Management of shared media content

Abstract

A media device allows users to watch and capture portions from a media broadcast. Users may then share the captured media content items with other users, for example, by uploading the items to a community website. Before providing requested media content items to other users, the website may combine advertisements with the media content items. The website may receive advertising revenue from advertisers and may share the advertising revenue with owners of the media content items in exchange for their permission to provide the media content items. The advertisers may provide restrictions on how the advertisements are combined with the media content items, and the content owners may provide restrictions on how the media content items are provided to the users.

1 - 32 . (canceled) 
     
     
         33 . A computer-implemented method executable by a server communicating on a network, the method comprising:
 receiving a video clip at the server from a first user, wherein the video clip comprises a portion of a video stream, wherein the portion is selected by the first user, wherein the video stream comprises original content owned by one or more original content owners, and wherein the video clip is received from the first user with identification information that identifies the original content used to create the video clip;   identifying, using the server, the one or more owners of the original content based upon the identification information received with the video clip;   combining advertisements with the received video clip using the server; and   providing the combined video clip and advertisements from the server to the second user upon requests for the video clip subsequently received by the server.   
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 33 , further comprising: receiving one or more restrictions associated with the original content from the one or more owners, the one or more restrictions indicating one or more limitations on how the video clip is provided to the second user. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein one or more of the one or more restrictions limit the advertisements that can be combined with the video clip. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein one or more of the restrictions limit the length of the video clip that can be provided to the second user. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein one or more of the restrictions limit a quality characteristic of the video clip that can be provided to the second user, and wherein the quality characteristic is selected from a group consisting of: a resolution, a frame rate, and a bit rate. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein one or more of the restrictions limit the number of second users who can be provided a particular item of the video clip. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein one or more of the restrictions identify a particular item of the video clip that cannot be provided to the second user. 
     
     
         40 . A computer-implemented method executable by a server, comprising:
 receiving a content item from a first user at the server via a network, wherein the content item is a video clip that comprises a portion of a video stream that is selected by the first user, wherein the video stream comprises original content that is owned by one or more owners, and wherein the content item is received from the first user with identification information that identifies the original content;   identifying, using the server, the one or more owners of the original content based upon the identification information received with the content item from the first user;   receiving a request for the content item from a second user by the server; and   providing the content item from the server to the second user.   
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 40 , further comprising: receiving one or more restrictions associated with the original content from the one or more owners, the one or more restrictions indicating one or more limitations on how the content item created from the original content is provided to the second user. 
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 40 , further comprising determining, using the server, whether the owner of the content has given permission to provide the content item to the second user. 
     
     
         43 . A computer-implemented method executable by a server providing a media content item, the method comprising:
 receiving the media content item from a first user at the server, wherein the media content item is a media clip that is created by the first user as a selected portion of a media stream, wherein the media stream comprises original content owned by one or more content owners, and wherein the media content item comprises identifying information that identifies the original content used to create the media content;   determining, using the server, the one or more content owners based upon the identifying information received from the first user with the media content item;   implementing, at the server, one or more restrictions based upon the original content from the one or more content owners, the one or more restrictions indicating one or more limitations on how the media content item based upon the original content is provided;   receiving, at the server, a request for the media content item; and   providing the requested media content items from the server in response to the request, the content item provided in accordance with the associated one or more restrictions.   
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 43  wherein the identification information is automatically determined when the first user creates the media content item. 
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 44  wherein the identification information is automatically determined from information associated with a source of the original content. 
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 44  wherein the identification information is automatically obtained from an electronic program guide that describes the original content. 
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 43  wherein the media content item is a video clip comprising a portion of a received media stream comprising the original content that is received by one of the users. 
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 43  further comprising charging, by the server, advertising fees from one or more advertisers in exchange for providing an advertisement with the media clip. 
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 48  further comprising crediting, by the server, a portion of the advertising fees to the one or more owners of the original content. 
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 43  wherein the media clip comprises a portion of the stream having a beginning and an end determined by a user of the media player, and wherein the identification information comprises information obtained from an electronic program guide at the media player that describes the original content. 
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 50  wherein the identification information identifies the original content by a program name. 
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 50  wherein the identification information identifies the original content by a broadcast network that broadcast the original content.