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 . A method comprising:
 a. a computer receiving a webpage from a referring Internet website, the webpage comprising a link usable to download of a software product characterized by a limited use as long as a software product license associated with the software product has not been activated;   b. the computer downloading the software product, the software product comprising a software component;   c. the computer setting up a communication with a vendor Internet site, said setting up the communication with the vendor Internet site comprising the computer executing instructions of the software component;   d. the computer providing a graphical interface usable to select a software product license;   e. the computer enabling purchasing online from the vendor Internet site the software product license, said enabling purchasing online comprising the computer executing instructions of the software component;   f. the computer receiving from the vendor Internet site a first data representative of a purchase receipt for the software product license;   g. the computer setting up a communication with a licensing Internet site other than the vendor Internet site;   h. the computer transmitting the first data representative of the purchase receipt for the software product license to the licensing Internet site;   i. the computer transmitting identifying data associated with the computer to the licensing Internet site;   j. the computer receiving from the licensing Internet site second data usable to activate the software product license in the computer.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising the computer executing the software product, said executing the software product comprising the computer executing instructions of the software component to verify that the computer has a license for the software product. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said providing a graphical interface usable to select a software product license comprises the computer executing instructions of the software product. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said providing a graphical interface usable to select a software product license comprises the computer executing instructions of the software component. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said setting up the communication with the licensing Internet site comprises the computer executing instructions of the software component. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the identifying data associated with the computer comprises hardware identifying data. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second data comprises hardware identifying data associated with the computer. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the limited use of the software product is characterized at least by a limited time to use the software product without purchasing the software product license. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8  wherein the limited time is  30  days. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising the computer enabling the vendor Internet site to pay to the referring Internet website a commission for the sale of the software product license. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising the computer communicating with an intermediary Internet site. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11  further comprising the computer enabling the intermediary Internet site to pay to the referring Internet website a commission for the sale of the software product license. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the computer enabling the Intermediary site to pay to the referring Internet website a commission comprises the computer transmitting to the Intermediary site data identifying the referring Internet website. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the link comprises data usable to identify at least one among: an Internet site to be used for downloading the software product, the software product and the referring Internet website.