Systems and methods for pricing and selling digital goods

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for pricing, selling, and/or otherwise distributing electronic content using auction mechanisms. A randomized auction mechanism is used to determine both the number of goods that are sold and the selling price. The auction mechanism automatically adapts to the bid distribution to yield revenue that is competitive with that which could be obtained if the vendor were able to determine the optimal fixed price for the goods. In one embodiment a set of bids is randomly or quasi-randomly partitioned into two or more groups. An optimal threshold is determined for each group, and this threshold is then used to select winning bids from one or more of the other groups. In another embodiment, each bid is compared to a competing bid that is randomly or quasi-randomly selected from the set of bids. If the bid is less than the randomly-selected competing bid, the bid is rejected. Otherwise, the bid is accepted and the bidder buys the auctioned item at the price of the randomly-selected bid.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A method for vending a copy of a digital work performed by a system comprising a processor and a non-transitory computer-readable medium communicatively coupled to the processor storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the system to perform the method, the method comprising:
 receiving a plurality of bids for access to the copy of the digital work from a plurality of bidders;   selecting from the plurality of bids:
 a first bid from a first bidder, and 
 a first sample of one or more bids, wherein the first sample of one or more bids does not include the first bid; 
   generating, based on the first sample of one or more bids, at least one threshold;   determining that the first bid meets or exceeds the at least one threshold; and   providing access to the copy of the digital work to the first bidder.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the at least one threshold is generated to maximize a quantity obtained by multiplying (a) a number of bids of the first sample of one or more bids that exceed the threshold by (b) a bid value of a highest bid in the first sample of one or more bids that is less than or equal to the threshold. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the copy of the digital work is one of a plurality of identical copies of the digital work. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the method further comprises:
 receiving payment information from the first bidder in an amount equal to the at least one threshold.   
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the first sample of one or more bids is selected from the plurality of bids in a random fashion. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the first sample of one or more bids is selected from the plurality of bids in a quasi-random fashion. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein providing access to the copy of the digital work to the first bidder comprises providing secure access to the copy of the digital work to the first bidder. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein providing access to the copy of the digital work to the first bidder comprises sending the copy of the digital work to the first bidder. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein providing access to the copy of the digital work to the first bidder comprises securely sending the copy of the digital work to the first bidder. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the method further comprises:
 selecting from the plurality of bids;
 a second bid from a second bidder, and 
 a second sample of one or more bids from the plurality of bids, wherein the second sample of the one or more bids does not include the second bid; 
   generating, based on the second sample of one or more bids, at least one second threshold;   determining that the second bid meets or exceeds the at least one second threshold; and   providing access to another copy of the digital work to the second bidder.   
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the second sample of one or more bids does not include the first sample of one or more bids. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the method further comprises:
 receiving payment information from the second bidder in an amount at least equal to the at least one second threshold.   
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the second sample of one or more bids is selected from the plurality of bids in a random fashion. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the second sample of one or more bids is selected from the plurality of bids in a quasi-random fashion. 
     
     
         34 . A system for vending a copy of a digital work comprising:
 a processor; and   a non-transitory computer-readable medium communicatively coupled to the processor storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the system to:
 receive a plurality of bids for access to the copy of the digital work from a plurality of bidders; 
 select from the plurality of bids:
 a first bid from a first bidder, and 
 a sample of one or more bids, wherein first sample of one or more bids does not include the first bid; 
 
 generate, based on the first sample of one or more bids, at least one threshold; 
 determine that the first bid meets or exceeds the at least one threshold; and 
 provide access to the copy of the digital work to the first bidder. 
   
     
     
         35 . The system of  claim 34 , wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the system to generate the at least one threshold to maximize a quantity obtained by multiplying (a) a number of bids of the sample of one or more bids that exceed the threshold by (b) a bid value of a highest bid in the sample of one or more bids that is less than or equal to the threshold. 
     
     
         36 . The system of  claim 34 , wherein the copy of the digital work is one of a plurality of identical copies of the digital work. 
     
     
         37 . The system of  claim 34 , wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the system to receive payment information from the first bidder in an amount at least equal to the at least one threshold. 
     
     
         38 . The system of  claim 34 , wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the system to select from the plurality of bids the sample of one or more bids in a random fashion. 
     
     
         39 . The system of  claim 34 , wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the system to select from the plurality of bids the sample of one or more bids in a quasi-random fashion. 
     
     
         40 . The system of  claim 34 , wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the system to provide secure access to the copy of the digital work to the first bidder 
     
     
         41 . The system of  claim 34 , wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the system to provide access to the copy of the digital work to the first bidder by sending the copy of the digital work to the first bidder.