U.S. patent application number 12/387084 was filed with the patent office on 2009-08-27 for network affinity-group commerce method involving system management fulfilment.
Invention is credited to Jon M. Dickinson, Robert D. Summer.
Application Number | 20090216644 12/387084 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 35515133 |
Filed Date | 2009-08-27 |
United States Patent
Application |
20090216644 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Summer; Robert D. ; et
al. |
August 27, 2009 |
Network affinity-group commerce method involving system management
fulfilment
Abstract
An electronic, computer-based, system-manager-supervised,
network-commerce, method featuring cloud-computing-type activity,
and including (a) forming within an electronic-network a
subassembly of selected, distributed, different-affinity-interest,
network-connected groups, (b) creating, selectively and
distributively within the network, for such groups, selected,
controlled-access, physical-electronic, digital-database catalogues
of relevant, affinity-interest deliverables via selecting providers
of such deliverables, and managing the electronic placement into
the catalogues of chosen, selected-provider deliverables, (c)
establishing, for and within each such group, vetted and
incentivized, group-personnel entrepreneurial activity, wherein at
least one so vetted group member is authorized to promote over the
network, sales from a relevant catalogue of associated-provider
deliverables, and (d) in association with such sales, and utilizing
network resources, furnishing ancillary, commerce-related sales
support of a character which is common to at least plural ones of
such selected affinity-interest groups, but independent of
group-specific affinity-interest subject matter.
Inventors: |
Summer; Robert D.; (New
York, NY) ; Dickinson; Jon M.; (Portland,
OR) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Jon M. Dickinson, P.C.
8015 SE 31st Avenue
Portland
OR
97202
US
|
Family ID: |
35515133 |
Appl. No.: |
12/387084 |
Filed: |
April 27, 2009 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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11174023 |
Jul 1, 2005 |
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12387084 |
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60585491 |
Jul 2, 2004 |
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60585492 |
Jul 2, 2004 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
705/14.73 ;
705/26.1; 707/999.104; 707/999.107 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06Q 40/00 20130101;
G06Q 30/0277 20130101; G06Q 99/00 20130101; G06Q 30/0601 20130101;
G06Q 30/0269 20130101; G06Q 30/0225 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
705/14 ; 705/27;
707/104.1 |
International
Class: |
G06Q 30/00 20060101
G06Q030/00; G06Q 50/00 20060101 G06Q050/00; G06F 17/30 20060101
G06F017/30 |
Claims
1. An electronic, computer-based, network-commerce methodology
employing the structure of an electronic-information communication
and exchange network, wherein purchasable deliverables are
transformably represented for suitable display and purchase by the
storage and flow of electronic data, and involving
sourcing-provider vetted, authorized and incentivized selected-peer
entrepreneurship, said method, under the step supervision of a
system manager, comprising choosing, as desired, within such a
network, an electronic-network subassembly of selected P2P network
groups, characterized with peers having respective, different
affinity interests in defined, different,
affinity-interest-associated subject matters, creating in
network-connected computer structure, for each such P2P group, a
limited-access, digital-data catalogue of relevant,
affinity-interest and ancillary-subject-matter deliverables via
selecting providers of such deliverables, and managing the
electronic placement of chosen, selected-provider deliverables
into, and storage within, the catalogue, in the form of
representative electronic data, electronically limiting access to
subject matter represented by data stored in the created catalogues
to only (a) an appropriately, entrepreneurially vetted peer, and
(b) another party to whom such access is furnished specifically,
and only, by such a vetted peer, establishing, for and within each
such P2P group, sourcing-provider entrepreneurially vetted and
incentivized, P2P entrepreneurial activity, wherein at least one so
vetted peer is authorized to promote to others, over the network,
sales from the relevant catalogue of associated-provider
deliverables, and in association with electronically effected sales
promoted by such entrepreneurial activity, furnishing ancillary,
commerce-related sales support of a character which is common to at
least plural ones of such selected P2P groups, but independent of
group-specific affinity-interest subject matter.
2. The methodology of claim 1, wherein said furnishing of sales
support comprises providing sales fulfillment, including
aggregation-type fulfillment.
3. The methodology of claim 1, wherein said creating and managing
are associated with electronically representational placement into
the catalogue of digital-data-format deliverables.
4. An electronic, computer-based, network-commerce methodology
comprising, under the supervision of a system manager, the steps of
selecting a P2P group having an association with a particular,
affinity-interest subject matter, creating, in network-connected
computer structure, for the selected group, a controlled-access
physical-electronic, digital catalogue of relevant,
affinity-interest deliverables via selecting providers of such
deliverables, and managing the electronic placement of chosen,
selected-provider deliverables into, and storage within, the
catalogue, in the form of representative electronic data,
establishing, for and within the selected group, entrepreneurially
vetted and incentivized, P2P activity, wherein at least one so
vetted peer is authorized to promote to others, over the network,
sales from the relevant catalogue of associated-provider
deliverables, and in association with sales promoted by such
entrepreneurial activity, furnishing ancillary, commerce-related
sales support of a character which is independent of the
group-specific affinity-interest subject matter.
5. The methodology of claim 4, wherein said furnishing of sales
support comprises providing sales fulfillment, including
aggregation-type fulfillment.
6. The methodology of claim 4, wherein said creating and managing
are associated with placement into the catalogue of
digital-data-format deliverables.
7. An electronic, computer-based, network-commerce,
cloud-computing-type methodology comprising, under the step
supervision of a system manager, the steps of choosing within such
a network, as desired, an electronic-network subassembly of
selected, distributed, different-affinity-interest,
computer-network-connected groups, creating selectively and
distributively within the network, for such groups, selected,
controlled-access, physical-electronic, digital-database catalogues
of relevant, affinity-interest deliverables via selecting providers
of such deliverables, and managing the electronic placement of
chosen, selected-provider deliverables into, and storage within,
the catalogue, in the form of representative electronic data,
establishing, for and within each such affinity-interest group,
entrepreneurially vetted and incentivized, group-personnel
entrepreneurial activity, wherein at least one so vetted group
member is authorized to promote over the network, sales from a
relevant catalogue of associated-provider deliverables, and in
association with sales promoted by such entrepreneurial activity,
and utilizing network-available computer resources, furnishing
ancillary, commerce-related sales support of a character which is
common to at least plural ones of such selected affinity-interest
groups, but independent of group-specific affinity-interest subject
matter.
8. The methodology of claim 7, wherein said furnishing of sales
support comprises providing sales fulfillment, including
aggregation-type fulfillment.
