WO2011003986A1

WO2011003986A1 - Message handling method and system

Info

Publication number: WO2011003986A1
Application number: PCT/EP2010/059840
Authority: WO
Inventors: Oleg Formenko; Patrick Foreman; Andrew Kerdemelidis; Thong Nguyen
Original assignee: Ddn Ip Holdings Limited
Priority date: 2009-07-08
Filing date: 2010-07-08
Publication date: 2011-01-13
Also published as: GB0911858D0

Abstract

A method for a client to propagate message items as user recommendations of selected items of digital content, comprises the following steps. The client accesses a remote database of digital content items, and receives a user-associated input selecting a digital content item. In response to the input a message item is generated. This message item comprises a user identifier associated with a user of the user-associated input and a content identifier associated with the selected digital content item. The generated message item is then transmitted. Message items and user interfaces associated with this method are described.

Description

MESSAGE HANDLING METHOD AND SYSTEM

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to methods and systems for handling messages across a network.

Background to the Invention

Traditionally, information delivery is not controlled in a way that allows users to easily receive information that is relevant to them.

For example, a large number of websites and online services attempt to introduce a range of tools and mechanisms to allow consumers to consolidate in one place and channel to them relevant information scattered across multiple sites and topics (RSS, Digg, Del.lcio.us, twitter, Facebook etc.), but in essence they deliver a service similar to a tried and tested bookmarking, which allows users to consolidate all of their interests in one place and go to the original sources without enduring another process of searching. What many of these services fail to deliver is a constant real-time update on a relevant set of events occurring in relation to their content of interest, thus keeping user not only able to easily find the information, but to keep user engaged in real time without overload. There is a consumer need for data filtering and presentation in a relevant form. RSS feeds exist to allow individuals to tap into formalised news and information releases made by organisations on the internet. RSS feeds syndicate content to multiple subscribers. RSS feeds are usually based though on formalised editorial input from a central organisation and feeds do not contain interactive content.

Discussion groups provide a centralised facility for capturing and browsing information, opinions and comments from participating users but viewers have to go to the discussion group and browse through it to identify any information which is of relevance to them.

Blogs provide the facility for users to post continuous updates, views and opinions but these:

- Require manual input from the originator for every entry;

Require readers to come to the blog and browse for relevant content;

Do not contain interactive content.

Playlists of music tracks and collections of other media such as film and videos are offered by multiple systems but these are intended for individual use and are not used as a mechanism to identify others with shared tastes or to explore and discover new media.

Thus, with these information sources, a user must either search for, or bookmark a source of information that they consider to be relevant. In other words, the user must go the relevant source of information - it is not delivered to the user.

One way of determining the relevance of information is via recommendations from other users of a network - for example, a social network. However, social networks are generally unfocused and based on the concept of shared friendship rather than shared digital content or community of interest.

In such networks, recommendations - for example, about particular items of digital content - can be sent via messages. But such messages must be composed by users, and must be specifically addressed, which is arduous. With such networks, there is no mechanism to track and deliver information - in particular, in the form of messages containing information that is relevant to the user. There is no mechanism to identify in a structured format the type of content passed via any of these messages and therefore no means to track or analyse the subject matter of messages being exchanged. There is also no mechanism to determine the relevance of such delivered information to each user. There is also no mechanism to include in the delivered messages an indication of the content that is relevant. There is also no way to capture user input about content and harness that input to refine how to determine content relevance.

A further challenge associated with existing message delivery systems is being able to track message paths relating to a particular item of content - such a digital content such as audio or video - so as to determine the relevance of that content, and also to enhance the performance of the network

There are very few mechanisms for mapping connections across the networks, where these exist typically they map static connections, only in terms of connections between people or nodes and often only to a single level of connection There are no facilities to dynamically map connections made by the passage of specific messages through the network nor to relate these to the topic or subject matter of the messages

It is an object of the present invention to overcome the above problems, at least in part

Summary of the Invention

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of handling messages across a network between a plurality of clients The handling of messages may involve tracking of the messages sent between different clients The handling of messages may involve processing the messages to prevent loopback of messages

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of handling a message or a message item, the message item comprising a content identifier associated with an item of digital content, the method comprising the steps of

displaying the message item, receiving a user input via a user-interactable object associated with the content identifier, and in response accessing the item of digital content, and transmitting a further message comprising the content identifier Messages or message items may comprise a client identifier associated with a client receiving and/or sending the message

According to a third aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of tracking message propagation across a network between a plurality of clients, each client being identified by a client identifier, the method comprising the steps of

o receiving, at a server, from at least one of the plurality of clients, one or more message items, the one or more message items each comprising

^■ a content identifier associated with an item of digital content, and

^■ a client identifier associated with the client transmitting the message item,

and in response to receiving the one or more message items

^■ processing a set of rules associated with a respective message item to determine a set of the plurality of clients subscribing to the content identifier and/or client identifier in that message item,

^■ transmitting, to the set of plurality of clients, a server message comprising a content identifier associated with that message item, and

