Method for selling content over a network
AssigneeRealNetworks, Inc.
InventorsThomas Nemetz, Andreas Riegler, Andreas Spechtler
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method to generate revenue from supplied content is provided. Content is provided to a consumer via a network by providing a content service that allows the consumer to select and retrieve content as a package together with a clearing of the selectable content to an operator used by the consumer to select and retrieve the content via the network. Any content selected by the consumer is supplied directly to the consumer via the operator. The operator is charged for the supplied content.
Claims31
A method performed by a content service for generating revenue from supplied content without establishing contracts with, or receiving payments from, a plurality of consumers, the content service linking one or more content providers to one or more network operators that use the content service to supply content to the consumers via one or more respective networks, the method comprising:
- using at least one computer to perform the steps of:
- licensing the content from the one or more content providers;
- allowing the consumers to select content available from the one or more content providers;
- directly supplying the selected content to the consumers via the one or more respective networks of the one or more network operators without the content service or the one or more content providers charging the consumers;
- charging the one or more network operators for the content supplied to the consumers through the one or more respective networks;
- and
- forwarding a portion of payments received from the one or more network operators for the supplied content to the content provider that licensed the supplied content to the content service.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.