JP2003526805A6 - Distribution of music products via the Internet - Google Patents

Abstract

The system and method make audio music files available for purchase over the Internet. A PC user (18) logs on to the vendor website (20) and browses for available songs. The songs may be arranged by artist, music style, etc., as described above. If the user is interested in a song, the PC user (18) has the option to click on the song to listen to it. Then, if the PC user (18) wants to purchase the song, he can place an order by clicking on the icon located next to each song / album. As the PC user selects more items, each item is displayed in the shopping basket (22). At any point, the PC user (18) can review his choices and delete items that he no longer wants.

Description

[0001]
(Background of the Invention)
The present invention relates generally to downloading digital music. In particular, the invention relates to systems and methods for distributing digital music by website vendors over the Internet.
[0002]
The Internet offers a large number of electronic trading opportunities. Above all, distributing music over a computer-implemented global network is a very suitable application of e-commerce, so that customers can easily and quickly download individual tracks or entire albums. Can be found and purchased. Accordingly, there is a need for a system, method that is comprehensive, compatible, user-friendly, and protects the ownership of artists and other rights holders.
[0003]
(Summary of the Invention)
It is an object of the present invention to provide a website for digital music distribution.
[0004]
It is another object of the present invention to provide a digital music distribution website that allows a customer's shopping list to be always displayed on a display screen.
[0005]
Yet another object of the present invention is to display a shopping history to each registered user / customer for unlimited downloading of previously purchased items.
[0006]
It is yet another object of the present invention to display sales and royalties (intellectual property (patent) royalties) for rights holders based on product sales through a website.
[0007]
Yet another object of the present invention is to prohibit unauthorized transfer of downloaded music files for playback by unregistered users / customers.
[0008]
The foregoing and other objects of the invention are achieved by a system and method for delivering products over the Internet. In accordance with the present invention, a login screen is displayed on the video monitor that allows a user to enter a unique identifier to access database information. After the validity of the unique identifier entered is confirmed, a shopping list listing the purchase items selected by the user is displayed. The listed items are described in a digital format suitable for downloading to a user's computer connected to the Internet and other media formats suitable for the user to shop.
[0009]
According to one aspect of the invention, the items listed are compact discs containing recorded music or digital music in encoded format, and the shopping list has at least one item contained therein. As long as it appears on the video monitor.
[0010]
According to another aspect of the invention, a portion of the digital music is retrieved from a database, and the retrieved portion of the digital music is then played by a user.
[0011]
The present invention will now be described by way of example only, and not by way of limitation, in which the same or corresponding elements are indicated by the same reference numerals.
[0012]
(Detailed description of preferred embodiment)
In general, the present invention comprises a system and method for maintaining a music web on the Internet. Consumers may access the website via a personal computer or other wired or wireless Internet access device, such as a web TV, personal digital assistant (PDA), mobile phone, and the like. For example, consumers can browse through artists, tracks or albums, preview some of the songs, download digital data to their computer's hard drive, or use a compact disc (CD) ) Can be purchased by mail. A specially coded or encrypted MP3 file called “NETlux” (NETrax) is distributed from the server to the final consumer's home PC by the Internet or cable service.
[0013]
The present invention is directed, inter alia, to a network-based system for distributing music products over a network such as the Internet. The system includes a server platform that processes user requests and other information related to the operation of the system. The server is connected to a database, which may be remote or local, for storing data. The stored songs are represented by digitized songs, for example, words related to each song such as track names, album names, artist names, lyrics, etc., image data, graphics, and the like.
[0014]
A server is, for example, a node on a network running on a global computer such as the Internet. As is well known to those skilled in the art, a network router may be used to connect a server to the Internet to control the flow of data. The Internet is also connected to a plurality of nodes such as personal computers, web devices, and the like, which are controlled by users (hereinafter collectively referred to as PC users). The PC user communicates with the server using a dial-up modem, cable modem, IDSN, DSL, etc., and using a browser program running on a personal computer as is well known to those skilled in the art. A communication link or session is established between the PC user and the server via the Internet when the PC user logs into the website hosted by the server.