9. The methodology of claim 7, wherein said creating and managing
are associated with placement into the catalogues of
digital-data-format deliverables.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation from U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 11/174,023, filed Jul. 1, 2005, for
"Peer-to-Peer-Group Commerce Method and System" which application
claims priority to prior-filed, then co-pending U.S. Provisional
Patent Application Ser. Nos. 60/585,491, filed Jul. 2, 2004, for
"P2P Information-Exchange, Collateral-Transaction-Promoting,
Business Method", and 60/585,492, filed Jul. 2, 2004, for
"Peer-to-Peer Affinity-Group Communication Commerce Method and
System". The entireties of the disclosure contents of these three
applications are hereby incorporated herein by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] This invention pertains to network computer-implemented
methodology for enhancing computer-network commerce, such as
Internet commerce, associated illustratively with the widespread
and significant affinity-interest practice known as peer-to-peer
(P2P) network file sharing, and in particular, to associated,
commercial-fulfillment management methodology implemented under the
control and/or assistance, including management assistance
regarding various deliverables-purchases fulfillment, of a system
manager utilizing the extensive and rapidly expanding bandwidth of
affinity-interest network commerce, such as, for example, that
associated with peer-to-peer network file sharing. The invention
especially focuses on computer support of such methodology as it
relates to the unique, commerce-spurring use of digital media files
as a powerful vehicle for enhancing and growing areas of commerce
in deliverables which are both related to, and unrelated to, the
specific subject area, or areas, of interest (typically music
and/or movie files) of particular affinity-interest groups, such as
P2P file-sharing peer groups. With respect to such peer and other
groups, the term "affinity" is employed herein to identify the fact
that there is typically a particular subject matter on which such
as group focuses attention. This subject matter is also referred to
herein as affinity-interest subject matter.
[0003] System management in this context of purchasable
deliverables includes, of course, all sales-support, including
ancillary-support management functions that are normally associated
with such management. With this system setting in mind, we point
out that the present invention focuses, inter alia, upon system
management and fulfillment activities that are furnished in
relation (a) to plural "areas" of affinity-interest commerce
activities, such as those linked to plural, widely distributed,
different-affinity-interest network-groups, like different groups
of P2P file-sharing peers, or consumer participants, and therefore
(b), also to functionally associated, participant-utilized, widely
distributed networked computers, servers and databases that are
functionally linked, and readily accessible by such participants,
en masse, over an extensive computer network. Those skilled in the
art will recognize that, in this setting of the invention,
networked consumer participants need only possess, or have
appropriate use-access to, what is, by today's standards, a
relatively simple electronic computer, or the like, to experience
and participate in invoking the unique features of the
invention.
[0004] With respect to the "en masse" reference just made above,
FIG. 2 in the drawings herein, as will be more fully explained, and
as will be apparent to those skilled in the "art" of networks, such
as the Internet, illustrates an elemental, network "plurality", or
subassembly, region, i.e., a region which forms a "building-block"
element that is multipliable open-endedly to create a plurality of
such regions, in an extensive, en masse network regime.
[0005] Another matter which we point out at this juncture is that
where such plural affinity-interest areas are involved, and this
will be apparent to those skilled in the art, it is entirely
possible that a key, and perhaps even functionally separable, role
of a manager will focus entirely on the relevant, ancillary
fulfillment (aggregation) activities.
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] Illustrating now the features of the present invention in
the representative setting of the world of file-sharing, it is well
known and recognized today that the practice of peer-to-peer (P2P)
file sharing over a wide-area network, such as the Internet, is one
of the most popular and rapidly expanding practices in history.
This practice, which grows dramatically even as we now speak about
it, is readily accessible and practicable, utilizing any one of a
relatively widely available array of available P2P file-sharing
intercommunication technologies, by essentially all in the world
who have computer access to the Internet.
[0007] Unfortunately, and we believe mistakenly, P2P file sharing
has, in the last few years, come to be viewed by some as an enemy
of certain commerce--particularly commerce involving
provider-controlled electronically distributable media content,
such as music and movie files. In this "enemy" mode of thinking,
the various conflicts which have arisen between P2P file sharers,
providers of communication software/technology which enables P2P
file sharing, and copyright rights holders (providers) associated
with such electronic media content, have centered on the issue of
apparent massive copyright infringement in the form of file
acquisitions and use without payments to rights holders. These
conflicts have unhappily pitted certain among these parties against
one another as hostile legal combatants.
[0008] Notwithstanding this landscape of "copyright contention",
the present invention, in its proposed unique methodology and
systemic management approach to the world of P2P file sharing,
recognizes and proposes a paradigm shift based upon a recognition
that the extraordinary and massive communication, computing, and
data-storage and handling bandwidth which is represented by the
world of P2P file sharing can, in fact, be tapped creatively, along
with the affinity interests of P2P file sharers, as vehicles and
growth engines for the promotion, expansion and impressive
enlarging of many forms of commerce, including commerce relating to
electronically distributable media per se.
[0009] By proposing, as underlies a principal basis of the present
invention, a significant change in the thinking about how P2P file
sharing, and associated software and communication technologies,
can be constructively employed, and indeed how a network-accessing
"purchasing consumer" can be converted effectively to become a
positive part of the distribution "machinery" of
network-purchasable deliverables, one can be brought to recognize
that P2P file sharing offers an unparalleled and historically
monumental opportunity for the expansion of commerce in many, if
not all, forms of goods and services under the dominion of parties
both inside and outside of the P2P network world. It can do this
quite simply through harnessing the unique and specialized
behaviors and the enthusiasms of P2P electronic-media file sharers,
in a kind of piggyback fashion, to link with the communication
traffic most affectionately focused upon by P2P affinity-group file
sharers specially permitted, managed, controlled and appropriately,
ultimately fulfilled offers of sales for various goods and
services. Such goods and services may reside (a) only in the field
of electronic media (such as music song files), (b) only in a
variety of ancillary fields which are outside the electronic media
field, and which may not be specifically "affinity-interest"
subject matter, and or (c) in a blend of these two fields.
Accordingly, it should be understood that references made herein to
a catalogue, or to catalogues, i.e., physical, digital-data
catalogue(s), of deliverables are intended to convey the
understanding that such deliverables may "reside" in any one of
these single or blended "fields", in the form of representative, or
appropriately representing, electronic data which, through
transformation into computer screen imagery, is viewable in and
from such a catalogue. In fact, and as will be well understood by
those skilled in the art, the catalogue electronic representations
of these deliverables may "sit" in a widely distributed condition
electronically in and throughout a network. As will be seen, all
subject matter which is sale-offered in a network setting in the
context of the present invention, either directly is, or becomes
"associated" as being ancillary to, affinity-interest subject
matter.
