Method and system for managing access to media files

A computer-readable medium having computer-executable components for managing access to selected content stored in media files having different file formats, the computer-executable components comprising:

• a data component configured to store transaction information that identifies users and selected content to which the users have purchased access rights;
• and
• a server component operable to:
• transact a user purchase of access rights to selected content, wherein the purchase of access rights is transacted between a merchant associated with a server executing the server component and a user associated with a client computer, and wherein the access rights authorize the user to acquire multiple copies of the same selected content from a plurality of content providers that operate a plurality of content provider servers wherein the plurality of content providers are different than the merchant and wherein the merchant does not operate the plurality of content provider servers, each of the multiple copies being in a different file format, without requiring the user to conduct multiple transactions to purchase the access rights to the multiple copies of the selected content, and without requiring the user to provide the same selected content to the content providers to receive the same selected content back in the different file formats;
• and
• communicate transaction information associated with the purchase of access rights from the server to one or more content provider servers operated by the plurality of content providers, wherein the transaction information contains information that allows each content provider server to authorize the user to access at least one media file containing the selected content.

A system for managing user access to selected content stored in media files having different file formats, comprising:

• a transaction information database;
• and
• a merchant server, operated by a merchant, in communication with the transaction information database, wherein the merchant server is configured to:
• transact a user purchase of access rights to selected content, wherein the access rights authorize the user to acquire more than one copy of the same selected content, each accessed copy being in a different file format, from more than one content provider, such that the user is not required to conduct multiple transactions to purchase the access rights to each of the copies in the different file formats, and without requiring the user to provide the same selected content to the content providers to receive the same selected content back in the different file formats;
• store transaction information associated with the user purchase of access rights in the transaction information database;
• and
• communicate an authorization signal to one or more content provider servers, wherein the authorization signal contains information that allows each content provider server to authorize the user to access at least one media file containing the selected content,
• wherein the content provider servers are operated by content providers who are different than the merchant operating the merchant server and wherein the merchant does not operate the plurality of content provider servers.