[0015]
In the preferred embodiment, a PC user logs on to the Internet using a web browser program to access the World Wide Web portion. That is, the PC user selects a URL address for the vendor's website, enters it into his computer, and a communication link is set up between the PC user and the selected vendor's website. Requests from the browser go out to the server using the Internet (HTTP) protocol. Then, using the SQL commands, the server accesses the database, maintains the requested URL address information, and sends the HTML-based result from the database to the server, and then to the customer's browser for display on the PC user's display monitor. Transferred to
[0016]
FIG. 1A shows a display of a video display screen 10 viewed by a PC user after being connected to a vendor website to distribute a music product.
[0017]
As shown, the website display is divided into two parts. The main portion 12 on the left side of the screen 10 includes a field for entering a search query related to music. For example, a PC user may search for a desired song by an artist after entering the artist's name. The operation is performed by various search engines for searching the related database. Alternatively, the PC user may search for songs by title or album name. Further, as shown in FIG. 1A, songs and / or albums belonging to various genres may be displayed on a screen in response to a PC user's selection.
[0018]
In addition, music performers playing digital music downloaded from the server via the Internet are displayed on a major portion of the screen. A music player known as "MCYNET Rack Player" can also download from a server to a PC via the Internet.
[0019]
The main part includes various contents under several headings and subheadings. For example, FIG. 1A shows an album and / or song under the heading "Special Selection" featured selectively on a website. Under the heading "MCY Choice Cut" is listed a number of songs / albums, also selected by the website vendor. FIG. 1A also shows a “News” category that typically introduces the artist, where a conversation with the artist can be seen under the heading “Interview”. Of course, other music content and categories, including hyperlinks to other websites, pages, etc., headings, subheadings, etc. may be provided on the website. Note that a vertical scrollbar may be needed to see the contents of the entire frame that occupies the left portion of the screen.
[0020]
The right portion of the display screen is controlled independently of the left portion and includes the "Shopping List" heading as well as a login procedure for PC users. In particular, if a PC user wants to purchase a song or album, the user registers with the website vendor using an online login procedure. The registration consists of entering a username and password to access the website vendor's product. When a new PC user logs in, the user selects a user name and password, and then clicks a "new user" software button on the screen. The new PC user is then required to reconfirm the selected password by entering the password again. If the password is properly reconfirmed, the user is allowed to buy a CD, download digital music, or make other purchases from the website as described below. For a repeat user, after clicking the "Login" software button, the entered user name and password are compared to a database connected to the server. If so, access to the purchase transaction on the website is enabled and the PC user can shop for music and other items. Otherwise, an error message is displayed and the PC user is prohibited from purchasing music or other products. However, in this case, the PC user may still use the left portion of the screen to browse various titles, read news, etc., as described above.
[0021]
FIG. 1B shows the display on the video display screen after the PC user has successfully logged in. In this case, it is assumed that after browsing the available songs and albums, the PC user has decided to purchase two albums. When the user clicks on the selection in the left part of the screen, the desired item, either a CD or downloadable digital music, appears in the right part under the heading "MCY shopping list".
[0022]
That is, as a PC user browses through a website, the user may select an item of interest for purchase. These items are displayed in the "shopping basket", i.e., on the right side of the PC user's computer screen as shown in FIG. 1B. If there is at least one item, the shopping basket is continuously displayed. Alternatively, the shopping basket can be displayed continuously, even if it is empty. In particular, the shopping basket can display the name, quantity, and cost of the selected item. The shopping basket can also indicate the total cost of the items in the shopping basket as shown in FIG. 1B.
[0023]
In a preferred embodiment, the system is also capable of purchasing audio music files over the Internet. The PC user logs on to the vendor's website and browses for available songs. The songs can be arranged by artist, music format, etc. as described above. In addition, vendors can make suggestions on their websites and guide PC users to the desired song based on previous purchases, preferences, song popularity, paid advertising, and the like. If the PC user is interested in the song, he has the option to pre-listen to the song, eg, click on the song to listen to a 20 second clip as shown in FIG. 1C. Then, if the PC user wishes to purchase the song, an order can be placed by clicking on the icon located next to each song / album, also as shown in FIG. 1C. . Orders are reflected in the shopping basket and are always visible on screen. If the PC user selects more items, each item is displayed in the shopping basket (as space allows-if the PC user selects multiple items, a scroll bar may be needed). . At this point, the PC user reviews his choices and deletes items that he no longer wants. Once the PC user has created a satisfactory list, the user submits an order by clicking the "purchase item" button as shown in FIG. 1E, which shows an enlarged right portion of the screen containing the shopping basket. be able to. The purchased item is immediately delivered to the user's computer via the Internet if the selected music is in a downloadable digital format. The user can then listen to the song on his computer or download it to a portable player. Items that are not available in digital format or that are required by PC users are treated as such.