^■ updating, at a server database, a network map to register a path between a client from which a message item has been received and at least one of the associated set of plurality of clients to which a server message has been sent, o displaying, at at least one of the set of plurality of clients, the server message including the content identifier, and

o receiving, at at least one of the set of plurality of clients, a user input via a user- interactable object associated with the content identifier, and in response transmitting further message items to the server, the further message items comprising the content identifier, and a further client identifier associated with the client transmitting the further message items

Advantageously, messages contain a content identifier and a client identifier that are processed by the server to improve the handling of messages between clients In particular, the content identifier can uniquely identify an item of digital content, and so allows tracking of messages about that digital content This in combination with the client identifier allows the network map to record the path taken by messages about that digital content between clients The network map can therefore be used to enhance the performance of the message handling of the server, for example, by updating, at the server, the set of rules in response to an updated network map By way of example, this can be used to prevent message duplication - the set of rules can be updated to reflect that if a client that has already received a message relating to a particular item of digital content, then that same client should not be sent any further such messages

Enhancing the performance of the network may also include querying the network map to determine an optimal insertion for further messages, for example related to other digital content, so that further messages can be propagated efficiently throughout the network

A further advantage of messages containing a content identifier and a client identifier is that the destinations of messages can be determined by the server on the basis of the content identifier and/or originating client identifier via the processing of the set of rules This is a more flexible and efficient way of specifying a message path For example, this means that a client user no longer has the burden of specifying a destination for their message - this is handled by the server Also, as a set of server-side rules determine message destination, these rules easily be updated in real time by the server in response to other factors not normally accessible by a client (e g other messages) In complement with this is that message destination is subscription based, and so the transmittal of unwanted messages - known as spam - is obviated

Furthermore, the content identifier improves the speed at which messages can propagate throughout the network If the item of digital content is, for example, an audio or video file, it could have a large file size Therefore, the use of a content identifier in the message means that the item of digital content does not need to be included in the propagated messages - only identified, for example referenced Thus, the bandwidth used in transmitting messages between clients is reduced

Preferably, the method comprises the steps of receiving, from at least one of the plurality of clients, user preferences for updating the set of rules used to determine client message subscription

Advantageously, this provides a way of allowing users to update their message subscription preferences

Preferably, the method step of receiving a user input comprises, in response to the user input, allowing access to the item of digital content

Advantageously, at the same time as the digital content is accessed, a message item is sent to the server, ideally to indicate that the digital content has been accessed Such a message item can be used to send further messages to other clients indicating that the item of digital content has been accessed This can be used to register the popularity of particular items of digital content

Preferably, the step of updating a network map comprises registering the time at which the path is established

It will be understood that time can also refer to a date Advantageously, registering the date at which a path is established allows a network map to be established that reflects messages sent over a period This means that even if the set of rules changes, the path taken by messages can be tracked

In a fourth aspect of the present invention there is provided a method for a client to propagate message items as user recommendations of selected items of digital content, comprising

o accessing a remote database of digital content items,

o receiving a user-associated input selecting a digital content item,

o generating, in response to the input, a message item comprising

■ a user identifier associated with a user of the user-associated input, and

^■ a content identifier associated with the selected digital content item, and o transmitting the generated message item Preferably, the method comprises transmitting the generated message item to other users subscribing to the user identifier of the generated message item

Preferably, the method comprises

o receiving message items, and

o listing digital content items identified in received message items as part of the accessing step

Preferably, the method comprises receiving message items generated by other users by subscribing to user identifiers of other users

Preferably, the accessing step comprises querying the database of digital content items using search terms

Preferably, the method comprises completing an identification process to assign a user identifier to the client

Preferably, the accessing step comprises

o viewing description information about a digital content item,

o streaming a digital content item, and/or

o downloading a digital content item

Preferably, when the accessing step comprises downloading the digital content item, the accessing step further comprises authorising payment for the digital content item from an account of the user

Preferably, authorising payment comprises transferring a portion of the payment from an account of a downloading user to an account of a recommending user

Preferably, the portion is a minor portion such as 20%

Preferably, the message item comprises a user-defined field

Preferably, the user-defined field is arranged to receive a tag for classifying a digital content item within the message item

Preferably, the inclusion of a tag within the user-defined field assigns the message item to a category associated with the tag

o Preferably, the method comprises transmitting the generated message item to users subscribing to a category assigned to the generated message item

Preferably, when a message item is received from other users, the client is arranged to stream the entire digital content item referenced by the received message item

Preferably, complete streaming of a digital content item is limited to digital content items that have been received as recommendations in message items received by the client

o and have not been streamed previously by the client

Preferably, when the accessing step comprises querying the database of digital content items using search terms, the accessing of a digital content item found as a result of the search term is limited The access limitation may comprise limiting the duration for which a digital content item can be streamed

