from the content provider, according to the received content selection information;
• supply the selected content to the network for transmission to the consumer device, without the content provider directly charging a consumer-user of the consumer device;
• receive payment from the network operator for content transmitted to the consumer device;
• and
• send a portion of the received payment to the content provider.

A system for providing content, comprising:

• a content provider comprising a collection of electronic content for distribution to consumers;
• a content service interfacing with the content provider to retrieve selections of content from the collection of electronic content and to supply the selections of content to a communication network managed by a network operator providing a service to a plurality of consumer devices, the content service configured to:
• receive, via the network, content selection information indicating selected content from the collection of electronic content of the content provider, wherein the content selection information is received from a content access client of a consumer device;
• retrieve the selected content from the content provider, according to the received content selection information;
• supply the selected content to the network for transmission to the consumer device, without the content provider directly charging a consumer-user of the consumer device;
• receive payment from the network operator for content transmitted to the consumer device;
• and
• send a portion of the received payment to the content provider.

A system for providing content, comprising:

• a network managed by a network operator and comprising infrastructure to provide a service to a plurality of consumer devices;
• a content service coupled to the network, the content service to supply, to the network, content of one or more content providers, the content service configured to:
• receive, via the network, content selection information indicating selected content from a collection of content of a content provider, wherein the content selection information is received from a content access client of a consumer device;
• retrieve the selected content from the content provider, according to the received content selection information;
• supply the selected content to the network for transmission to the consumer device, without the content provider directly charging a consumer-user of the consumer device;
• receive payment from the network operator for content transmitted to the consumer device;
• and
• send a portion of the received payment to the content provider.

A method performed by a content service for generating revenue from content supplied by a content provider to a consumer device, comprising:

• using one or more computers to perform the steps of:
• connecting the content service to a network of a network operator, the content service configured to enable consumer access, over the network, to content available from a plurality of content providers;
• providing, to a consumer device connected to the network, a content access client configured to receive a selection of content available from at least one of the plurality of content providers and configured to enable the network operator to charge the consumer for access to the content;
• receiving a selection by a consumer of selected content available from a given content provider of the plurality of content providers via the consumer device;
• providing the network with the selected content to supply to the consumer device, without the given content provider or the content service directly charging the consumer;
• receiving payment from the network operator for the content supplied to the consumer device;
• and
• sending a portion of payments received from the network operator to the given content provider.