Abstract: A computing system including a communication layer, including client web services managing communication with client computers, including a message parser, a message validator, and a message authenticator, and a computing engine layer, including a registrar that (i) registers purchase of a digital asset by a first consumer, (ii) generates a dated record of title to the first consumer for the digital asset, (iii) receives a resale permission message for the digital asset from the first consumer, via the client web services, whereby the permission message is parsed, validated, and authenticated by the client web services, (iv) further registers purchase of the digital asset by a second consumer, and (v) further generates an updated record of title for the digital asset to the second consumer.

Abstract: A method for resale of digital assets, including registering purchase of a digital asset by a first consumer via a first e-tailer, for presentation to the first consumer on at least one first device, the digital asset being published by a publisher, wherein an e-tailer sells digital assets published by the publisher to consumers, enabling, in response to a resale permission instruction by the publisher, the first consumer to offer the digital asset for re-sale, as an e-used digital asset, via a plurality of e-tailers, and further registering purchase of the e-used digital asset by either (a) an e-tailer, or (b) a second consumer, or (c) another entity that buys and sells digital assets. A system is also described and claimed.

Abstract: A system for enabling a user to listen to songs on a network-enabled device, including an embedded receiver for receiving at least one song list, and for receiving music streamed over a wireless network, list navigation software, for navigating the at least one song list and selecting a desired song therefrom, using a keypad communicatively coupled with the network-enabled device, an embedded transmitter for transmitting a song selection to a tracking server, and an embedded audio player, for playing the music streamed to the network-enabled device over the wireless network, a tracking server, including a data store including at least one song list, a receiver for receiving a song selection from said network-enabled device, the song selection comprising an ID for a selected song, and a transmitter for transmitting the at least one song list to the network-enabled device, and for transmitting the received song selection to a media server, and a media server, including a data store including audio files for the

Abstract: A digital music library builder including a casing, a receiver socket on the casing through which analog audio is received, an analog-to-digital converter housed within the casing for converting analog audio into digital audio, a meta-data identifier housed within the casing for identifying meta-data for a song, and a database manager housed within the casing for associating the identified meta-data with the song, within a digital music library.

Abstract: A campaign management system, including tracking interfaces for enabling third parties to provide consumer media-related tracking data, a tracking database, coupled with the tracking interfaces, for storing and managing data received via the tracking interfaces, a campaign generator for generating campaigns, including content interfaces to content management systems, a generation tool for identifying content for use in a campaign via the content interfaces, and for defining a campaign in terms of the identified content, and a rule tool for defining rules for campaigns in terms of tracking data, a campaign database, coupled with the campaign generator, for storing campaigns that have been generated, a rules database, coupled with the campaign generator, for storing and managing rules governing distribution of campaigns, and a campaign distributor, coupled with the campaign database, the rules database and the tracking database, for distributing campaigns in the campaign database to client media devices in acco

Abstract: A system is described for enabling a user to listen to songs on a network-enabled device, including an embedded receiver for receiving at least one song list, and for receiving music streamed over a wireless network, list navigation software, for navigating the at least one song list and selecting a desired song therefrom, using a keypad communicatively coupled with the network-enabled device, an embedded transmitter for transmitting a song selection to a tracking server, and an embedded audio player, for playing the music streamed to the network-enabled device over the wireless network, a tracking server, including a data store including at least one song list, a receiver for receiving a song selection from said network-enabled device, the song selection comprising an ID for a selected song, and a transmitter for transmitting the at least one song list to the network-enabled device, and for transmitting the received song selection to a media server, and a media server, including a data store including audio

Abstract: A method for provisioning content to users, including for each of a plurality of items of media content, maintaining information about one or more owners of the item of media content, and maintaining information about one or more providers of the item of media content, for each of a plurality of users, maintaining information about items of media content acquired by the user and about player devices owned by the user, for each of a plurality of time periods, maintaining a history log of items of media content played by one or more of the plurality of users during the time period, receiving a request from a user to play a designated item of media content on a designated player device, during a current time period, identifying an appropriate provider of the designated item of media content, according to a location of the user and according to the designated player device, causing the identified provider of the designated item of media content to transmit the designated item of media content to the user's design

Abstract: A method is described for managing rights for digital music, including registering music players, from among a plurality of music players, with digital archives that store songs, from among a plurality of digital archives, wherein songs can be copied from digital archives to music players, and from music players to digital archives, permitting a music player to copy a song from a digital archive for which it is registered, permitting a digital archive to copy a song from a music player that is registered with the digital archive, restricting a music player from copying a song from a digital archive for which it is not registered, and restricting a digital archive from copying a song from a music player that is not registered with the digital archive. A system and a computer-readable storage medium are also described.

Abstract: A hand-held music player for use in conjunction with radios, including a casing, a receiver socket on the casing through which digital audio data is received, a digital-to-analog audio converter housed within the casing, a first transfer socket on the casing through which a song is transferred to a radio transmitter, a second transfer socket on the casing through which meta-data for the song is transferred to the radio transmitter, and a dial on the casing for selecting a song for playback. A method and a computer-readable storage medium are also described.

