Abstract: A network-based DRM system manages digital media assets stored in the network. The system provides consumers with access to the digital media from any device connected to an electronic network such as the internet, while enforcing the intended uses by the copyright owners.

Abstract: Articles such as compact discs are traded among a plurality of members who are registered in a common community. Each member has an account including a trading credit balance and a mailing address. A user interface is provided that allows a member to enter articles that the member owns and is willing to trade and articles that the member wants to own. The user interface also receives article trading instruction messages. An administration computer hosts the plurality of members and facilitates article trades among the members. The administration computer identifies matches between owned and wanted articles. For each identified match, an article trading instruction message is sent to the article owner requesting that the article owner mail the owned article to the mailing address of the member who wants to own the article.

Abstract: Articles such as compact discs are traded among a plurality of members who are registered in a common community. Each member has an account including a trading credit balance and a mailing address. A user interface is provided that allows a member to enter articles that the member owns and is willing to trade and articles that the member wants to own. The user interface also receives article trading instruction messages. An administration computer hosts the plurality of members and facilitates article trades among the members. The administration computer identifies matches between owned and wanted articles. For each identified match, an article trading instruction message is sent to the article owner requesting that the article owner mail the owned article to the mailing address of the member who wants to own the article.

Abstract: A network-based DRM system manages digital media assets stored in the network. The system provides consumers with access to the digital media from any device connected to an electronic network such as the internet, while enforcing the intended uses by the copyright owners.

Abstract: Shipping costs are managed in a process wherein a plurality of entities who possess articles ship the articles via a mail system to a plurality of entities who receive the articles. A database is maintained of articles and article attributes. For each shipped article, the shipment control entity receives information that an entity who possesses an article will ship the article via the mail system to an entity who will receive the article. The shipment control entity is unrelated to any of the article possessing or article receiving entities. Also, for each shipped article, article shipping costs is determined based at least on one or more of the article attributes obtained from the database, and payment to the mail system is initiated based on the article shipping costs. Article attributes include the weight of the articles and ancillary items associated with the article.

Abstract: Articles such as compact discs are traded among a plurality of members who are registered in a common community. Each member has an account including a trading credit balance and a mailing address. A user interface is provided that allows a member to enter articles that the member owns and is willing to trade and articles that the member wants to own. The user interface also receives article trading instruction messages. An administration computer hosts the plurality of members and facilitates article trades among the members. The administration computer identifies matches between owned and wanted articles. For each identified match, an article trading instruction message is sent to the article owner requesting that the article owner mail the owned article to the mailing address of the member who wants to own the article.