[0010] For example, and as an important illustration for describing
the present invention, a very good and representative P2P affinity
group might be a group of such file sharers who have a special
interest in a particular style, or genre, of music. There are, of
course, many other relevant examples of affinity groups, and
practice of the present invention is not constrained just to a
"music genre" group. Put another way, implementation and practice
of the present invention offers special opportunities for
significant expansion of commerce, in addition to electronic media
commerce, through what are referred to herein as collateral
income-generating transactions, in the contexts of many different
affinity-group interests covering a very wide range of subject
matters.
[0011] The term "collateral" used herein is intended to refer to
transactions which are other than conventional, basic file-sharing
transactions. The term refers generally to what might be thought of
as being "heightened" file-share transactions involving
peer-to-peer entrepreneurial activity, as will be explained. A
collateral transaction, for example, might be the electronic
acquisition by one peer of a music song file, paid for by that peer
to the copyright rights holder associated with that file, where the
acquisition ultimately results from a peer-to-peer entrepreneurial
promotion. A collateral transaction might also be a
peer-to-peer-promoted acquisition of some other kind of
deliverable, including a peer-specific deliverable, which is not a
music, or other electronic, file, and which takes place for
fulfillment in the context of an affinity file-share event. Other
kinds of collateral transactions, within the imaginations of those
implementing the present invention, may of course be accommodated.
Indeed, collateral transactions for system manager fulfillment may
include an interesting, fulfillable aggregation, or pluralities of
fulfillable aggregations, of affinity-interest subject matter,
along with various ancillary subject matter.
[0012] Specific illustration of the management fulfillment
methodology of the present invention in the world of distributable
electronic media and associated affinity-interest subject matter is
selected herein because of the extraordinary nature today of P2P
file sharing of electronic media, and because of the potentially
defusible (by practice of the invention) combative relationships
which have surfaced as a consequence of P2P electronic media file
sharing. As one will see from a reading of the description of the
present invention along with the accompanying, illustrative
block/schematic diagrams, practice of the present invention offers
a clear opportunity for electronic media rights holders, such as
copyright owners, to recognize a very positive market-expansion
force, tappable through "viewing" P2P file sharers not as enemies,
but rather as powerful entrepreneurial-talent allies. Such an ally
relationship can be realized through creating a
low-participation-cost environment involving effective sanctioning
against copyright infringement liability of P2P file sharing of
media files under circumstances where ancillary revenue is
stimulated by the reward-based harnessing of the natural
enthusiasms and marketing ingenuities of selected P2P
affinity-group members to make offerings for sale of selected
electronic-media, or electronic-media plus ancillary, commercial
deliverables linked to the file-sharing transfers of media
files.
[0013] As will become understood from a reading of the description
of the invention, its practice, both in the current, and herein
illustrative, high-profile world of P2P file sharers, and in the
worlds of other types of affinity-interest "network consumers",
effectively causes the relevant consumer population to become part
of the mechanism of deliverables-distribution, thereby overcoming,
in the case of protected deliverables content, such as electronic
media content, the unacceptable instinct for one singly to acquire
such content without directing payment to content rights
holders.
[0014] As an illustration of practice of the invention, P2P file
sharers (in a group) who have an affinity interest in a particular
kind of music are encouraged to become subscribers to a sanctioned
(copyright-liability sanctioned, or freed) P2P file sharing
community for the payment of (a) modest monthly fees, and (b)
modest additional fees (or selectively in some instances, as with
"older" media subject matters, no fees) associated with
acquisitions (downloads) of particular media song files. Such song
files are additionally referred to herein as rights-associated
media, with respect to which copyright owners' rights are referred
to as possessor-owned relationship rights.
[0015] Particular members (or at least one member) of such a
network affinity group are/is vetted for entrepreneurship talent,
and thereby selected by what we refer to as sourcing providers
(such as media label companies) effectively as "sales agents" to
offer various purchasable goods and/or services ("commercial
deliverables", including electronic-media deliverables) made
available by sourcing providers through a controlled,
authorized-access-only, centralized, catalogue, or pool, of such
deliverables.
[0016] These selected peer-group members, also referred to herein
as sub-delivery hosts, who become, in effect, specially selected
surrogates for the associated, vetting sourcing providers, are
encouraged, i.e., incentivized to innovate and propel their own
talents and styles of sales promotions which accompany, or are
solely focused upon, as an illustration, distributable-media file
sharing. A peer in such a group, selected by sourcing providers to
act as a vetted sales representative, may thus, at his or her
option, effectively link with offers for distribution of
affinity-interest media files to other peers, offers to those peers
to consider the purchases of other goods and services from such a
catalogue. Only a vetted peer, of course, has electronic authority
in the practice of this invention to offer electronic catalogue
access to others. Such sales-representative peers may also be
authorized/encouraged to offer special goods and services of their
own choosing along with catalogue-based deliverables of others. For
example, an authorized, sales-representative peer might have a
special personal collection of affinity-interest
memorabilia/collectables which might be attractive to other
affinity-interest peers. Permitted to do so within the
authorization granted to that authorized peer, he or she could
profitably link offers for sale of articles from such a personal
collection with offers for the sharing of direct affinity (licensed
media song file) subject matter.
[0017] With this unique, invention-offered, peer-entrepreneurial
approach to file sharing--this proposed new paradigm--implemented
with a network affinity group, one will note that much of the basic
characteristic of today's "free" file-sharing behavior is actually
"imprinted" on the paradigm, without there also being imprinted a
situation of rights violations, such as copyright rights
violations.
[0018] Returning now to a highlighting of other features of the
subject area of the invention, any peer-promotion-resulting
"catalogue-based sales hits", which could include, simply,
noticeable sales inquiries, as well, of course, as consummated
sales, are appropriately tracked and credited to the offering peer,
and appropriately fulfilled by actions of the system manager. For
each such offering peer, a "sales hit" credit account may be kept,
with different levels of activities which become summarized in such
an account leading to various different kinds of
recognitions/awards (hit-redemption values) which act, of course,
as incentives for further sales promotional activities.
Recognitions/awards may either be delivered automatically to a
"deserving/earning" peer, or may be appropriately requested by such
a peer.
