Patents Represented by Attorney, Agent or Law Firm Fleit, Kain, Gibbons, Gutman & Dongini P.L.
  • Patent number: 6418421
    Abstract: A system for tracking usage of digital content on user devices. Electronic stores coupled to a network sell licenses to play digital content data to users. Content players, which receive from the network the licensed content data, are used to play the licensed content data. Additionally, a logging site that is coupled to the network tracks the playing of the content data. In particular, the logging site receives play information from the network, and the play information includes the number of times that the content data has been played by the associated content player. Also provided is a method for tracking usage of digital content on user devices. According to the method, a license to play digital content data is sold to a user, and the licensed content data is transmitted to a content player for the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2002
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Marco M. Hurtado, George Gregory Gruse, Edgar Downs, Kenneth Louis Milsted