Back to results
US 8,412,635 B2Granted
Methods and apparatus for electronic file playback
AssigneeCfph, LLC
InventorsHoward Lutnick, Dean P. Alderucci
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods and apparatus are disclosed for facilitating online storage of files (e.g., audio tracks, video, etc.) for playback/access or sale/exchange by the owners of the files without violating copyrights that copyright holders have in the files. For example, by providing a playback service that does not store additional versions of an audio file when the file is transmitted to, and immediately played on, a user device without buffering, the present invention avoids violating copyright laws by not making copies of the file. Numerous other aspects are disclosed.
Claims27
An apparatus, comprising:
- memory, the memory storing software that, when executed, causes the apparatus to:
- communicate with a playback service;
- receive, from the playback service, a play list of a user, in which the play list identifies a plurality of audio files available from the playback service to playback on the apparatus;
- allow the user to select an audio file from the plurality of audio files identified by the play list;
- send, to the playback service, a request to playback the audio file of the plurality of audio files;
- receive, from the playback service, at least a portion of the audio file;
- play the at least a portion of the audio file;
- and
- after playing the at least a portion of the audio file, verify that the audio file is not stored in the memory by searching the apparatus.
6 more elements
A method, comprising:
- receiving, at a computing device, from a playback service, a play list of a user, in which the play list identifies a plurality of audio files available from the playback service to playback on the playback device, in which the computing device comprises a memory;
- allowing the user to select an audio file from the plurality of audio files identified by the play list;
- sending, from the computing device to the playback service, a request to playback the audio file of the plurality of audio files;
- receiving, at the computing device, from the playback service, at least a portion of the audio file;
- playing, by the computing device, the at least a portion of the audio file;
- and
- after playing the at least a portion of the audio file, verifying, by the computing device, that the audio file is not stored in the memory by searching the computing device.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.