[0019] As will become apparent to those skilled in the art, there
are many ways in which the basic practice proposed by the present
invention, as just above outlined, can be implemented. That basic
practice, as can be seen, involves visualizing the world of
peer-to-peer file sharing not so much as the world alone (though it
may be that) of exchange of particular affinity interest materials
between peer group members, but more as an extensive-bandwidth
linked-computers and servers network involving potential promoters
of sales for a very wide range of goods and services (including
electronic media), the promotions of sales for which lead to peer
member awards and recognitions which in turn become incentives both
for wider peer group participation, as well as for wider ancillary
goods and services providers participation. In point of fact,
implementation and practice of the present invention provides a
clear opportunity for rights holders, for example, of copyrighted
media material, and peer-to-peer file sharers, to see one another
as important and cooperative allies in a very new form of
extraordinarily widespread and highly active, linked computer and
database commerce.
[0020] Lying centrally with the present invention is the concept
that it is the quality of natural, personal enthusiasm and
"energy", and entrepreneurial talent, of file-sharing peers in a
peer affinity group which becomes the harnessed driving force
behind promoting the sales of ancillary and electronic-media goods
and services in linkage with the basic sharing of affinity subject
matter. This concept is to be distinguished from others wherein,
for example, (a) ancillary commercial deliverables may be offered
for sale to peers in a file-sharing group by virtue of being
data-linked directly and specifically to particular shareable media
files, or (b) network addresses of peers in a file sharing group
are provided to owners/offerers of.ancillary deliverables for
"direct mail" solicitation. Neither of these approaches taps the
important power and potential of individual peer promotion, peer
enthusiasm, and peer entrepreneurship.
[0021] Among many publicly available documents which provide
background related to the present invention are the following: U.S.
Patent Application Publication No. 2002/0052885 A1 (use of embedded
data with file sharing); U.S. Patent Application Publication No.
2002/0138576 A1 (Method and system for generating revenue in a P2P
network); U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2003/0076955 A1
(system and method for controlled copying and moving of content);
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2002/0186844 A1
(user-friendly rights management systems and methods); U.S. Patent
Application Publication No. 2003/0131044 A1 (multi-level P2P
network structure for peer and object discovery); U.S. Patent
Application Publication No. 2004/0024727 A1 (method and system of
re-sharing files with modifications); U.S. Patent Application
publication No. 2003/0078918 A1 (method, apparatus and system for
file sharing between computers); U.S. Patent Application
Publication No. 2003/0212710 A1 (system for tracking activity and
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2003/0191720 A1 (electronic
tracking tag). The disclosure contents of these publications are
hereby incorporated herein by reference for background
purposes.
[0022] The above referred to, and other, important features of the
present invention will become more fully apparent as the
description of this invention now unfolds in relation to
discussions about the several accompanying drawings which
illustrate, in block/schematic forms, a number of different ways of
visualizing and illustrating manners of practicing the
invention.
DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS
[0023] FIG. 1 is a very high level block/schematic diagram
presented in simplified form to illustrate core features of the
present, network-and-computer-based invention.
[0024] FIG. 2 is a high level block/schematic diagram illustrating
an important variation in implementation and practice of the
invention (as illustrated in FIG. 1), wherein a common peer member,
or network-consumer member, of two, different, chosen
affinity-interest groups can function as an important commercial
bridge, or gateway, in the practice of the present invention
involving the activities of such two different network affinity
groups. This figure in fact pictures what may be visualized as
being an "elemental, representative region" (i.e., a region subject
to extensive, incremental replication/repetition) in a massive
network of the kind involving a huge plurality of widely
distributed network participants, and remotely accessible
computers, servers, databases, software services, etc., popularly
referred to for years, in the context, at least, of the Internet,
metaphorically as an Internet "cloud". This being so, FIG. 2, as
presented in the parent to the present continuation application,
can be viewed as illustrating the now popular behavioral term
"cloud computing".
[0025] FIGS. 3 and 4 are block/schematic diagrams which relate to
one another in illustrating a particular practice of the present
invention with respect to the world of peer affinity groups
interested in electronic music files, and with respect to which
industry providers of these files differentiate distributable
categories of music files through streaming and non-streaming
handling of these files depending upon, for example, current file
popularity and/or "age".
[0026] FIG. 5 is a block/schematic diagram illustrating how
implementation and practice of the present invention can be viewed
as an important positive feedback commerce enhancement system and
methodology.
[0027] FIGS. 6-10, inclusive, viewed along with FIG. 1, provide
high-level block/schematic "point-of-view" diagrams picturing, as
will shortly be explained, the key steps involved in several
different specific ways of characterizing the structure and
operational features of the system and methodology of the present
invention.
[0028] FIGS. 11 and 12 are a block/schematic diagrams which
illustrate a specific manner of practicing the invention, wherein
that practice, focused on media sales, is based fundamentally upon
a selected sales-representative model for promoting commerce using
peer-to-peer file sharing as the commerce communication
vehicle.
[0029] FIGS. 13-15, inclusive, like previously mentioned FIGS.
6-10, inclusive, provide simplified, high level, "point-of-view",
block/schematic diagrams presenting key steps involved in other
ways of visualizing the system and methodology of the present
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0030] Turning attention first of all to FIG. 1, indicated
generally and fragmentarily in dash-dot lines at 20 is a wide-area
network, such as the Internet, with respect to which the present
invention is employed. One illustration of the structure and
implementation (methodology) of this invention is shown generally
at 22, with this illustration including blocks 24, 26, 28, 30, 32.
These blocks are appropriately associated/connected with Internet
20. Dashed-line, double-ended arrows 34, 36, 38, 40 extend between
different ones of these blocks, as shown, for reasons which will be
explained shortly.
[0031] FIG. 1, in general terms, diagrams the basic vetted-peer
entrepreneurship concept of the present invention which involves
utilizing the extensive and powerful bandwidth of P2P file sharing
between peers in an affinity group to promote commerce through
employing linkage between (a) affinity subject matter associated
with such a P2P affinity group, and (b) ancillary, or other, goods
and services deliverables, all for the purpose of utilizing the
practice of peer-driven file sharing to promote sales by outside
(or other) parties of such other deliverables to members of the P2P
affinity group.
[0032] Block 24 represents such an affinity group, with this block
including plural members, such as the three members shown in small,
shaded rectangles contained within block 24. Dashed arrow line 34
represents an affinity linkage between the members of group 24 and
so-called affinity subject matter which is represented by block 28.
An illustration of affinity subject matter which is useful for
describing the present invention is electronically deliverable,
"copyright sanctioned" music organized into song files. In the
particular invention illustration now being given, the music files
which make up affinity subject matter 28 are copyrighted music
files with respect to which there are associated copyright rights
holders who expect compensation for the downloading and delivery of
files which become acquired by members in group 24.
