GB2437993A

GB2437993A - Recording medium for web-based downloading

Info

Publication number: GB2437993A
Application number: GB0609260A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Dov Jonathan Penzik; Sam Whyclif Fraser-Steele
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2006-05-10
Filing date: 2006-05-10
Publication date: 2007-11-14
Also published as: GB0609260D0

Abstract

Information storage devices are disclosed in the form of a recordable or re-recordable large storage capacity medium such as an optical disc, such as a CD-R, DVD-R, DVD-HD. It has a recorded or pressed portion and a blank portion. The recorded or pressed portion includes a computer programme or software application adapted to enable a computer in which it is inserted to connect to a computer-based information store, e.g. a server, retrieve data from that store and write it to the disc.

Description

RECORDED MEDIA

In recent years, the business of supplying recorded media, for example musical works or audiovisual works, has undergone a revolution. The advent of optically recordable media, with their substantially greater storage capacity than previously used magnetic media, provided the initial impetus and resulted in the production of "compact discs" which were relatively small, robust, and provided excellent fidelity of reproduction. Initially, however, the business model for the sale of such recorded works did not change as they could be manufactured and distributed in the same way as conventional pressed vinyl disc phonograms.

Three major changes have combined together to render that approach more difficult to operate successfully in practice. The first is the substantial increase in storage capacity of optical discs, particularly the development of the DVD (Digital Versatile Disc) which can store both audio and visual material, the ability to transmit the quantities of data stored on such optical media via wide area communications network such as the Internet, and the availability of relatively inexpensive devices for recording data on to such optical discs. Now higher capacity discs and faster writing devices coupled with increased available bandwidth, increase the pressure in this area and drives for writing on to Bluerayland DVD-HD discs are expected to be widely available at affordable prices in the near future.

As a result, the business model, particularly for the distribution of musical recordings, has changed substantially and it is expected that the proportion of recorded material purchased by way of downloading will increase as the availability of the computer-based equipment necessary to do so increases.

We have now developed a way in which the content providers, predominantly the musical and audiovisual content industry providers, may reach their target market in a way which will be economically attractive and which has a variety of other advantages.

According to a first feature of the present invention, there is provided an information storage device in the form of a recordable or re-recordable large storage capacity medium having a recorded or pressed portion and a blank portion, wherein the recorded or pressed portion includes a computer programme or software application adapted, when the device is inserted into computer apparatus including means for recording data on to the medium, to enable the computer apparatus to connect via a communications link with a computer-based information store, retrieve information from that store and write that information on to the medium. The information store is preferably a server connected to a suitable wide area communications network, such as the Internet, which server may be owned and controlled by a content provider or an intermediary.

The preferred medium is an optical high storage capacity disc, for example a CD-R or DVD-R type of disc. Such discs having pressed portions as well as blank parts on which data may be recorded are known as mixed mode or hybrid discs.

Preferred information storage devices according to the present invention when purchased by an intending user thus consist essentially of a recordable disc having plenty of spare capacity but on to which a suitable computer programme has already been pressed or recorded. The device is inserted into the disc reading and recording apparatus forming part of a computer and the programme already on it is preferably configured to run automatically, e.g. using auto insert notification. That programme uses the computer to communicate, for example via the Internet, with a content source, and to download content from that source and write it to the disc.

By appropriate programming, and in particular by means of an appropriate screen display mediated interaction between the programme and the user, a very flexible approach may be taken in terms of the selection of content to be downloaded and recorded to the disc.

The programme pre-recorded or pressed on the disc may control, for example, the number of times material may be downloaded and written on to the disc, the maximum quantity of material that can be written on to the disc, and whether or not material on the disc can be overwritten. The preferred form of disc is a so-called WORM disc where data can be written on to the disc once and read many times.

In addition to the computer programme or software application recorded or pressed on to the device during manufacture, it may also have some content pressed or recorded on it, and thus be targeted to a particular area, which may be reflected e.g. by an appropriate marking on the device. For example, in terms of downloading recorded music, different discs may be purchased for different genres, the disc including some generally useful content about the respective genre and the programme being adapted to take the user to the relevant catalogue of down loadable material on the server.

The business model may vary, but desirably the device of the present invention is simply sold as such for a given fee which then enables the purchaser to take the device and personalise it by selecting and downloading content on to it, essentially to provide themselves with a recorded CD/DVD for which they have paid.

It is highly preferred that each device sold carries a unique identifying code.

Such a code enables the device to be of no value and no use until it is sold to the intended user, at which point the vendor can report the sale and the content provider's server system can then be updated so that, when contacted by the user's computer, it will be able to validate that the item sold is legitimate and interact with it appropriately. If, for example, a batch of devices according to the present invention is stolen, then the individual code numbers corresponding to the stolen items are never activated and the items are of no value. A further deterrent may be that if an attempt is made to use such a stolen device, the programme reports details of the local environment in which the device finds itself, thus enabling the location of the stolen property to be determined even though it may have passed through several hands following its initial theft. This can clearly aid in detecting the thief.

Within the above business model, a very wide variety of individually different operating schemes may be devised. By way of example, there is now described in some detail a specific approach designed for use by a major content provider such as a "record company".

The system consists basically of a read/write CD-R or DVD-R in accordance with the invention, a "user system" provided by the purchaser of the disc and a server system connected to the Internet and under the control of the content provider or intermediary. The user system basically consists of an Internet connected computer having a CD-R and DVD-R read/write device.