Preferably, the method further comprises

o forwarding a message item received from other users as a recommendation, said forwarded message item comprising an originating user identifier identifying the user that originated the original message item as a recommendation According to a fifth aspect of the present invention there is provided a method for a server to propagate message items as user recommendations of selected items of digital content, comprising

o providing a database of digital content items for access by a plurality of clients, o receiving, via a client, a user-associated input selecting a digital content item, o generating, in response to the input, a message item comprising

^■ a user identifier associated with a user of the user-associated input, and

^■ a content identifier associated with the selected digital content item Preferably, the method comprises transmitting the generated message item to other users subscribing to the user identifier of the generated message item

Preferably, the method comprises transmitting message items to clients for listing digital content items identified in the transmitted message items as part of the providing step

Preferably, the providing step comprises receiving a database query from a client and returning to the client the processed results of the database query

Preferably, the method comprises managing an identification process to assign a user identifier to a client

Preferably, the providing step comprises

o transmitting description information about a digital content item to a client, o streaming a digital content item to a client, and/or

o uploading a digital content item to client

Preferably, when the providing step comprises uploading the digital content item after authenticating payment for the digital content item from an account of a user

Preferably, authenticating payment comprises transferring a portion of the payment from an account of an uploading user to an account of a recommending user

Preferably, the portion is a minor portion such as 20%

Preferably, the message item comprises a user-defined field

Preferably, the inclusion of a tag within the user-defined field assigns the message item to a category associated with the tag Preferably, the method comprises transmitting the generated message item to users subscribing to a category assigned to the generated message item

Preferably, the method comprises permit streaming of the entire digital content item to a client that has received a message item comprising a content identifier referencing that digital content item Preferably, streaming of the entire digital content item is permitted if the client has not previously streamed that referenced digital content item from that message item

Preferably, when the providing step comprises returning digital content items as a result of the search query, the method comprising limiting access to the returned digital content item The access limitation may comprise limiting the duration for which a digital content item can be streamed

Preferably, the method further comprises forwarding a message item received from other users as a recommendation, said forwarded message item comprising an originating user identifier identifying the user that originated the original message item as a recommendation

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention there is provided a method to be carried out on or between a server and a client according to any other aspects of the present invention According to a seventh aspect of the present invention there is provided a signal comprising a message item according to any other aspects of the present invention

According to a eighth aspect of the present invention there is provided a computing device arranged to carry out the method of any other aspects of the present invention

According to a ninth aspect of the present invention there is provided a carrier medium comprising code portions when run on a computing device causes the computing device to carry out the method of any other aspects of the present invention

According to a tenth aspect of the present invention there is provided a message item according to any other aspects of the present invention For the avoidance of doubt, the message item may comprise at least a content identifier associated with an item of digital content such as an audio file and a client identifier associated with a client transmitting the message item

According to an eleventh aspect of the present invention there is provided a graphical user interface for use in receiving a user interaction to transmit at least one message item according to any preceding aspect of the present invention

Preferably , the graphical user interface comprises at least one of

o A search component for receiving search terms and/or search parameters for querying a database,

o A browser window for displaying message items,

o A browser control component for controlling the browser window,

o A navigation component for displaying links to pages to be displayed in the browser window,

o A content playback component for controlling playback of digital content items, and

o An account credit component for displaying the available credit of a user account

Preferably, the graphical user interface further comprises a user-interactable messaging object associated with an item of digital content, the messaging object being arranged to receive a user interaction and in response

o generate a message item comprising the respective content identifier and user identifier, and

o transmit the message item

The graphical user interface may comprise

o an authentication component for authenticating the identity of a user interacting with the graphical user interface, each user having a unique user identifier, o a listing component for listing items of digital content, each digital content item having a unique content identifier, and/or

o a subscription component for receiving user-selected subscriptions to message sources

The listing component may be arranged to display information about the digital content (e g Artist, Album, Play-time, Track Name) The listing component may be arranged to preview the item of digital content The listing component may be arranged to allow purchase of an item of digital content

In further aspects of the present invention there may be provided a method or system for handling messages to allow control of content included as part of a recommendation message Mechanisms may be included for controlling the actions available to any user receiving a specific item of content based on attributes of the content itself, the message and/or attributes associated with the receiving user Advantageously these need only be defined at a generic level in relation to any content and or individual, groups or types of users without having to be defined for each message or defining or restricting in advance the recipients of any message Mechanisms may be provided for dealing with duplicate messages or, alternatively, separate messages relating to duplicated content Mechanisms may be provided for tracking the progress of any recommendation across the network by specific content item or item attributes The methods and systems of the present invention may define a Human Discovery Network which provides multiple means of locating other people with shared interests, tastes or information of interest and provides efficient means of transmitting this information across the network, constantly tuned to each individual recipient's tastes

The methods and systems of the present invention may provide real-time, interactive information feeds based on specified criteria to assist users in discovering new content

Message items, as referred to above, can also take the form of "Flows", which will be described in more detail below These flows can provide the consumer with a very fast and efficient way of sharing new content, information and recommendations across a network in real time whilst constantly tuning and filtering incoming information to match the recipient's tastes