[0033] According to the invention, members of the
affinity-subject-matter right-holders group of entities, as well as
others who may be offerers of various ancillary kinds of goods and
services for sale, have chosen, as sourcing providers, to make
certain goods and services available to one or more selected,
vetted members of group 24 for promotion for sale to other members
in group 24 in conjunction with P2P file sharing which takes place
between members within group 24. Block 30 in FIG. 1 represents an
authorized, electronic-data catalogue, or the like, which
identifies all such deliverables. Such deliverables, which are
represented in the catalogue in the form of electronic data, might
include, in addition to completely ancillary goods and services
that have little or nothing to do specifically with affinity
subject matter, various other ancillary goods and service that do
relate to affinity subject matter which, in the case of music
files, might include posters, photographs and various group and
artist paraphernalia. In an implementation of the invention which
only involves commerce in the field of electronic media, blocks 28,
30 may effectively be visualized as being merged, whereby the
"catalogue" of deliverables includes only electronic media. All
such subject matter, affinity-interest and ancillary, are thus
aggregatable in various ways to make up a fulfillable sale, or
sales, as promoted by vetted peers.
[0034] It should be understood that in the implementation of the
invention, a suitable file sharing technology, typically in the
form of software which may be made available to members of group 24
over the Internet, is indeed made available to those members of
group 24 who choose to participate in the system and methodology of
the invention, as, for example, by becoming subscribers for an
appropriate, modest fee, referred to herein as a "good-standing"
fee. This software may be any suitable type of file sharing
software, the details of which, as was mentioned earlier, form no
part of the present invention. Similarly, the establishment of
something like a catalogue of "other deliverables" is easily
constructed and appropriately made accessible over the Internet for
use as will be explained within group 24.
[0035] In accordance with practice of the invention, at least one
peer member of group 24 is appropriately (entrepreneurially) vetted
and selected by sourcing providers of catalogue deliverables to be
given permission to make offers to other members of group 24 of
deliverables for sale from the collection (or collections) thereof
represented by block 30 (and/or block 28) in the FIG. 1.
Preferably, such a selected peer group member is encouraged to
utilize his or her own-imagined procedures and entrepreneurial
talents for promoting interest in other peer members to "take a
look" at offerings from these deliverables, along with presenting
further encouragement to such other peers to make one or more
purchases. One of the key, powerful features of the invention is
that it is thus through peer promotion and enthusiasm that the
offers of deliverables, linked with P2P file sharing, takes place.
One can thus visualize this key as utilizing specific P2P "affinity
group culture" as a driving force for commercial sales of the
deliverables.
[0036] When a peer in group 24 who has received, as a consequence
of file sharing activity, an encouragement (only by a vetted peer)
to "take a look at the catalogue of deliverables", takes action,
for example, by clicking on an offered deliverable, and thereby
sending an electronic signal over the Internet, that action is
preferably considered to have created what is referred to herein as
a peer hit upon a promoted deliverable. Such a hit is represented
by block 26 and dashed arrow line 36 in FIG. 1. Arrow line 36 is
thus representative of the transmission of an electronic,
over-the-network signal. In any appropriate manner which is well
within the skill of those skilled in the art involving the creation
of software, etc. associated with peer-to-peer file sharing
activities, such a hit is appropriately recorded and preferably
made known, for example, to a system manager for ultimate
fulfillment, and also is recorded as digital electronic data to an
appropriate memory location, such as might be represented by block
32 in FIG. 1, to establish for the offering peer a "peer hit"
account which records hits attributable to the promotional activity
of the offering peer. A peer hit may, of course, be as modest as a
simple peer click to look and see what is being made available from
the catalogue of deliverables, and, of course, as robust as a fully
consummated and ultimately fulfilled sale.
[0037] Dashed arrow lines 38, 40 in FIG. 1, in a setting where
commerce involving both electronic-media and other deliverables is
involved, represent, respectively, (a) linkages which are made
between available affinity subject matter and other deliverables,
as promoted by a peer in group 24, and (b) access by members within
group 24 to the offerings of other deliverables represented by
block 30.
[0038] In any appropriate manner, also well within the skill of
those skilled in the art of Internet communication computer
technology, and in accordance with rules for practice established
by the mentioned system manager, as the peer hit account for an
offering peer member of group 24 crosses various predetermined
performance levels, some form of award or appealing recognition,
also represented by block 32, is given to (or is requested by) the
associated offering peer. The system manager also implements, as
required, the ancillary support service of delivery fulfillment of
subject matter represented, for example, by dashed line 38, which
line may thus also be viewed as representing management gathering
and fulfilling of consummated sales.
[0039] What one can see from this description, and from the
practice illustration presented in FIG. 1, is that a methodology is
thus proposed which opens the door to significant promotion for the
sales of goods and services which may or may not be directly
associated with affinity subject matter--i.e., that subject matter
which defines the area of initial and special interest for the
exchange of information between peers in affinity group 24. By
offering this methodology under, for example, a
system-manager-controlled subscriber system wherein subscriber fees
are made appealingly low, and wherein actual transfers of affinity
subject matter files may be permitted within the operation of the
system for relatively low, or even no, per-file-download payments
from a receiving peer, members, and would be members, of an
affinity peer group are encouraged to retain good-standing
membership statuses in order to have access to relatively low-cost
acquisition of affinity subject matter materials free from a
threat, in case of copyrighted materials, of the possibility of
adverse legal action. Peer members may also become enthusiastic
about the commercial offers made and promoted by others among them,
and may be encouraged by the prospect themselves of becoming
authorized, peer-group offering entrepreneurs. Providers of
ancillary catalogue deliverables who may pay fees to be "included"
in the catalogue of deliverables will most probably experience
nearly immediate and very wide-spread and remarkable low-cost
promotion of their goods and services, well beyond what they have
experienced or been able to support in the past, with resulting
business growth driven by peer-culture entrepreneurial
enthusiasm.
[0040] Rights-holder contributors of material to the supply of
affinity subject matter deliverables, such as copyrights holders in
electronically distributable music files, are presented with a
structure which has the potential, through peer subscription
membership growth, for growing their economic return from the
expanded and paid-for distribution of such files, and the landscape
of copyright combatancy between file sharing members of an affinity
group and rights holders should shrink considerably.
[0041] FIG. 2, as outlined in its description above, illustrates a
slightly modified version of what is shown in FIG. 1, wherein an
"authorized` catalogue-offering peer 24a in peer affinity group 24
is also the same person as peer 26a in an a peer affinity group 26
which has interest in a different affinity subject matter. This
peer (24a, 26a) who is common to groups 24, 26 (also referred to
herein collectively as an electronic-network subassembly) thus acts
as a gateway, or connector, between the two different P2P affinity
groups, which can thus be thought of as being "collected" or
"gathered" under the wing of, or at least in operative association
with, common system management, or support-bridging by a common
manager--this gathering gateway being represented in FIG. 2 by
double-ended curved arrow 42, and by dashed-line block 44.