The disc as produced is mostly a blank recordable disc, but has pressed or recorded on it, by an appropriate mass manufacturing process, the necessary software to operate as detailed below, together with appropriate individual identification codes. For example, each disc may have a pair of 20 digit binary numbers written on to it, the first being a straightforward serial number of the disc in question and the second being a randomly generated digit authorisation code. The manufacturer is responsible for producing a correlation between the serial number and authorisation codes which can be used as indicated below by the server system to validate a transaction downstream.

Discs manufactured and identified in this way may then be sold, e.g. for a price corresponding to the amount of material which can be downloaded on to it. For example, an audio disc may have the capacity to record 74 to 80 minutes of music. If a compressed format is used, e.g. MP3, correspondingly greater play time can be achieved.

When discs are released for sale or actually sold, details of the identifications are passed to the content provider's server.

The user turns the disc into a disc containing recorded material that they wish to view and/or hear by putting the disc into their computer system, where, either automatically or on an appropriate prompt, the programme stored on the disc may be activated. The programme then runs, first of all to display an appropriate interactive interface on the screen and secondly to connect to the content provider's server system.

The server system promptly carries out a check on the identification numbers associated with the disc and, if they are valid and authenticated, then the interaction between the user and the content provider's server may proceed.

There are a number of known so-called "token management systems" which may be used to check that the disc being activated is one which was legitimately in use, and that checking may be carried out if desired using encrypted secure socket layer technology to mediate the communication between the user's computer and the content provider's server.

If there is a problem, details of that problem can be passed to the user via an appropriate screen alert. If not, then the next stage may be entered into by the user, viz, the selection of material which the user wishes to have downloaded and recorded on to the disc. The server may accordingly cause the user's computer to display a series of screens in customary menu-driven fashion from which, by appropriate mouse clicks or equivalent approach, the user may select the material he or she wants to download. The programme may keep a running tally of the amount of that material and provide appropriate screen warnings as the maximum permitted amount of material for downloading is approached. Obviously the programme can allow for the revision of choices, the direct playing of samples, and similar enhancements and enhanced facilities.

At the end of the selection process, when the user has made his/her compilation of material from the range on offer, the user may be prompted to commit to the choices made, and, on his or her doing so, the system can then proceed to download and write the content on to the recordable disc in appropriate format. Obviously the data may be transmitted in appropriately compressed and/or encoded form and the programme at the user end may uncompress or decode it. Normal checking that recording has been successfully completed can be carried out, as customary, and once all of the material chosen for download has been downloaded and recorded, the programme may "close" the disc, i.e. record on it the necessary data so that the disc will no longer be able to accept any further recorded material or be overwritten. The programme that was originally on the disc my also, for example, overwrite the programme that was originally on the disc as supplied and then delete itself from the user's computer automatically.

The above is, as noted, just one way of putting the invention into effect.

Wide variations are possible in terms of the detailed operation and the user "computer system" while very often simply a personal computer with an appropriate CD-R or DVD-R drive, and Internet connection, may in theory be any other sot of apparatus capable of recording on to such a disc. For example, it is not difficult to envisage a "set top box" provided by a major broadcast media company incorporating a DVD writer/player and being programmable with appropriate connectivity to the broadcaster's system to operate in the same way. Even sophisticated CD players or DVD players may be capable of connection to wide area communication networks.

A particular advantage to the media content provider of using the present invention is that because of the content being delivered to the user via the media provider's server system, real time accumulated data may be captured with respect to the popularity of any given piece of content, for example a recently released popular song. The physical distribution chain is easily managed and the retail sale is essentially one of an empty disc to be filled according to the customer's requirements, so the customer does the work of selection and downloading and all the content provider needs to do is to provide an adequate server system and fill it with content as well as providing an attractive interactive website environment to encourage user participation and the purchase of further "blank discs". The interaction with the server may also include some form of registration' by the user who chooses to enter a user identity and communications detail, and which will then enable the content provider to construct a user profile and, for example, alert that registered user directly when fresh content likely to interest him or her becomes available.

If desired, the material downloaded may incorporate an appropriate anti-copying system or other digital rights management techniques.

Claims

CLAIMS

1. An information storage device in the form of a recordable or re-recordable large storage capacity medium having a recorded or pressed portion and a blank portion, wherein the recorded or pressed portion includes a computer programme or software application adapted, when the device is inserted into computer apparatus including means for recording data on to the medium, to enable the computer apparatus to connect via a communications link with a computer-based information store, retrieve information from that store and write that information on to the medium.

2. A device according to Claim 1 in the form of an optical high storage capacity disc.

3. A device according to Claim 1 or 2 wherein the computer programme already pressed or recorded on it is configured so that, when the device is inserted into the disc reading and recording apparatus forming part of a computer, the programme already on it runs automatically to cause the computer to communicate with a content source, and to download content from that source and write it to the disc.

4. A device according to Claim 3 wherein the programme pre-recorded or pressed on the disc may control the number of times material may be downloaded and written on to the disc, the maximum quantity of material that can be written on to the disc, and/or whether or not material on the disc can be overwritten.

5. A device according to any one of Claims 1 to 4 and including pre-recorded or pressed audiovisual or audio content in addition to the programme or software application.

6. A device according to any one of Claims 1 to 5 and which carries a unique identifying code discernible by the computer apparatus into which the device is intended to be inserted.