By mapping the dissemination of flows via different users or nodes throughout the recommendation network and matching this to a digital signature for a particular type of content it becomes possible to apply predictive analysis to determine the most effective and efficient path for introducing and disseminating new content to the network

The methods and systems of the present invention may provide the means to assist internet users to discover new content, products or events which are of interest to them by creating an interactive network of real-time information feeds from trusted sources in a community of interest comprising mechanisms to

Identify sources of trusted information and views from a community of other people with related interests,

Quickly and easily turn on or off real time feeds of views, comments and information from those sources,

Include automated triggers which generate messages every time a specified action is undertaken by a selected source (e g a purchase is made),

- View messages generated from these feeds in real time or in an archive,

Interact directly with related content which is embedded in such messages (e g play, buy or follow link)

Advantageously, this provides users with recommendations and information on topics of interest to them from trusted human sources (rather than machine-based algorithms) Messages are presented and can be viewed in real time to assist users in identifying recommendations which are highly contemporary and to be among 'the first' to be aware of these

The approach indicated in this aspect is particularly effective in allowing the recipient to amalgamate messages from a wide number of sources and to quickly and effectively manage those sources directly from the messages received (for example if a user finds a particular message is unhelpful or irrelevant they can turn off the source immediately from that message

Advantageously this enables users to 'tune' feeds to their tastes continuously as they receive messages

The filtering mechanism combines effectively with the selection of sources to ensure that the user receives only information which is of particular relevance to them

Advantageously messages can be generated actively (by users rating items or adding comments or suggestions) or passively (automatically generated when users perform specific actions such as buying an item) which means that there is a continuous stream of meaningful messages with the minimum of user input and that messages can cover a very broad base of actions and activities as well as opinions

Preferably, both of these features can be combined (for example by generating a message when a user buys an item and simultaneously prompting them to enter a comment regarding that item at the time of purchasing it) This solution provides advantages over existing social networks in that sources and messages can be specifically targeted according to the recipient's interests rather than based simply on a social circle

Advantageously the messages received contain interactive content which allows the recipients to interact directly with them, for example to play a recommended piece of music or video or to purchase it directly

Four areas to which the invention relate to may be

- Broadcasters promoters of information

Professional broadcasters, artists, clubs or other organisations,

Followers seekers of information,

And

Collections the incorporation and utilisation of individual's collections of content to assist in the process of discovering other users who may be potential sources of relevant information

Users may, to their advantage perform multiple roles form the above list simultaneously so that they can be both receiving input and recommendations, filtering these and passing relevant items on to their followers thus continuously improving the activity and relevance of the network

The methods and systems of the present invention may therefore be able to bring together very effectively opinion leaders and opinion seekers in a dynamic, self-moderating communications matrix

Specifically, followers would be people seeking to be kept up to date with the latest views, opinions, trends and information on a range of products, events or content

The methods and systems of the present invention may provide a mechanism for them to filter this information based on their specific topics, their own interests and on the views of others (friends, gurus or opinion leaders) whose opinions they have come to trust

The methods and systems of the present invention may allow followers and broadcasters to view for each member of the community the number of followers they have accumulated and at an individual level what filters they have selected This allows followers to identify successful and popular broadcasters of the moment Moreover it provides broadcasters with an up-to-the-minute measure of their own popularity and the success, or otherwise, of their influence and opinions Specifically leaderboards' will show all members the most popular broadcasters and any member will be able to view quickly and easily the followers and broadcasters for themselves or any other member

Broadcasters can

β Submit original digital content for syndication, including digital media, thus providing them with a very accurate and efficient means of marketing their own material to a pre-existing, loyal following,

® Select triggers that will automatically post messages to users following their 'Flow' when certain events or actions are taken (e g when purchases are made, new playlists created, favourites bookmarked, content updated etc ) providing them with both optional privacy and/or the means to keep their followers interested and informed with the minimum of personal manual input required,

β Post blog entries which will be forwarded immediately to a network of followers who have previously registered their interest in receiving such postings Advantageously such postings can included embedded (playable) content such as music tracks, albums, playlists, videos or links to other products

β View replies to any of their postings from any recipients Advantageously any replies will only be visible to the original broadcaster and thus eliminate excessive 'chatter' common to threaded discussion groups and ensure that the focus of the flow from the original broadcaster remains undiluted,

• Drag and drop any item of content from the internet or their local machine to create an interactive posting (e g YouTube video, website URL, catalogue item, social feed, news item, event listing or original audio/visual content) thus allowing any broadcaster to feed news, information, links and content of interest to their followers from anywhere on the internet and present it to them in a timely, consistent and easy to access format based on each follower's pre-selected choices,

• Add comments to be posted with information on their purchases at the time of making the purchase This provides a specific advantage of allowing broadcasters to keep their followers informed of their purchases as they make them and with a minimum of effort to provide further information, comments or suggestions related to the specific purchase which their followers might find of interest or useful