[0024]
In accordance with the present invention, the network-based system described above includes an e-commerce platform specifically tailored for normal mail order as well as digital distribution of audio files (called NETrax). The shopping basket is a unique feature that can handle disparate products such as audio files and any other digital files that can be distributed digitally and directly over the Internet after purchase, and regular mail order products I will provide a. According to one aspect of the present invention, all of these products can usually be placed on a shopping list, even if they are not of different types. Conveniently, customers can place digital orders (such as NETrax) and deliver them instantly to the customer's PC via digital distribution over the Internet; in addition, they have been on the shopping list All other orders for finished products are shipped to the customer's home by mail, for example, a private courier.
[0025]
According to another aspect of the invention, the shopping basket is always visible on the right side of the screen. In this way, online consumers can constantly monitor the contents of their shopping lists and the costs they can spend. By making the shopping basket always visible on the screen, it eliminates any hidden elements or bills and keeps the consumer aware of what they want to buy.
[0026]
By clicking on a product that is visible in the "MCY shopping list", the consumer can receive a detailed description of the products on the list before purchasing. FIG. 1C typically shows details of an album called "Air Moon Safari", which is selected by a user in a shopping basket by selecting a desired item ("Air Moon Safari"). Starting guideline-displayed in response to the hand tool 16.
[0027]
FIG. 1D is a block diagram of a network-based music distribution system according to the present invention. An online customer, such as the PC user 18 described above, logs on to the vendor's website 20 via the Internet. The vendor's website 20 is typically shown in the figure as MCYMediaCity®. The website shown in FIG. 1D includes a Windows (Registered Trademark) operation system for executing an application program written in, for example, Java (registered trademark), HTML, or another programming language. Of course, it is understood that this may be assisted by a server having certain software and hardware, such as a Sun Microsystems mid-range computer.
[0028]
Websites allow online customers to pre-listen to desired music prior to purchase. Following a pre-listening operation, online customers may order digital delivery of selected music, books, etc. immediately, if available in digital format. Alternatively, the user may order selected information, such as, for example, text, dynamic images or still images that can be downloaded to his computer. Yet another option is to order a CD, video cassette, or disk, book, or the like by mail for delivery to a designated location, such as a home, office, or friend's home. Yet another option for online customers is to order by mail a personally compiled CD containing a selection from artists specially prepared by, for example, a website vendor. Of course, these and further purchase options are provided to online consumers via a website graphical user interface (GUI).
[0029]
Continuing with the description of FIG. 1D, regardless of the type of order or media type selected by the online consumer, the desired item is in the shopping basket as described in detail in FIG. 1E. The online consumer may remove items from the shopping basket before final purchase or may pre-listen to the truck. After the list of shopping baskets 22 is final, the online consumer is required to pay for the purchase. The charge may be made directly to the online consumer's credit card 24, or the payment may be made in other ways conventional in transactions. After confirming receipt of payment, the product is delivered to the consumer. Delivery 29 is performed by downloading the purchased digital music or the text / graphics of the purchased information. Such operations include storing digital music, wording, graphics, images, etc., requesting copies of purchased items, copying purchased items from a database, and copying copies of purchased items to consumers over the Internet. Requires a digital delivery software module of the system to access the database to transfer a copy of the purchased item to the consumer via the communication link established by the PC.
[0030]
If the purchased item is delivered by e-mail, the e-mail delivery software module of the system will include the title of the track / album available in CD format, and the title of any other product available on a suitable and well-defined medium. Access the database to store the The title of the purchased item is retrieved and transferred to a terminal controlled by a real operator (live operator). The operator may then contact a warehouse for records / books, a book / video shop for hard to find or special order items, or other contractual arrangements for outsourcing orders common in the industry. The operator then supplies the purchased item by supplying the customer's name and delivery address to fill the order, and the item is delivered directly to the customer under the name of the website vendor.
[0031]
FIG. 2A shows a display of a monitor screen 10 displaying another feature of a network-based system according to the present invention. The right part of the screen lists the tracks and / or albums previously purchased by the PC user. In particular, after permitting a PC user to log in as described above, the "history" software module of the system accesses a database to store record information for all previous sales activities. These records of PC user purchases are selected by the module and transferred to display software for display on the screen. Records reflecting previous purchases are listed under the "Past Orders" subheading, as shown in detail in FIG. 2B.
