Michael A Lundgren

US Patent:

6434535, Aug 13, 2002

Filed:

Nov 13, 1998

Appl. No.:

09/191976

Inventors:

Michael S. Kupka - Nacogdoches TX
Michael G. Lundgren - Salt Lake City UT

Assignee:

Iomega Corporation - UT

International Classification:

G06F 1700

US Classification:

705 24, 380228

Abstract:

A system and method for distribution of electronic content over a network infrastructure and compensation of vendors of such data using prepaid media that includes a client device for operation by a user desiring to receive the electronic content and server that contains the electronic content and offering the electronic content for downloading to the client device via the network infrastructure. The client device communicates a unique identifier associated with a particular piece of media to which the electronic content is to be stored to the server. The server contacts a media tracking sever to determine if the media is valid and a remaining balance of the prepaid media. The cost of the electronic content to be downloaded is deducted from the remaining balance and credited to the vendors account. The server then encrypts the electronic content using the unique identifier as a key and downloads the encrypted electronic content to the client computer, where the client computer writes the encrypted electronic content to the particular piece of media such that the encrypted electronic content may only be accessed from the particular piece of media. The electronic content is only accessible from only the one piece of media having the unique identifier and is not accessible from any other media having a different or no identifier.