« Forward any posting received in their in-Flow to all of their followers via their Out-flow Advantageously this provides a very quick, easy and highly effective means of accelerating and broadening the impact of a particularly interesting item, piece of content or comment by enabling it to be rapidly cascaded to an ever widening network of followers, each of whom will (at their discretion) cascade it to their own followers based on their individual judgement of its applicability

« View a list of all their followers Unlike a social network people will be following a broadcaster based on their tastes and recommendations rather than a social connection

It is therefore advantageous for a broadcaster to be able to view and analyse data on their followers, including (but not restricted to) features such as what filters they have applied to content coming from that broadcaster, so as to be able to improve their recommendations and gain more, and more loyal followers

Professional broadcasters, artists, clubs or other organisations can (as well as having access to all of the above features),

» Create private subscriptions to their flows Advantageously this feature allows artists or other professionals to provide a premium service to selected users where the information feeds provided might be considered of greater value or only suitable for release to a select audience

β Issue non-forwardable flows This would allow them to issue special offers or premium services or information to selected followers without those followers being able to cascade such offers or information to others

» View comprehensive statistics on subscriptions and viewmgs of flows, widgets, forwarded messages In this respect this feature of the invention allows for the observation, interpretation and manipulation of key marketing data for the promotion of any content, events or products

Followers can

o Select sources of information These can be

o People,

o specific items of content,

or

o Generic topics

Users can select any of these with a single click with the optional facility of applying relevant filters to the content to be received from a drop-down menu This approach makes it very quick and easy for followers to create a network of sources of information which will be of interest to them and to quickly and easily 'tune' this network, in real time if necessary to generate relevant and useful information feeds For the follower it is advantageous to be able to choose (or combine) to follow recommendations or comments on all content or subjects from one trusted individual or to focus on a specific item, piece of content or product and garner a wide range of opinions and views on this one area from multiple sources

• Apply filters to the types or subject of information generated from those sources which they wish to be kept informed of Filters offered will vary according to the nature of the source - from a trusted individual they may choose, for example (but not exclusively) to receive notifications of all product purchases and all comments posted, from a product or catalogue item they might choose to receive for example (but not exclusively) all ratings of that product (and by whom it was rated)

β View a continuous stream of messages generated by those sources in real time All messages received by a user can appear in a dedicated section of the application (known as 'the pipe') in chronological order and in real time as they are posted Advantageously, each message appears in a 'wrapper' identifying the originating source of the message, a direct link to any item of content or product to which the message refers and a range of action features including but not restricted to a play button, an 'add to favourites' option, a reply option, a 'share' option This can allow for each message to effectively provide a comprehensive and self contained 'site' to review and action recommendations In a further aspect each message contains within itself a button to allow the user to turn off or amend the filtering applied to the source from which that individual message arose This provides a key advantage of encouraging real-time adjustment and improvement of the accuracy of sources and filtering to match each individual's taste,

β Control the prioπtisation of messages by marking certain items as 'sticky' - i e messages stay visible until the user has viewed and/or dismissed them This has the advantage of allowing users to combine the immediacy of maintaining a real-time feed of the latest updates whilst ensuring that they never miss high priority messages

β Have a history and re-wind function allowing to see past postings Advantageously users are able to apply filters to the views of all messages to enable them to locate relevant topics more quickly and easily

» Suppress the looping back of syndicated content that was posted by themselves A preferably key innovation that will prove beneficial to users is the mechanism by which any user creating or forwarding a message can be sure that no matter how many times it gets forwarded on by other users it will never re-appear in their own 'pipe', so avoiding any loopback of content ® Suppress items that have already been considered to have been viewed by the user, so that the user effectively only sees that item once

• Interact directly with each information chunk Advantageously this allows users e g ability to directly playback and navigate content from the actual message ('flow item'), click through into a site, profile, buy a piece of content directly from the message itself or control the flow of the message as well as passing it onto the other users who use consumer in question as a source

® Post replies to any message Any replies will be seen by the originator of the message in their own 'pipe' and on their profile page as responses to any original postings, but an advantage of this approach is that replies will not be visible to any other users viewing a history of their postings on their profile, thus preserving the clarity and integrity of any original recommendations which the user chooses to follow

» Review Messages ('Flow Items') which are only posted into a users flow when the user is logged in and if the message items are less than n days old, where n is variable from 0 (user must be logged in to receive messages) to infinity (user will receive all messages from the time they were previously logged on) In combination with the 'sticky flows' feature outlined elsewhere this provides the user with the ability to fine tune the contemporaneity of all messages displayed to ensure that they are kept as up-to-the- minute as may be desired.

• Turn off the source of any flow directly from any one message received via that flow. This approach enables followers to quickly and easily dynamically tune the inflow of messages and sources which they are following based on the relevance and immediacy of each message received as it appears and over time leads to much greater accuracy of information being provided and greater relevance to each follower.