[0032]
The shopping history subsystem allows any customer who has previously made any purchases on the website to have access to a list of all products that the customer has purchased in the past. Access to past purchases is provided after typing a username and password. After entering this information, the PC user can find all previously purchased products at the bottom of the shopping list. All items obtained on the website are displayed, and if the list is long, a vertical scroll bar may be required. By clicking on one of these items, the website main frame displays the purchased product. The customer can then return to the song and listen to it (NETrax) and download the previously purchased Netrax song.
[0033]
In another aspect of the present invention, the network-based system of the present invention provides a music product lyricist, composer, publisher, and all associated artists (collectively referred to as rights holders) with their product. 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for worldwide sales. FIG. 3A shows a display of a monitor screen 10 displaying a user interface for accessing information about royalties.
[0034]
The rights holder accesses the web page to enter the proper identification information. As shown, a login name and password are required to access information about the sale. After entering the login name or identifier, including the user name and password, the rights holder will receive a complete listing of the date and time of delivery of the product delivered via the website vendor, product name, quantity, price and sales volume Is provided. For example, the Loyalty Storage Association has 24 hours / day, 7 days / week access to a digital distribution platform, where the association has access to digitally distributed NETrax sales and related You can collect money from an organization.
[0035]
The sales subsystem of the present invention keeps a record of all purchases made by the user in a computer database (or the like). Certain products and services generate revenue for third-party rights holders. For example, songwriters and loyalty associations make money from selling records and songs. The subsystem allows the rights holder to access the computer system's web pages and detect what royalties they have incurred. This loyalty information may be maintained as a historical record (showing all royalties earned to date) or a gain record (showing all current loyalty balances), as shown in FIG. 3B.
[0036]
The rights holder of a particular song accesses the website, how many times the particular song was purchased, how many times the song was purchased, how much the song cost, and how much royalty is paid to the rights holder Can be detected. Of course, other information about the sale may be provided to the rights holder as desired by the designer of the particular system.
[0037]
FIG. 3C is a block diagram of a subsystem for detecting sales and royalties for rights holders according to the present invention. After the customer 30 has purchased a track or album via the website as described above, sales information is stored in the database 32 at the MCY music website. Rights holders can access stored information via the Internet to check for royalties to be paid.
[0038]
After logging in, the rights holder may decide whether to check the sales for a particular album in the last six months, for example. The sales tracking module accesses the sales information stored in the database after each purchase transaction of the customer and then selects only the sales information for the desired album for the past six months. The selected information is then transferred to a display module for display.
[0039]
In one aspect of the invention, rights holders are limited to sales information stored in a database based on their association with the commercial product. For example, composers, lyricists, and publishers are allowed to see one type of sales information, while performers, such as singers, musicians, etc., are allowed to see another type of sales information. In addition, the system can calculate the dollar amount to be collected by the requesting rights holder if a predetermined percentage from the sale is supplied by the rights holder. For example, if a performer receives 5% of their album sales, the system can calculate the total dollar amount due to the performer for a particular period according to a particular royalty rate. .
[0040]
As mentioned above, once a PC user purchases a song or album in digital format, the user can download the purchased music to his PC many times. Customers have unrestricted access rights in the event of a PC being damaged, various events occurring after purchase, such as a failed hard drive, or any other damage to the PC. However, in accordance with another aspect of the present invention, such unrestricted access to the website vendor's database permits PC users to utilize this feature of the present invention for illegal purposes. do not do. For example, a PC user may purchase a song, download it to his hard disk, and then transfer the downloaded music to a portable storage medium for playback over the Internet, or to another PC user. It is the same as in such a case.
[0041]
Each song, album, or other property in digital format is assigned an identifier or key to prevent playback of digital music that has been illegally transferred from the purchaser. This customer key is created for each user / customer corresponding to the username / password pair. Prior to the first download (i.e., the first time a customer desires to purchase a song via a download), the customer logs in by entering a username and password as described above. Upon confirmation of the login, the customer is given a key by the secure network, which may or may not be encrypted. The customer is unaware of this transfer from the server and the actual key is never revealed and never shown to the customer.
[0042]
The received key is then given another data. This additional data uniquely identifies the customer's PC. For example, certain information from the customer's hard drive or other customer hardware / software elements may be added to the key. Alternatively, some other information, either a prefix or a suffix, may be combined with the received key. As a result, the new key uniquely identifies the customer and the customer's hardware.
