Managing Gifts of Digital Media

Abstract

An individual may wish to make a gift of digital media to a designated recipient. The digital media may be previously purchased by the individual or may be new, unused digital media purchased specifically as a gift for the recipient. The sender of the gift sends a gift notification. The sender is then verified to ensure that the sender is authorized to make the gift by matching an identifier of the digital media with an identifier associated with the sender. The digital media may be associated with a set of rights and privileges. Further rights and privileges associated with the digital media may be offered to the recipient.

1 . A method for managing authorization of a gift, the method comprising:
 receiving at a server a gift notification from a client device associated with a sender, the gift notification concerning a digital gift to a recipient designated by the sender;   executing instructions stored in a memory of the server, wherein execution of the instructions by a processor at the server:
 verifies that the sender is authorized to give the digital gift based on matching an identifier associated with the sender to authorization information stored in memory, and 
 initiates a transfer of the digital gift to the designated recipient, and 
   storing information regarding the transfer of the digital gift to the designated recipient, the information being stored in the memory of the server; and   sending a message from the server to the designated recipient concerning the transfer of the digital gift, the message including information concerning rights or privileges associated with the digital gift.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the identifier associated with the sender is associated with an identifier of the digital gift. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the sender transacted a sale to the designated recipient and wherein the gift notification further includes indication of the sale. 
     
     
         4 .- 7 . (canceled) 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the message further includes an offer concerning access to increased rights or privileges associated with one or more digital media. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the sender further designates a gift of increased rights or privileges associated with one or more digital media, and the message further includes information regarding a gift of credit from the sender, the gift of credit applicable toward a purchase of the increased rights or privileges associated with the digital media. 
     
     
         10 . A system for managing authorization of a gift, the system comprising:
 a first client device associated with a sender, the first client device configured to generate and send a gift notification concerning a digital gift to a recipient designated by the sender;   a server configured to:
 receive the gift notification from the first client device, 
 verify that the sender is authorized to give the digital gift based on matching an identifier of associated with the sender to authorization information stored in memory, 
 initiate a transfer of the digital gift to the designated recipient, 
 store information regarding the transfer of the digital gift to the designated recipient, the information being stored in the memory of the server, and 
 send a message to the designated recipient, the message further including information concerning rights or privileges associated with the digital gift; and 
   a second client device associated with the designated recipient, the second client device configured to receive the message.   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the identifier associated with the sender is associated with an identifier of the digital gift. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the sender transacted a sale to the designated recipient and wherein the gift notification further includes indication of the sale. 
     
     
         13 .- 16 . (canceled) 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the message further includes an offer concerning access to increased rights or privileges associated with one or more digital media. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the sender further designates a gift of increased rights or privileges associated with one or more digital media, and the message further includes information regarding a gift of credit from the sender, the gift of credit applicable toward a purchase of the increased rights or privileges associated with the digital media. 
     
     
         19 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, having embodied thereon a program, the program being executable by a processor to perform a method for managing authorization of a gift, the method comprising:
 receiving a gift notification from a client device associated with a sender, the gift notification concerning a digital gift to a recipient designated by the sender;   verifying that the sender is authorized to give the digital media based on matching an identifier associated with the sender to authorization information stored in memory,   initiating a transfer of the digital gift to the designated recipient, and   storing information regarding the transfer of the digital gift to the designated recipient; and   sending a message to the designated recipient concerning the transfer of the digital gift, the message including information concerning rights or privileges associated with the digital gift.   
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 19 , wherein the message further includes an offer concerning access to increased rights or privileges associated with one or more digital media. 
     
     
         21 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 20 , wherein the sender further designates a gift of increased rights or privileges associated with one or more digital media, and the message further includes information concerning a gift of credit from the sender, the gift of credit applicable toward a purchase of the increased rights or privileges associated with the digital media. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the digital gift includes one or more redeemable points. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the redeemable points can be used to acquire a digital object to be associated with the designated recipient during play of or interaction with one or more digital media. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the digital gift includes a discount applicable toward a purchase of a real or digital object. 
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the digital gift includes one or more redeemable points. 
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 25 , wherein the redeemable points can be used to acquire a digital object to be associated with the designated recipient during play of or interaction with one or more digital media. 
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 25 , wherein the gift includes a discount applicable toward a purchase of a real or digital object. 
     
     
         28 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 19 , wherein the digital gift includes one or more redeemable points. 
     
     
         29 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 28 , wherein the redeemable points can be used to acquire a digital object to be associated with the designated recipient during play of or interaction with one or more digital media.