• Forward any specific messages via email or text. Specifically, each message can be identified by a unique short code so that when any message is forwarded by email or text the recipient will be able to follow a short link directly back to the source of the message. β Forward any specific messages by adding them to their own outgoing flow so that they will be received, in turn, by all of their own 'followers'.

« Set alerts based on any source/filter combination which will generate an email or text message in addition to the relevant posting.

« View a list of all the flows they are following or subscribed to with statistics showing volumes of messages generated and related actions. The user can manage, edit or remove any sources from this list. Advantageously this enables users to effectively map the decision trees either providing information to them or depending on them for information. On the basis of this information users are able either to:

o Assess their dependence on any one source of information;

o Identify where their key influences lie;

o Manage their portfolio of recommenders to ensure it provides a fair perspective or range of information.

β Export flows to:

o Email;

o Widgets embedded on other sites;

o Mobile devices.

As with the capacity to forward individual messages via email or text, this feature provides the additional benefit of extending the influence of live message feed o other sites and devices, complete with the capacity to interact directly with individual messages (as on the home site) or to follow a short link back to the source of the massage.

It will be understood that features of different aspects of the present invention may be combined where context allows. It will also be understood that features and advantages described in the following specific description may be combined with the present invention, either alone or in combination where context allows.

Specific Embodiments of the Invention

Specific embodiments of the invention will be described below, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying Figures, in which:

Figure 1 shows main elements of a system according to an embodiment of the invention;

Figure 2 shows an example of content recommendations propagating in the system of Figure 1 ;

Figures 3a and 3b illustrate differences between static and dynamic network mapping;

Figure 4 shows an overview of message flows and user interactions in a method according to an embodiment of the invention;

Figure 5 shows a home page of a first embodiment of a graphical user interface following an aspect of the invention;

Figure 6 shows a credit component page associated with the home page of Figure 5;

Figure 7 shows a message flow page associated with the home page of Figure 5;

Figure 8 shows a profile page associated with the home page of Figure 5; Figure 9 shows a library page associated with the home page of Figure 5,

Figure 10 shows a search page associated with the home page of Figure 5,

Figure 11 shows a flow dialogue page associated with the home page of Figure 5,

Figure 12 shows an own flows listing page associated with the home page of Figure 5,

Figure 13 shows a flows listing page associated with the home page of Figure 5,

Figure 14 shows a reflow dialogue page associated with the home page of Figure 5,

Figure 15 shows a flows listing page showing a reflowed message item,

Figure 16 shows a message flow page according to a further embodiment of a graphical user interface following an aspect of the invention,

Figure 17 shows user options available for a flow selected in the message flow page of Figure 16,

Figure 18 shows information provided when a content item icon is selected in the message flow page of Figure 16, and

Figure 19 shows information provided when a user icon is selected in the message flow page of

Figure 16

General Overview

Within a social network people will want to receive recommendations from trusted individuals/sources regarding specific items of content

Recommenders will want to know how their recommendations get disseminated through the network and learn more about the relationship between the subject of specific recommendations and the responses of users who receive them

The system described below relates to mechanisms to reference content within recommendation messages which users share across a social network, to control what recipients are able to do with that content, to manage the receipt and viewing of duplicates and to link content attributes to the dynamic tracking of pathways which that content follows through the social network

The system can facilitate capture and distribution of such information by enabling personal recommendations to be passed on throughout the network in the most efficient manner and in a way which is tailored to the individual user's requirements and tastes

The system can also provide means for mapping the critical network paths for the dissemination of types of content across the social network, identifying the subset of users who are interested in receiving information regarding that type of content, and locating key 'hubs' or users with a large relevant social network of followers

The system can also provide means for avoiding feedback' loops to prevent any user receiving copies of their own recommendations which have looped back through the network

The system can also provide means for taking the mapping data so produced to generate analysis of consumer markets and to direct the seeding of new recommendations to reach the most appropriate parts of the network in the most efficient manner

System Overview

The system consists of 3 key elements as shown in Figure 1

» A server-side application 2,

o A server-side, central database 3,

β One to many client side applications 1 which may operate on a variety of devices including (but not restricted to) personal computers, Apple Macintoshes™, mobile devices, games consoles etc

Contained within each of these elements are features that

- Enable users to create and post recommendations to other users on the network who have chosen to 'follow' their recommendations,

Identify the subject matter or content of any such recommendation messages in a structured format susceptible to easy analysis, Manage the dissemination of these recommendations to 'followers' within the network and

o Control the receipt or display of duplicated recommendations,

o Control what receiving users are able to do with the content embedded in recommendations

Track the progress of specific recommendations across the network in relation to key attributes of the specific content contained within them

The client side applications primary functions are

- To enable users to generate their own recommendations,

To control how users view and interact with recommendations received,

To enable users to manage who they receive recommendations from and record user- based preferences in terms of the type of recommendations received and how these are processed or displayed

The server side application primary functions are

To receive input from the client applications,

To store and retrieve key data from the central database,

To manage how recommendations are disseminated across the network and communicate these out to the relevant client applications,