[0043]
Before downloading the song, the key for the requesting customer is inserted into the song header. After downloading, the key buried in the header is used to compare with the key on the customer's hard drive. Only when the two information matches exactly does the music play on the customer's computer. Thus, even if the customer decides to transfer the downloaded song to a friend, the friend's computer will not include data matching the buried key in the song's header, so the new computer will not Not played.
[0044]
A file stored on the customer's hard drive may contain one or more keys. For example, a key ring file may contain three keys, each key being used by a different PC user.
[0045]
FIG. 4A shows the name of the encoding format for digital music, which allows the header supplied with each digital file to include a key to identify the source of the information. That is, as soon as a customer requests a NETrax song for download, the key corresponding to that customer is inserted into the NETrax header as described above.
[0046]
FIG. 4B shows a portion of a screen displaying a music player 40 for previewing downloaded music in the NETrax or MP3 format. The player 40 has a "software" button for controlling music playback, which is similar to conventional control for the player. The player may play a song encoded in another format, such as MP3.
[0047]
FIG. 4C shows a portion of a screen displaying a user interface for a website for distributing digital or analog music as described above. Various search engines are available to PC users for browsing through online selections and purchasing desired music. FIG. 4D shows a screen display where the search is performed by album. FIG. 4E-4 shows a screen display in response to a PC user search by various genres such as electronica and dance, jazz, hip-hop, rap, R & B, country, rock and pop, world, children, etc. . FIG. 5 shows a screen displaying pages of various other portions of the website, where additional information can be obtained by clicking on the displayed heading or subheading. A new web page is then displayed to list the requested information.
[0048]
FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a database structure according to the present invention. A central server 60 is connected to a database, which is a storage location for digital format audio files for download to PC users. Another part of the database contains user accounts, each account holding the user's ID, password, keys, and guidelines for purchased music in the database. Yet another portion of the database contains a historical list of all items sold in digital format or on CD. For each item sold, its title, price, artist's name, etc. are kept in a database, which is used to check loyalty information as described above.
[0049]
FIG. 6 also shows a regional server 62 for accessing a central database. These local servers may include information specific to particular regions of the world in their databases.
[0050]
FIG. 7 is a block diagram of software and hardware units (subsystems) and database elements constituting the overall system of the present invention. In the preferred embodiment, several databases are listed in FIG. 7, but it is understood that the storage of data and information may be performed as a single database. Similarly, two or more different subsystems shown in FIG. 7 may be combined into one subsystem that performs the function of each subsystem.
[0051]
Although the present invention has been described and illustrated with reference to preferred embodiments, many changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the details of the method and structure described above, and such changes and modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present invention.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1A
FIG. 3 shows a display on a video display screen as seen by a PC user after being connected to a vendor website to distribute the music product of the present invention.
FIG. 1B
Shows the display on the video display screen after the PC user has successfully logged in
FIG. 1C
Shows the option for the user to "listen" to the song, eg, click on a song to listen to a 20 second clip.
FIG. 1D
1 is a block diagram of a network-based music distribution system according to the present invention.
FIG. 1E
2 shows in detail a shopping basket containing the desired item.
FIG. 2A
4 shows a display of a monitor screen showing another feature of a network-based system according to the present invention.
FIG. 2B
FIG. 4 details a record reflecting previous purchases listed under the “Past Orders” subheading.
FIG. 3A
FIG. 8 shows a display of a monitor screen displaying a user interface for accessing information about royalties.
FIG. 3B
Shows loyalty information maintained as a historical record (indicating all royalties earned to date) or a gain record (indicating all current loyalty balances).
FIG. 3C
FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a sales subsystem that determines sales and royalties for rights holders in accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 4A
3 shows the names of the encoding formats for digital music according to the present invention.
FIG. 4B
FIG. 4 shows a portion of a screen displaying music performers to listen to music downloaded in NET Lux or MP3 format.
FIG. 4C
FIG. 4 illustrates a portion of a screen displaying a user interface for a website for distributing digital or analog music in accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 4D
2 shows a screen display on which a search is performed by an album.
FIG. 4E
For example, a screen display in response to a search for PC users by various genres, such as electronica and dance songs, jazz, hip-hop, rap, R & B, country, rock and pop, world, children's songs, and others.