Catalogues of deliverables associated with such two, different,
chosen affinity groups may, of course, have different,
group-relevant, as well as group-non-relevant, content, i.e.,
different affinity-interest and ancillary-subject-matter
deliverables. Arrows 42, in the common-support-manager context just
mentioned, is relatable to previously mentioned line 38 in FIG. 1.
In a "definitional" sense, common support management in this kind
of plural peer affinity-group setting, which includes ancillary
aggregation fulfillment support, may thus be referred to as
management support which is common (aggregation fulfillment) to the
plural groups, but independent of the specific affinity-interest
subject matters involved.
[0042] Such a group plurality of distributed, but readily
connectable, (a) peers, (b) associated network hardware, (c)
software, (d) databases, and (e) management services, etc.,
illustrated "elementally" in FIG. 2, helps to make understandable
the massive network-cloud commerce-expansion which is made
achievable by the present invention.
[0043] Turning to FIGS. 3 and 4, these two figures illustrate a
particular practice of the present invention in relation to a P2P
affinity group which has an affinity interest in music of a
particular character, and wherein providers, referred to as
industry providers, of such affinity-group music have determined to
make music files available in two categories of files, one of which
categories contains, say, current high-popularity, hit-list song
files, and other of which contains music files which may have
"graduated", for example, from a hit-list category either because
of declined popularity, or elevated age.
[0044] FIG. 3 illustrates this form of practice of the invention in
blocks evenly numbered 46-66, inclusive. Interconnecting activity
lines are illustrated in FIG. 3 by solid arrow-headed lines as
shown.
[0045] In FIG. 3, block 46 represents a population of copyright
rights holders (entities) in music song files, and these entities,
referred to, as mentioned above, as industry providers, make such
files available to an accessible (over the Internet) music file
pool represented by block 48. The rights holders for these music
files have chosen to characterize them as belonging in one or the
other of the two different categories of files identified above.
Song files which are the "young", and/or high-popularity, files
follow an activity flow path generally represented by blocks 50,
52, 54 and 56. The other files generally follow a flow path which
is represented by blocks 58, 60, 62 and 64.
[0046] In accordance with the practice specifically illustrated in
FIG. 3, a high-popularity music file, for example, will be treated
as something for which a recipient peer will pay on a per-file
basis for a file-share download, with this file being otherwise
delivered over the Internet only through the practice known as
streaming so as clearly to identify it as not being obtainable
except through payment. According to the FIG. 3 practice of the
invention, streamed files are tagged with appropriate markers which
effectively "age" these files in relation to their retention in a
hit-list category, and when aged beyond a point wherein they should
remain in this category, these files are transitioned, in effect,
by applying appropriate electronic markers to them which then
designate them as copyright sanctioned, non-pay-per-file song
files. Such a "transition" is represented by the arrow-headed line
which interconnects blocks 56, 58 in FIG. 3.
[0047] Song files which are either initially designated to be
non-pay-per-file files, or which become such following a transition
as just described, are made available to affinity group peers under
an established premise which defines them as non-pay-per-file
files, and which allows them to be distributed, in a non-streaming
manner, to subscriber members in good standing of the relevant
affinity peer group. File sharing of these files which, in
accordance with the practice now being described, are not in the
pay-per-file category are made directly available for P2P file
sharing within the relevant affinity group.
[0048] Relevant feedback information, represented by block 66 in
FIG. 3, is provided to the so-called industry providers as an
encouragement to continue to grow the contents of song files
available in the music pool represented by block 48 in FIG. 3.
[0049] FIG. 4, in five blocks 68, 70, 72, 74, 76, further
illustrates what has just been described with respect to FIG. 3 in
relation to how the two different categories of files mentioned are
handled for delivery over the Internet.
[0050] Looking now at FIG. 5, six blocks, evenly numbered 78-88,
inclusive, illustrate, in a relatively self-explanatory way, how
practice of the present invention can be visualized as being a
positive feedback commercial methodology in a music-file-based
situation based upon growing the file sharing behavior of peer
members within a P2P file sharing affinity (music) group. Labeling
which is presented in FIG. 5, along with the interconnected blocks
in this figure, clearly illustrate how the invention can be viewed
as being a commercial positive feedback arrangement. Song files in
music file pool 78 which are contributed by copyright rights
holders are made available at an appealing cost to members in good
standing of a subscriber group of peer-to-peer file sharers, and
this attractive pricing for available files incentivizes (block 80)
network growth through addition of members (block 82) within the
relevant P2P file sharing affinity group. Through employing offers
of other deliverables as described with respect to FIG. 1, and in
collaboration with file sharing behavior which takes place within
the appropriate file sharing affinity group, this activity will
generate commercial interest in the purchase of what has been
referred to herein as other deliverables, and will incentivize
(block 86) song-file rights holder to grow the quantity of
media-file information (block 88) made available via music file
pool 78. Deliveries (i.e., fulfillment) of other deliverables which
are non-electronic are appropriately made by supporting
management.
[0051] If one simply thinks carefully about the basic mechanism of
this invention as described so far herein, one can readily see how
a positive feedback loop, such as that illustrated in FIG. 5, is
driven to promote commerce not only in distributable music files
but in other deliverables, in a fashion wherein this feedback loop
can be considered to possess two important growth engines which are
represented, as illustrated, at the opposite sides of FIG. 5.
[0052] Turning now to "point-of-view" drawings 6-10, inclusive,
FIG. 6, at 89, generally illustrates the invention as a P2P
business method which includes the steps of (a) IDENTIFYING (block
90) an active P2P network characterized with peers having a defined
affinity interest in the exchange of at least category-A
information (which may be music song files), and (b) EMPLOYING
(block 92) that at-least category-A information-exchange affinity
interest as a carrier vehicle and growth engine for the promotion,
within that network, of collateral income-generating transactions
between a peer and another peer or a party outside the network.
Recalling the discussion given above in relation to FIG. 1 in the
drawings, one can readily appreciate this manner of describing the
present invention.
