Media Content Delivery Systems and Methods

Abstract

The present invention provides systems and methods for enabling a consumer to acquire media content items.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A media content delivery method, comprising:
 using a first device to process media content;   while the first device is processing the media content, using the first device to transmit to a server a request for a media content information associated with the media content, wherein   the request for the media content information includes an identifier associated with the first device and/or a user of the first device, and   the server is configured such that after receiving the request, the server (a) uses the identifier that was included in the request to select a delivery address to which to send a response, wherein the selected delivery address is associated with a second device that is different than the first device and (b) sends to the selected delivery address the response, wherein the response comprises (i) a message comprising a link associated with a media content item and/or (ii) the media content item itself.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the response includes the message comprising the link, and the response is transmitted via e-mail. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 using a third device to view the message;   activating the link, thereby initiating the downloading of the media content item associated with the link to the third device; and   after activating the link, receiving the item at the third device.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the response includes the message comprising the link, and the link is a direct link to the item. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the response includes the message comprising the link, and the link is a link to a server that has access to the item. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein, in response to activating the link, a third device transmits a second request to a server and the server responds to the second request by transmitting a second response to the second device, wherein the second response prompts the user of the third device to enter an access code. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the second response is an HTML document. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the media content is a track from a CD and the media content item is digital file containing the track from the CD. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the media content is a music video and the media content item is digital file containing the song from the music video. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the message is an e-mail message and the media content item is attached to the e-mail message. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first device processes the media content by playing the received broadcasted media content for a user of the first device. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the server is configured such that the server selects the delivery address by using the identifier to retrieve from a database an address associated with the identifier. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the selected delivery address is not an address belonging to said first device. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the server is configured such that the server uses the identifier to select the delivery address by obtaining from a database information that is associated with the identifier. 
     
     
         15 . A media content delivery method, comprising:
 transmitting media content to a remote device;   while transmitting the media content to the remote device, receiving from the remote device a request for media content information associated with the transmitted media content, wherein the request for the media content information includes an identifier associated with said remote device and/or a user of said device; and   after receiving the request, (a) using the identifier to select a delivery address to which to send a response, wherein the selected delivery address is associated with a second device that is different than the remote device; and (b) sending to the selected delivery address the response, the response comprising (i) a message comprising a link associated with a media content item and/or (ii) the media content item.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the media content is an audio track and the media content item is a digital file containing the audio track. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the media content is a music video and the media content item is a digital file containing the audio from the music video. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the media content is a music video and the media content item is a digital file containing the music video. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the response includes the message comprising the link and the link is a direct link to the item. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the response includes the message comprising the link and the link is a link to a server that has access to the item. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein, in response to a user activating the link, a server receives a second request and responds to the second request by transmitting a second response to the device that transmitted the second request, wherein the second response prompts the user of the device to enter an access code. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the second response is an HTML document. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the selected delivery address is not an address belonging to said one of the remote device. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the step of using the identifier to select a delivery address comprises using the identifier to obtain from a database information that is associated with the identifier. 
     
     
         25 . A media content delivery system, comprising:
 one or more transmitters;   one or more processors for employing the transmitter to transmit to a user device a set of identifiers, each identifier identifying a different media content item, wherein the device is configured to enable a user of the user device to select one of the media content items;   a receiver for receiving from the user device one of the identifiers included in the set of identifiers; and   a media-on-demand system for transmitting to a user device a media content item identified by a received identifier and meta-data associated with the media content item identified by the received identifier; and   fulfillment processor for: receiving from the user device a message containing an identifier associated with the user device and/or a user of said device; using the identifier received from the user device to determine a delivery address associated with the identifier; and delivering the media content item, or a version thereof, to the delivery address.   
     
     
         26 . The system of  25 , wherein delivering the item to the delivery address comprises transmitting the item to the delivery address. 
     
     
         27 . The system of  25 , wherein delivering the item to the delivery address comprises transmitting to the delivery address an message that includes the item and/or a link to the item. 
     
     
         28 . The system of  25 , wherein the message is an e-mail message or a text message. 
     
     
         29 . A media content delivery method, comprising:
 transmitting media content to a remote device, wherein audio data is associated with the transmitted media content;   storing a plurality of media files corresponding to the transmitted media content, wherein each of said media files stores a different version of the audio data that is associated with the transmitted media content;   while transmitting the media content to the remote device, receiving from the remote device a message, wherein the message includes an identifier associated with said remote device and/or a user of said device; and   upon receiving the message,   (a) using the identifier to retrieve from a database information associated with the identifier, wherein the information includes a delivery address;   (b) selecting from among the plurality of media files one or more of the media files, wherein the selection is based on information in the message and/or at least some of the retrieved information, and   (c) transmitting to the delivery address at least one of the selected media files and/or a link to said media file, wherein the message further includes a format identifier and the step of selecting the media files comprises selecting from the plurality of media files one or more media files that contain a version of the audio data that matches the format identified by the format identifier.   
     
     
         30 . A media content delivery system, the system comprising:
 one or more processors;   one or more transmitters; and   one or more receivers, wherein   one of the one or more processors is adapted to use one of the one or more transmitters to transmit media content to a remote device;   one of the one or more receivers is operable to receive from the remote device a request for media content information associated with the transmitted media content while the transmitter is transmitting the media content to the remote device, wherein the request for the media content information includes an identifier associated with said remote device and/or a user of said device,   one of the one or more processors is adapted to use the identifier to select a delivery address to which to send a response, wherein the selected delivery address is associated with a second device that is different than the remote device, and   one of the one or more processors is adapted to send to the selected delivery address the response, the response comprising (i) a message comprising a link associated with a media content item and/or (ii) the media content item.