Method and system for managing rights for digital music

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.

1 . A method for managing rights for digital music, comprising:
 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.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein a music player is registered with at most one digital archive. 
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said restricting a music player comprises enabling the music player to purchase the song. 
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said restricting a music player comprises permitting the music player to copy a promotional version of the song. 
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 maintaining, by a digital archive for a song stored in the digital archive, a maximum number of permitted copies for the song;   tracking within the digital archive a count of music players registered with the digital archive that copied the song from the digital archive; and   preventing a music player registered with the digital archive from copying the song from the digital archive if the count for the song has reached the number of permitted copies for the song.   
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 5  further comprising:
 instructing a music player to erase the song; and   reducing the count for the song within the digital archive.   
   
   
       7 . A computer-readable storage medium storing program code for causing a device to perform a method comprising:
 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.   
   
   
       8 . A system for managing rights for digital music, comprising:
 a plurality of digital archives that store songs;   a plurality of music players at least some of which are registered with digital archives, wherein songs can be copied from digital archives to music players, and from music players to digital archives; and   a rights manager housed within a digital archive permitting a music player to copy a song from the digital archive if the music player is registered with the digital archive, permitting the digital archive to copy a song from a music player if the music player is registered with the digital archive, restricting a music player from copying a song from the digital archive if the music player is not registered with the digital archive, and restricting the digital archive from copying a song from a music player if the music player is not registered with the digital archive.   
   
   
       9 . The system of  claim 8  wherein a music player is registered with at most one digital archive. 
   
   
       10 . The system of  claim 8  wherein said rights manager enables a music player to purchase the song when the music player is not registered with the digital archive. 
   
   
       11 . The system of  claim 8  wherein said rights manager permits a music player to copy a promotional version of the song when the music player is not registered with the digital archive. 
   
   
       12 . The system of  claim 8  further comprising a database manager within a digital archive for maintaining a maximum number of permitted copies for a song stored within the digital archive, and for tracking a count of music players that copied the song from the digital archive, and wherein said rights manager prevents a music player from copying the song from the digital archive if the count for the song has reached the number of permitted copies for the song. 
   
   
       13 . The system of  claim 12  wherein the digital archive instructs the music player to erase the song from the music player, and wherein said database manager reduces the count for the song.