To manage the sending of duplicated recommendations,

To track the progress of all recommendations across the network and store details of the embedded content, of all recipients and their actions as provided by the client side applications

The central database stores all data

Pertaining to users of the system,

Pertaining to content held on the system,

Pertaining to recommendations made and disseminated throughout the system

It should be noted that the client side applications can be delivered in a variety of ways, depending on the computing and communication resources available at the client For example, some or all of the client functionality may be provided over a web service, with the client itself acting as a terminal and the relevant client functionality being performed at the server or elsewhere in the network

An example is shown in Figure 2

Step i

User A makes recommendation of content using client side application 1 This can be in the form of a message item, the message item containing a content identifier (content id) - which is associated with the item of digital content that is being recommended The message item can also contain a client identifier (client id) - which identifies the client sending the message item / making the recommendation

Client side application communicates data to the server side application 2

The server side application then determines what to do with the received message item by processing a set of rules This can be done by querying a database to determine what rules apply to information contained within the message item For example, the client identifier of A can be used In such a case, the server side application can use the client identifier and the rules to determine which set of client users subscribe to receiving message recommendations from the client having such a client identifier - i e the 'followers' of A Once the server side application checks the followers of 'A' in the central database 3, the server generates recommendation messages and forwards recommendation to the followers

The server side application creates a unique flow i d This flow identifier can be used to represent a message or recommendation pathway between clients/users The server side application stores Flow i d, Originating User i d , Action, Content i d, Date/time in the central database This can be stored as a network map, which can be useful in gauging the performance of the network

Step 2

Users B and C receive and view recommendation using the client side application In other words, the client side application receives the message from the server side application and displays it, together with the content identifier representing the item of digital content being recommended

As well as displaying the message, the client side application also provides a way for the user to provide input in order to interact with the item of digital content In particular, this can be a user- interactabie object that allows the previewing of the digital content, downloading, streaming, forwarding and/or purchasing of the content Regarding this, as well as the message containing the content identifier, the message can also contain instructions to the client side application as to how the user-interactable object (e g a drop down box, button etc) - can be used to interact with the item of digital content

The client side application determines that users B and C are able to preview, forward or buy content from this recommendation based on information contained in the message and information previously retrieved from the central database regarding these users' privileges The client side application further determines that user B can preview this content on this occasion in full length

User B previews in full length, then buys content from recommendation The client side application transmits this data to the server side application which then stores it in the central database

User C previews then forwards content to their own followers without amending message The client side application transmits this data to the server side application which then stores it in the central database

The Server side application identifies that user B is following user C but has already received this flow and determines whether or not to show this recommendation based on user preferences and/or business rules

For user B the server side application stores Flow i d, Action, Date/time in the central database,

For user C the server side application stores Flow id Action, Date/Time in the central database,

Step 3

Users D, E, F receive and view the recommendation using the client side application

The Server side application identifies that user D has already received recommendation of this content item and determines whether or not to show based on user preferences and/or business rules

User E views content from recommendation

User F views then forwards content to their own followers and amends message using the client side application

The client side application transmits this data to the server side application which then stores it in the central database

For user E System stores Flow i d, Action, Date/time

For user F system stores Flow id Action, Date/Time, Modifying User i d

The server side application identifies that user B is also following user F and has already received the original flow (though not the amended message) and determines whether or not to show this recommendation based on user preferences and/or business rules

Dynamic Network Mapping using digital content and user signatures Each item of content is assigned a digital signature Each movement of a 'flow' within the system will be tracked by the server side application and the data stored in the central database and used to build a dynamic network map by updating digital signatures for items of content and users In this way, every time that item of content is flowed or forwarded by a user within the network the signature is effectively updated with information regarding the action taken and the user(s) involved Simultaneously each user's information is updated with details from the signature of the digital content This information is used to create a multi-dimensional map of the network linking different users on the network, different items of content and the relationships between them This map is continuously updated each time a piece of content is forwarded, read, purchased or accessed by any user

Using the map so created it becomes possible to identify the optimum route to insert new content into the network in order to achieve the maximum penetration and impact

Figures 3a and 3b below illustrate the difference between this type of Dynamic network mapping and previous forms of static mapping

a) Static modelling - User A is linked to 5 other users - as shown in Figure 3a

b) Dynamic modelling - Traces pathway of specific content through network - as shown in Figure 3b

At each node of the network the system updates the digital signature of the content item with details of the user receiving it, the action they perform and any users it is forwarded to, creating a dynamic map of the passage of that content item through the network

Figure 4 shows a basic overview of flows and the interactions which users have with them via the client side application

Client application feature - Posting recommendations

The application is setup to receive an input from the user to post a recommendation based on any item of digital content