Abstract: A method for provisioning content to users, including for each of a plurality of items of media content, maintaining information about one or more owners of the item of media content, and maintaining information about one or more providers of the item of media content, for each of a plurality of users, maintaining information about items of media content acquired by the user and about player devices owned by the user, for each of a plurality of time periods, maintaining a history log of items of media content played by one or more of the plurality of users during the time period, receiving a request from a user to play a designated item of media content on a designated player device, during a current time period, identifying an appropriate provider of the designated item of media content, according to a location of the user and according to the designated player device, causing the identified provider of the designated item of media content to transmit the designated item of media content to the user's design

Abstract: A method for resale of digital assets, including registering purchase of a digital asset by a first consumer via a first e-tailer, for presentation to the first consumer on at least one first device, the digital asset being published by a publisher, wherein an e-tailer sells digital assets published by the publisher to consumers, enabling, in response to a resale permission instruction by the publisher, the first consumer to offer the digital asset for re-sale, as an e-used digital asset, via a plurality of e-tailers, and further registering purchase of the e-used digital asset by either (a) an e-tailer, or (b) a second consumer, or (c) another entity that buys and sells digital assets. A system is also described and claimed.

Abstract: A system for deploying advertisements, including a portable music player including a database of audio advertisements and playback rules therefor, wherein playback rules are used to govern when to play advertisements, an ad updater for periodically receiving advertisements and playback rules, and an ad scheduler for scheduling playback of advertisements in accordance with their playback rules, a host device including a database of audio advertisements and playback rules therefor, an ad provisioner for transferring ads and playback rules to the portable music player, an ad updater for receiving advertisements and playback rules from time to time, and an advertising server including a database of information about advertisers and their advertising campaigns, and for storing audio advertisements, distribution rules therefor and playback rules therefor, an ad provisioner for transferring ads and playback rules to the host device, and a web interface for receiving advertisements and playback rules for an advertisi

Abstract: A method for provisioning content to users, including for each of a plurality of items of media content, maintaining information about one or more owners of the item of media content, and maintaining information about one or more providers of the item of media content, for each of a plurality of users, maintaining information about items of media content acquired by the user and about player devices owned by the user, for each of a plurality of time periods, maintaining a history log of items of media content played by one or more of the plurality of users during the time period, receiving a request from a user to play a designated item of media content on a designated player device, during a current time period, identifying an appropriate provider of the designated item of media content, according to a location of the user and according to the designated player device, causing the identified provider of the designated item of media content to transmit the designated item of media content to the user's design

Abstract: A digital audio player, including a casing, a memory within said casing for storing digital audio including songs and a commercial, a digital-to-analog converter within said casing and operatively connected to said memory for converting digital audio to analog audio, an analog audio player within said casing and operatively coupled to said digital-to-analog converter, for playing the songs in response to manual user commands, and for automatically playing the commercial, and a processor for stopping the automatic playing of the commercial after a specific event has occurred. A method and a computer-readable storage medium are also described.

Abstract: A digital music library builder including an analog-to-digital converter for converting analog audio into digital audio, an optical character processor for recognizing characters within an image, a meta-data extractor for identifying meta-data for a song within the recognized characters, an audio parser for marking the start and end of a song within the digital audio, and a database manager for associating the identified meta-data with the marked song, within a digital music library. A method is also described and claimed.

Abstract: A method for provisioning content to users, including for each of a plurality of items of media content, maintaining information about one or more owners of the item of media content, and maintaining information about one or more providers of the item of media content, for each of a plurality of users, maintaining information about items of media content acquired by the user and about player devices owned by the user, for each of a plurality of time periods, maintaining a history log of items of media content played by one or more of the plurality of users during the time period, receiving a request from a user to play a designated item of media content on a designated player device, during a current time period, identifying an appropriate provider of the designated item of media content, according to a location of the user and according to the designated player device, causing the identified provider of the designated item of media content to transmit the designated item of media content to the user's design

Abstract: A hand-held music player for use in conjunction with radios, including a casing, a receiver socket on the casing through which digital audio data is received, a digital-to-analog audio converter housed within the casing, a first transfer socket on the casing through which a song is transferred to a radio transmitter, a second transfer socket on the casing through which meta-data for the song is transferred to the radio transmitter, and a dial on the casing for selecting a song for playback. A method and a computer-readable storage medium are also described.

Abstract: A hand-held music player for use in conjunction with radios, including a casing, a receiver socket on the casing through which digital audio data is received, a digital-to-analog audio converter housed within the casing, a first transfer socket on the casing through which a song is transferred to a radio transmitter, a second transfer socket on the casing through which meta-data for the song is transferred to the radio transmitter, and a dial on the casing for selecting a song for playback. A method and a computer-readable storage medium are also described.

Abstract: A method is described for managing rights for digital music, including registering music players, from among a plurality of music players, with digital archives that store songs, from among a plurality of digital archives, wherein songs can be copied from digital archives to music players, and from music players to digital archives, permitting a music player to copy a song from a digital archive for which it is registered, permitting a digital archive to copy a song from a music player that is registered with the digital archive, restricting a music player from copying a song from a digital archive for which it is not registered, and restricting a digital archive from copying a song from a music player that is not registered with the digital archive. A system and a computer-readable storage medium are also described.

Abstract: A method is described for managing rights for digital music, including registering music players, from among a plurality of music players, with digital archives that store songs, from among a plurality of digital archives, wherein songs can be copied from digital archives to music players, and from music players to digital archives, permitting a music player to copy a song from a digital archive for which it is registered, permitting a digital archive to copy a song from a music player that is registered with the digital archive, restricting a music player from copying a song from a digital archive for which it is not registered, and restricting a digital archive from copying a song from a music player that is not registered with the digital archive. A system and a computer-readable storage medium are also described.