[0053] FIG. 7, at 93, provides a high-level way of viewing the
invention as a P2P business-growth-enhancing method which is
relevant to the income-generating transactional delivering of goods
and/or services, and which utilizes, as an engine for such
enhancement, the practice of P2P file sharing of selected
information-material (such as music files) which is associated with
possessor-owned relationship rights (e.g. copyright rights), with
this method including the steps of (a) OFFERING (block 94) to
peers, for rights-conflict-free sharing in a P2P
information-sharing network, possessor-rights-sanctioned contents
drawn from such material, and (b) by that act of offering, and
based upon peer initiated affinity behavior within the P2P network
which is stimulated by features associated with the offered
content, and in a manner which is independent of the quantity of
P2P shared material, PROMOTING (block 96) commercial transactional
engagement between a peer in the network and a non-peer
commercially who may be associated with the rights-possessors of
such sanctioned materials.
[0054] The FIG. 8 view of the present invention can be understood
as illustrating it, at 97, to be a broadband, distributed,
goods/services-promotion system which is based upon (a)
ESTABLISHING (block 98) a goods/services-provider
sanctioned-for-delivery offering package, (b) DELIVERING (block
100) that package to at least one selected P2P file-sharing
participant designated to be a sub-delivery host, (c) INCENTIVIZING
(block 102) self-designed sub-delivery by that host to other P2P
file sharing participants by crediting that host with a hit account
specific to the host, and by offering hit-redemption values to the
host, and on the basis of a sub-delivery host's build-up in the
associated hit account, (d) FULFILLING (block 104) host-requested
award redemptions.
[0055] FIG. 9, at 105, illustrates the invention as being a method
for enhancing digital music-industry income relative to the
distribution of copyrighted music files including the steps of (a)
RECOGNIZING (block 106) that P2P network file sharing is a
promising engine of economic growth for the industry, (b) DIVIDING
(block 108) digital music files effectively into at least two
categories including (1) network streamed, non-file-sharable files,
and (2) network non-streamed, file-sharable files, and (c) LINKING
(block 110) differentiated income-producing fees to two such
categories.
[0056] FIG. 10, along with previously discussed FIG. 5, illustrates
the invention at 111 as taking the form of a positive feedback loop
for spurring economic growth in the digital recorded music industry
which, from a methodologic point of view, includes the steps of (a)
ESTABLISHING (block 112) an industry-contributed, ever-growing body
of digital music files, (b) ATTRACTING (block 114) a population of
subscribers who, for paid subscriber membership fees, are given
access to those files for otherwise free P2P membership-only file
sharing, and who, as subscriber members, are identifiably
accessible to contributing industry participants for the
presentation/reception of various permission-based
industry-contributed offerings, (c) ENHANCING (block 116) that
action of attracting in order to promote growth in the mentioned
subscription population through the practice of
industry-characterizing all of such contributed files as
copyright-sanctioned files, and (b) UTILIZING (block 118) such
promoted subscriber-membership growth as feedback encouragement to
incentivize expanded industry participation in the practice of
contributing to, and growing the quantity of, files in the body of
files.
[0057] One will observe that these several ways of viewing the
nature of the present invention fit within different ones of the
general "models" of the invention pictured in FIGS. 1-5,
inclusive.
[0058] FIG. 11, in five blocks, 120, 122, 124, 126, 128, and FIG.
12 in two blocks, 130, 132, collectively illustrate the present
invention from a point of view which is based upon promoting, among
other things, electronic media sales by introducing
media-sales-representative behavior into a P2P network. These two
figures illustrate an expression of the invention wherein a central
managing server 120, under the control of a system manager, manages
both a digital electronic catalogue 122 of goods and services which
may be offered within the practice of a P2P file sharing network,
as well as the activities of selected peers 124 in an affinity
group 126 who have been chosen to be designated as authorized sales
representatives for the making of offers for sale of goods and
services from this catalogue. The central managing server, under
appropriate implementation by the system manager, manages, as
ancillary sales support, fulfillment (such as aggregation and
delivery) of orders from the catalogue with respect to P2P file
sharers who respond to promotional advertising by making purchases
of goods from the mentioned catalogue. Central management, and the
central managing server, also variously track, record and manage
(block 128) all promotion and response activities which take place
between authorized sales representatives and other members of a
peer group, assures non-competition protection as between plural
sales representatives who operate within the same peer-to-peer
affinity group, and builds relevant databases regarding promotion
and response activities, which databases are then usable to tailor,
modify and control the operation of the invention so as to maximize
the enhanced commercial activity which takes place in the context
of P2P file sharing.
[0059] FIG. 12 specifically, and self-explanatorily, illustrates
(utilizing specific word labeling) several ways in which
non-competition management may be implemented.
[0060] FIG. 13, along with FIGS. 11 and 12, illustrates at 133 an
authorized-sales-representative method for using the network
communication bandwidth of a group of P2P file sharers having an
affinity for electronically distributable media to enhance the
sales of such media, with this method including the steps of (a)
ESTABLISHING (block 134) a vetted-peer authorized-access-only
catalogue containing identification of such media, (b) AUTHORIZING
(block 135) at least one selected member of the P2P group to make
offers of media sales from the catalogue to other members of the
group, and (c) PROVIDING (block 136) a reward to that authorized,
selected member in relation to the occurrence of at least one
offered and at least partially implemented sale of media from the
catalogue. These three figures taken together also illustrate this
same method which further involves the presence of an appropriate
manager, such as the system manager, and which includes the
additional step of encouraging the authorized group member
selectively to couple with such an offer an independent,
non-catalogue offer for sale of subject matter of the authorized
member's choosing subject to approval by the media manager.
[0061] FIG. 14, taken along with FIGS. 11 and 12, promotes a view
at 137 of the present invention which is that it takes the form of
a method for promoting the sales of rights-associated
electronically distributable electronic media made available by a
media-rights authorizing entity, and including the steps of (a)
CREATING (block 138) a catalogue including electronic media content
the presence of which in the catalogue is supported by media-rights
authorizing entities, (b) SELECTING (block 140), to be authorized
as a catalogue sales representative at least for the media content,
an identified participant in a P2P file-sharing group having an
affinity for the catalogue media content, (c) ENABLING (block 142)
the selected, authorized participant to offer to other participants
in the affinity group media content for purchase from the catalogue
employing marketing strategies that are self-developed and cleared
with advisories from the authorizing entity, (d) TRACKING (block
144) purchase activities involving such offered media content, and
(e) REWARDING (block 146) the selected, authorized participant in
relation to implemented sales from the catalogue based upon sales
offers made by that participant.