FIG. 4F
For example, a screen display in response to a search for PC users by various genres, such as electronica and dance songs, jazz, hip-hop, rap, R & B, country, rock and pop, world, children's songs, and others.
FIG. 4G
For example, a screen display in response to a search for PC users by various genres, such as electronica and dance songs, jazz, hip-hop, rap, R & B, country, rock and pop, world, children's songs, and others.
FIG. 4H
For example, a screen display in response to a search for PC users by various genres, such as electronica and dance songs, jazz, hip-hop, rap, R & B, country, rock and pop, world, children's songs, and others.
FIG. 4I
For example, a screen display in response to a search for PC users by various genres, such as electronica and dance songs, jazz, hip-hop, rap, R & B, country, rock and pop, world, children's songs, and others.
FIG. 4J
For example, a screen display in response to a search for PC users by various genres, such as electronica and dance songs, jazz, hip-hop, rap, R & B, country, rock and pop, world, children's songs, and others.
FIG. 4K
For example, a screen display in response to a search for PC users by various genres, such as electronica and dance songs, jazz, hip-hop, rap, R & B, country, rock and pop, world, children's songs, and others.
FIG. 4L
For example, a screen display in response to a search for PC users by various genres, such as electronica and dance songs, jazz, hip-hop, rap, R & B, country, rock and pop, world, children's songs, and others.
FIG. 5
Fig. 4 shows a screen displaying pages for various other parts of the website, from which further information can be obtained by clicking on the displayed heading or subheading.
FIG. 6
FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a database structure according to the present invention.
FIG. 7
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing various software and hardware devices (subsystems) and database elements constituting the overall system of the present invention.

Claims (21)

In a system that distributes products over the Internet,
Means for displaying a login screen on the video monitor allowing the user to enter a unique identifier to access database information;
A means to check the validity of the unique identifier entered,
Means for displaying a shopping list listing purchase items selected by the user, wherein the listed purchase items are in a digital format suitable for downloading to a user's computer connected to the Internet. Means for displaying a shopping list in another medium format suitable for purchase to a user. The system of claim 1, wherein the items listed are either music compact discs or digital music in encoded format. The system of claim 2, wherein the displaying means displays the shopping list on the video monitor as long as at least one item is included in the shopping list. The system of claim 3, further comprising: means for retrieving a portion of the digital music from the database; and means for playing the retrieved portion of the digital music. The system of claim 4, further comprising means for maintaining a list of the user's shopping history for display on the video monitor. The system of claim 5, wherein the user can download an unlimited number of previously purchased items selected from the shopping history list. The system of claim 5, wherein the user can download previously purchased items selected from the shopping history list a predetermined number of times. 4. The system according to claim 3, further comprising: means for calculating royalties from sales of digital music; and means for displaying the calculation results. The system of claim 8, wherein the loyalty is calculated for a user selectable predetermined time. The display means displays items available for purchase or for browsing on a first portion of the display comprising a first portion and a second portion, and displays the shopping list on a second portion. The system of claim 1, displaying. The system of claim 4, further comprising means for searching through items available for purchase or browsing in the first portion of the display utilizing user selectable search criteria. In the method of delivering products over the Internet,
Displaying a login screen on the video monitor that allows a user to enter a unique identifier to access database information;
Checking the validity of the entered identifier;
A shopping list listing the items to be selected by the user, wherein the listed items are in a digital format suitable for downloading to a user's computer connected to the Internet or shopping for the user. Displaying a shopping list in another media format suitable for the Internet. 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the enumerated item is a compact disc containing recorded music or digital music in an encoded format. 14. The method of claim 13, wherein the shopping list is displayed on the video monitor as long as the shopping list includes at least one item. The method of claim 14, further comprising retrieving a portion of digital music from the database and playing the retrieved portion of digital music. The method of claim 15, further comprising maintaining a shopping history for the user for display on the video monitor. 17. The method of claim 16, wherein the user can download any number of previously purchased items selected from the shopping history list. The method of claim 14, further comprising calculating royalties from sales of digital music or compact discs and displaying the calculation results on the video monitor. 19. The method of claim 18, wherein the loyalty is calculated for a user selectable time period. An item for purchase or a browser is displayed on a first portion of a display composed of first and second portions, and the shopping list is displayed on a second portion of the display. The method according to claim 12. 16. The method of claim 15, further comprising searching through items for purchase or a browser on the first portion of the display utilizing a user selectable search criterion.

Images