Methods for distributions of digital files

Abstract

The invention relates to a process for distributing files, having the steps of receiving at least one digital file, transmitting the digital file to a location, and selecting at least one content provider. The process also has the steps of updating a content of the content provider to provide a reference to the digital file at the location, generating an updated digital file by adding information which identifies the content provider to the digital file when the reference to the digital file is selected at the content provider, and transmitting at least a portion of the at least one updated digital file to a client network.

1 - 16 . (canceled) 
     
     
         17 . A method comprising:
 receiving on-line from a vendor site commercial information associated with a software product;   receiving on-line from a plurality of content provider sites content information associated with each of the content providers;   electronically selecting among the plurality of content provider sites using the commercial information and the content information one or more of the plurality of content provider sites to be a referring site for the software product;   transmitting to the referring site one or more links associated with the software product and useable to initiate a download of the software product to a computer device from the referring site; and   during or upon completion of a purchase transaction for the software product by the computer device resulting from an activation of the one or more links, electronically storing first data useable to remunerate the associated referring site.   
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 17 , further comprising transmitting to the referring site one or more advertisements associated with the software product. 
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 17 , further comprising transmitting to the referring site an application useable to modify the one or more links. 
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 18 , further comprising transmitting to the referring site an application useable to modify the one or more links and/or the one or more advertisements. 
     
     
         21 . The method according to  claim 17 , further comprising electronically collecting software product download data and sales data and using the download and sales data in electronically selecting among the plurality of content provider sites to be a referring site for the software product. 
     
     
         22 . The method according to  claim 17 , further comprising transmitting on-line compensation to the referring site based on the first data. 
     
     
         23 . The method according to  claim 17 , further comprising receiving on-line from the vendor site the software product. 
     
     
         24 . The method according to  claim 17 , further comprising transmitting to a download site one or more copies of the software product. 
     
     
         25 . The method according to clam  24 , wherein the one or more links includes identifying information of the download site. 
     
     
         26 . The method according to  claim 24 , wherein the identifying information of the download site is a URL address associated with the download site. 
     
     
         27 . A method comprising:
 receiving on-line from a vendor site a software product and commercial information associated with the software product;   receiving on-line from a plurality of content provider sites content information associated with each of the content providers;   electronically selecting among the plurality of content provider sites using the commercial information and the content information one or more of the plurality of content provider sites to be a referring site for the software product;   transmitting to the referring site one or more links associated with the software product and useable to initiate a download of the software product to a computer device from the referring site; and   during or upon completion of a purchase transaction for the software product by the computer device resulting from an activation of the one or more links, electronically storing first data useable to remunerate the associated referring site.   
     
     
         28 . The method according to  claim 27 , further comprising transmitting to the referring site one or more advertisements associated with the software product. 
     
     
         29 . The method according to  claim 27 , further comprising transmitting to the referring site an application useable to modify the one or more links. 
     
     
         30 . The method according to  claim 28 , further comprising transmitting to the referring site an application useable to modify the one or more links and/or the one or more advertisements. 
     
     
         31 . The method according to  claim 27 , further comprising electronically collecting software product download data and sales data and using the download and sales data in electronically selecting among the plurality of content provider sites to be a referring site for the software product 
     
     
         32 . The method according to  claim 27 , further comprising transmitting on-line compensation to the referring site based on the first data. 
     
     
         33 . The method according to  claim 27 , further comprising transmitting to a download site one or more copies of the software product. 
     
     
         34 . The method according to clam  33 , wherein the one or more links includes identifying information of the download site. 
     
     
         35 . The method according to  claim 33 , wherein the identifying information of the download site is a URL address associated with the download site. 
     
     
         36 . A method comprising:
 receiving on-line from a vendor site a software product and commercial information associated with the software product;   receiving on-line from a plurality of content provider sites content information associated with each of the content providers;   electronically selecting among the plurality of content provider sites using the commercial information and the content information one or more of the plurality of content provider sites to be a referring site for the software product;   transmitting to the referring site one or more links associated with the software product and useable to initiate a download of the software product to a computer device from the referring site;   during or upon completion of a purchase transaction for the software product by the computer device resulting from an activation of the one or more links, receiving identifying information of the associated referring site; and   electronically storing first data useable to remunerate the associated referring site.   
     
     
         37 . The method according to  claim 36 , further comprising transmitting to the referring site one or more advertisements associated with the software product. 
     
     
         38 . The method according to  claim 36 , further comprising transmitting to the referring site an application useable to modify the one or more links. 
     
     
         39 . The method according to  claim 37 , further comprising transmitting to the referring site an application useable to modify the one or more links and/or the one or more advertisements. 
     
     
         40 . The method according to  claim 36 , further comprising electronically collecting software product download data and sales data and using the download and sales data in electronically selecting among the plurality of content provider sites to be a referring site for the software product 
     
     
         41 . The method according to  claim 36 , further comprising transmitting on-line compensation to the referring site based on the first data. 
     
     
         42 . The method according to  claim 36 , further comprising transmitting to a download site one or more copies of the software product. 
     
     
         43 . The method according to clam  42 , wherein the one or more links includes identifying information of the download site. 
     
     
         44 . The method according to  claim 42 , wherein the identifying information of the download site is a URL address associated with the download site.