Reporting information about users who obtain copyrighted media using a network in an unauthorized manner

Abstract

Methods and systems for reporting information about users who obtain copyrighted media illegally using a network are provided. A particular copyrighted media from a source of copyrighted media may be associated with a user's computer. Copyright fees have not been paid for the particular copyrighted media. Information about the user of the computer is reported.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of reporting information about a user who obtains copyrighted media using a network in an unauthorized manner, the method comprising:
 coupling a source of copyrighted media with the network;   associating a particular copyrighted media from the source with a client device, wherein copyright fees have not been paid for the particular copyrighted media; and   reporting information about a user of the client device.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the reporting further comprises reporting the information about the user to a client device associated with one of an imposter user and an imposter service provider. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising performing an action, wherein the action is one of determining if the particular copyrighted media is transmitted, determining where the particular copyrighted media is transmitted to, not permitting the transmission of the particular copyrighted media, denying authorization to play or copy the particular copyrighted media, reporting information about the particular copyrighted media, and altering the copyrighted media. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the action is performed at a future time. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises associating information with the particular copyrighted media and wherein information about the particular copyrighted media includes a name of the particular copyrighted media, size of a file that includes the particular copyrighted media, or a signature of the particular copyrighted media. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising requiring the use of monitoring logic for accessing the particular copyrighted media. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein accessing comprises displaying the particular copyrighted media or playing the particular copyrighted media. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the particular copyrighted media is music, electronic multi-media, an electronic document, a video, graphics, or a compact disk (CD). 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the information about the user includes an Internet Protocol (IP) address, a Media Access Control (MAC) address, a home address, email address, or the name of the user. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the reporting further comprises reporting the information about the user when the user registers to obtain copyrighted media from the source. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the reporting further comprises using monitoring logic to report the information about the user. 
     
     
         12 . A computer system comprising:
 a memory unit; and   a processor coupled to the memory unit, the processor for executing a method for reporting information about a user who obtain copyrighted media in an unauthorized manner, the method comprising:   coupling a source of copyrighted media with the network;   associating copyrighted media from the source with a client device, wherein copyright fees have not been paid for the particular copyrighted media; and   reporting information about a user of the client device.   
     
     
         13 . The computer system of  claim 12 , wherein the reporting further comprises reporting the information about the user to a client device associated with an imposter user or an imposter service provider. 
     
     
         14 . The computer system of  claim 12 , the method further comprising performing a particular action of determining if the copyrighted material is transmitted. 
     
     
         15 . The computer system of  claim 12 , the method further comprising performing a particular action of determining where the copyrighted material is transmitted to. 
     
     
         16 . The computer system of  claim 12 , the method further comprising performing a particular action of not permitting the transmission of the copyrighted material. 
     
     
         17 . The computer system of  claim 12 , the method further comprising performing a particular action of denying authorization to play. 
     
     
         18 . The computer system of  claim 12 , the method further comprising performing a particular action of denying authorization copy the copyrighted material. 
     
     
         19 . The computer system of  claim 12 , the method further comprising performing a particular action of reporting information about the particular copyrighted media. 
     
     
         20 . The computer system of  claim 12 , the method further comprising performing a particular action of altering the copyrighted media. 
     
     
         21 . The computer system of  claim 12 , wherein information about the copyrighted material includes a name of the copyrighted material. 
     
     
         22 . The computer system of  claim 12 , wherein information about the copyrighted material includes the size of a file that includes the copyrighted material. 
     
     
         23 . The computer system of  claim 12 , wherein information about the copyrighted material includes a signature of the copyrighted material. 
     
     
         24 . The computer system of  claim 12 , the method further comprising transmitting monitoring logic for accessing the copyrighted material. 
     
     
         25 . The computer system of  claim 24 , wherein the accessing comprises displaying the copyrighted material. 
     
     
         26 . The computer system of  claim 24 , wherein the accessing comprises playing the copyrighted material. 
     
     
         27 . The computer system of  claim 12 , wherein the information about the user includes an Internet Protocol (IP) address. 
     
     
         28 . The computer system of  claim 12 , wherein the information about the user includes a Media Access Control (MAC) address. 
     
     
         29 . The computer system of  claim 12 , wherein the information about the user includes a home address. 
     
     
         30 . The computer system of  claim 12 , wherein the information about the user includes the name of the user. 
     
     
         31 . The computer system of  claim 24 , the method further comprising:
 using the monitoring logic to report the information about the user.   
     
     
         32 . A computer-usable medium having computer-readable program code embodied therein for causing a computer system to perform a method of reporting information about a user who obtains copyrighted media using a network in an unauthorized manner, the method comprising:
 coupling a source of copyrighted media with the network;   associating a particular copyrighted media from the source with a client device, wherein copyright fees have not been paid for the particular copyrighted media; and   reporting information about a user of the client device.   
     
     
         33 . The computer-usable medium of  claim 32 , wherein the computer-readable program code embodied therein causes a computer system to perform the method, wherein the reporting further comprises reporting the information about the user to a client device associated with one of an imposter user and an imposter service provider. 
     
     
         34 . The computer-usable medium of  claim 32 , wherein the computer-readable program code embodied therein causes a computer system to perform the method, wherein the method further comprising performing an action, wherein the action is one of determining if the particular copyrighted media is transmitted, determining where the particular copyrighted media is transmitted to, not permitting the transmission of the particular copyrighted media, denying authorization to play or copy the particular copyrighted media, reporting information about the particular copyrighted media, and altering the copyrighted media. 
     
     
         35 . The computer-usable medium of  claim 34 , wherein the action is performed at a future time. 
     
     
         36 . The computer-usable medium of  claim 32 , wherein the computer-readable program code embodied therein causes a computer to perform the method, wherein the method further comprises associating information with the particular copyrighted material and wherein the information about the particular copyrighted media includes a name of the particular copyrighted media, size of a file that includes the particular copyrighted media, or a signature of the particular copyrighted media. 
     
     
         37 . The computer-usable medium of  claim 32 , wherein the computer-readable program code embodied therein causes a computer to perform the method, wherein the method further comprising requiring the use of monitoring logic for accessing the particular copyrighted media. 
     
     
         38 . The computer-usable medium of  claim 37 , wherein the computer-readable program code embodied therein causes a computer to perform the method, wherein the accessing the particular copyrighted material further comprises displaying the particular copyrighted media or playing the particular copyrighted media. 
     
     
         39 . The computer-usable medium of  claim 32 , wherein the particular copyrighted media is music, electronic multi-media, an electronic document, a video, graphics, or a compact disk (CD). 
     
     
         40 . The computer-usable medium of  claim 32 , wherein the information about the user includes an Internet Protocol (IP) address, a Media Access Control (MAC) address, a home address, email address, or the name of the user. 
     
     
         41 . The computer-usable medium of  claim 32 , wherein the computer-readable program code embodied therein causes a computer to perform the method, wherein the reporting further comprises reporting the information about the user when the user registers to obtain copyrighted media from the source. 
     
     
         42 . The computer-usable medium of  claim 32 , wherein the computer-readable program code embodied therein causes a computer to perform the method, wherein the reporting further comprises using monitoring logic to report the information about the user.