[0062] FIGS. 11, 12 and 14 can also be viewed as illustrating the
invention in the form of being a method for promoting the sales of
rights-associated electronically distributable electronic media
involving the steps of (a) CREATING (block 138) a
central-server-managed catalogue including electronic media content
the presence of which in the catalogue is supported by media rights
holders, (b) SELECTING (block 140) to be authorized as a
central-server-managed catalogue-sales representative, at least for
the media content, an identified participant in a P2P file sharing
group having an affinity for the catalogue media content, (c)
ENABLING (block 142) the selected, authorized participant to offer
to other participants in the affinity group media content for
purchase from the catalogue, (d) TRACKING (block 144) purchase
activities involving such offered media content, and (e) REWARDING
(block 146) the selected, authorized participant in relation to
implemented sales (or hits) from the catalogue based upon sales
offer made by that participant.
[0063] FIG. 15, along with FIGS. 11 and 12, can be viewed as
illustrating practice of the present invention at 147 as providing
a method for enhancing the sales of electronically distributable
media using the network communication bandwidth of a group of P2P
file sharers possessing an affinity for such media, including the
steps of (a) INTRODUCING (block 148) media-sales-representative
behavior into that group with controlled access provided to a
catalogue of such media from which offers of media sales can be
made to members in the group, and (b) INCENTIVIZING (block 150)
such introduced behavior.
[0064] Thus, the present invention can clearly be seen to involve
proposed computer signal-transmission, network methodology and a
system which are based upon a paradigm shift in relation to current
thinking about the nature of a P2P file sharing network structure,
as well as about like, various-affinity-interest, network-consumer
network structure, particularly as such a network structure is
perceived today in the context of commerce involving
network-deliverable, electronic media files, such as music song
files and movie files. There are many attractive and beneficial
commercial and other features which characterize this
invention--features which takes square aim at utilizing the
extraordinary power and reach of P2P file sharing, and like
affinity-interest network-consumer behavior, to promote a very wide
range of commercial transactions, thus to grow and enhance various
commercial income streams.
[0065] The role of a system manager, and the thereby controlled
system-management server, are, as explained, quite varied and
important. In this role, the manager, among other things,
furnishes, as needed, sales-conclusory aggregation and fulfillment
of commercial transactions, thus providing important,
conclusory-fulfillment support to one, or plural, group(s) of
affinity-interest P2P peers and other consumers--aggregating for
delivery, as required, different affinity-interest and ancillary
catalogue deliverables. This support, as is evident from the
discussion above, is, strictly speaking, independent of the
particular characteristics of affinity-interest and ancillary
subject matter involved in the relevant transactions.
[0066] In accordance with implementation and practice of the
invention, and specifically discussing certain features and
advantages of the invention in the important and illustrative
context of music song file sharing, peers in a music affinity group
are enticed to join, and to remain as "good-standing" subscribers
with, a service, such as a subscription service, offered, in
accordance with practice of the present invention. More
specifically, such enticement will be promoted and enhanced (a) by
preferably relatively low subscription fees, (b) by preferably
relatively low (or in some instances no)
pay-per-music-file-download fees, (c) by a blend of (a) and (b),
(d) by the opportunity offered to affinity group peers to
participate in rights-related media file sharing without fear of
copyright infringement actions taking place, (e) by the exposure of
peer affinity group members to interesting, peer-driven offers to
acquire, in addition to music song files, ancillary deliverables,
(f) by the possibility for peers in an affinity group to become
authorized, and ultimately rewarded, "offerers" within an affinity
group, (g) and by other attractions which will certainly come to
the minds of those who think about the possibilities offered by the
present invention. These enticement and other advantage factors
which are associated with the present invention will lead
naturally, or should so lead, to significant population growths in
relevant affinity-subject-matter groups, which growths will most
likely expand the commercial enhancement offered by the
invention.
[0067] Music copyright rights holders will be attracted by the
potential, and the probable reality, of growing groups of peers
whose activities will be non-infringing in relation to copyright
rights, and which growing may well lead to a significantly enhanced
income stream to such rights holders derived from any one or more
of (a) growing, direct, per-file-download payments from
subscription-member peers, (b) a received share, perhaps, in "peer
membership" subscription fees, and (c) the possibility even of
receiving a share in revenues generated by sales, occurring within
an affinity group, of various ancillary deliverables. Appropriate
filters may be associated with rights-controlled media files to
protect media rights holders positively against copyright
infringement.
[0068] Rights holders may well discover that implementation of the
present invention may produce revenue streams that clearly
out-distance those generated by classical "sales" of media content.
In fact, one startling effect might be that the nature of such an
enhanced revenue stream could cause media rights holders actually
to promote P2P file-sharing group growth--a promotion behavior
plainly taggable by conventional thinking as being heretical. A
paradigm shift, indeed!
[0069] Fulfillment support linked by a manager to this new form of
network-consumer activity significantly enhances this paradigm
shift.
[0070] In an implementation of the invention which involves the
offering and selling of ancillary deliverables that will be made
available by third-party providers who are not copyright rights
holders or peers, these providers, who may be expected to pay
modest fees for having their deliverables offered through a
catalogue of the type mentioned herein, may well experience
significant income growth because of the extensive dispersal of
information about their offerings which will occur as a consequence
of widespread P2P file sharing activities.
[0071] As has been mentioned earlier herein, of central importance
to the power for enhancing commerce which is offered by the present
invention is the fact that core impetus for growth is driven by
authorized and encouraged affinity-interest-group enthusiasm linked
with imaginative peer (group member) entrepreneurship, and all
supported by over-arching system management as outlined. The
present invention thus attaches itself in a unique way to the core
sprit, enthusiasm and culture which centrally drives the
extraordinary growth, and ever-present activities, surrounding
bulging network commerce.
[0072] Practice of the invention, as will be readily recognized by
those skilled in the electronic network arts, intimately links with
and utilizes otherwise conventional and well known
electronic-signaling, computer-network hardware machinery (client
computers, and servers), physical electronic databases, firmware
and software which are required for its practice. The term
"electronic" herein takes on it usual broad meaning in the relevant
arts, involving electrical, electrostatic, magnet, and optical
devices and signaling, data-storing and related matters and
practices. It thus encompasses the usual electronic signal
transformation which occurs when, for examples, text, imagery, and
other information which represent electronic and physical objects
become transformed into electronic signals that flow in a network
to enable the communication and storage of information regarding
real world objects.
[0073] Those skilled in the art will certainly appreciate all of
the opportunities and advantages which are offered by the present
invention, and may well perceive other features and advantages
which come well within the scope of the present invention, but
which may not have been specifically expressed in this disclosure
text and in the drawings accompanying this text. All such
additional features and advantages are considered, of course, to
come within the scope of the present invention as claimed
herein.
* * * * *