The application

Identifies the content and its attributes,

Validates that the content is transmissible according to pre-set business rules,

Embeds a link to that content in the recommendation,

- Allows the user to input a text message to go with their recommendation,

Allows the user to determine when they are ready to send the recommendation,

Communicates with the server side application to transmit the recommendation

Input from the user which generates a recommendation can be from

- Clicking on a 'post' button relating to any item of content,

Dragging and dropping any item of content to a particular part of the screen,

Dragging and dropping any item from the internet with a unique URL,

A particular action such as purchasing, rating, favouπting or commenting on any item of content

- Selecting a menu option to generate a posting directly from their profile page

Premium users or affiliates will have the facility to create multi-functional promotional flows with active features such as 'buy' buttons to directly promote their own goods or material

Client application feature - Turning on and Filtering recommendations from the source

The client application is set up to allow the user to browse or search for profiles of people, artists, professionals, venues or other organisations or groups who might be deemed sources of useful recommendations When the user has identified one of these they select to 'turn on' the flow of recommendations from that source This becomes what is henceforth described as a 'flow' within the system

Additionally, when turning on any flow or at any point afterwards users will be able to select and apply specific filters to the message types they wish to receive from that flow

Filter types will vary according to the type and source of the flow For a flow from another user these might include but would not be restricted to, for example

Purchases made by that user,

Postings,

Ratings,

- Favourites,

Content type (Video, Audio, Text etc )

For a flow from a piece of content these might include but would not be restricted to, for example

Reviews

Ratings

- News

Price changes

Updates

Discussions

Client application feature - Viewing incoming flow postings - The 'Pipe'

Messages from all flows go into a single source, 'the pipe' where they are displayed by the client application as near as possible in real time and in sequence

The Messages

Each message appears in a 'wrapper' identifying the source of the message Messages may contain

• Type - a summary of the type of information contained

• Text - based on the filter selected when turning on the flow

• Images - connected to the topic of the flow

« Links - back to the source of the message/flow to enable the reader to see more

« Action features such as

» A 'play' button to play audio or video content referred to directly from the message

• A 'buy' button to allow readers to purchase content or goods directly

β A 'favourite' option to add the enclosed item to your favourites

β A 'contribute' button to allow users to respond to or add to a discussion

β A 'reply' button to allow users to respond to a message

The client application controls which action features are available on which messages and to which users based on user preferences and/or business rules by contacting the central server and retrieving this information from the central database, then comparing it with the information contained in each message

Thus, for example, the message may contain a link to an early release of a premium music track which has restrictions on who can stream the track full length and how many times In this case the local application would check information held on the central server regarding the status of the local user and how many times they had already streamed this track before determining whether or not to make this action available to them locally

The local application also has a feature to enable users to search their pipe for individual postings of interest by inputting a search term

Similarly, users can apply filters to their view of their pipe based on (but not restricted to) type of posting, date range, originator etc

Users can scroll up or down through the listings as they appear in their pipe

Users can also set a local option to suppress the view of any recommendations which they have already read

Client application feature - forward any recommendation by email

The client side application includes a feature whereby a user may select to forward any recommendation received to a friend or contact outside the network via email The client side application will prompt the user to enter or select an email address and any additional text for a message to the recipient, then generate an automated email message containing the text of the original recommendation, details of the forwarder and a link back to the original content via web browser interface to the server side application

Client application feature - Turning off any flow

The local application provides a facility to enable the user to turn off any flow at any time This can be done either

• From their profile page where all flows they are subscribed to will be listed,

Or

β Directly from any message from that flow via an interactive menu

When the user selects to turn off a flow the local application communicates this information to the server side application which will update the information held in the central database which in turn informs the system where to direct 'flows' when any users post further recommendations

Client application feature - Managing flows in

The local application provides a facility to enable the user to view and manage a list of all flows they are subscribed to They can remove any of these or change the filtering of them with immediate effect A user can also review what other flows another member of the social network is subscribed to and, if they wish, subscribe to these themselves

Client application feature - The archive

Messages appear in the Pipe in real time and each succeeding message pushes its predecessor further down the pipe until it drops into the archive area Users may browse or search the archive area for previous messages if they wish

Users may select a 'view all messages like this' option from a current message to pull up all related messages from the archive

Client application feature - 'Sticky Messages'

Certain flows or types of messages from flows can be marked as 'sticky' This data is contained within the body of the message when it is passed to the client application from the server side application Sticky messages remain visible in the pipe until reviewed or cleared by the user instead of dropping directly into the archive area This can ensure that important messages are not missed if the user is not watching in real time

Client application feature - Alerts

Certain flows or types of messages from flows can be assigned alerts so as to generate email or text message alerts when a message is triggered

The client application accepts input from the user to indicate which flows should trigger an alert This information is passed back to the server side application and stored in the central database When further recommendations are generated from that flow the server side application accesses the central database to determine whether any alerts have been selected and generates the appropriate email or SMS text message alerts for that user

Client application feature - Managing flows out

The client application incorporates a feature to enable a user to manage the content of any flows out from their profile at any stage They can view a list of all postings which they have made to their outgoing flow They can select which filtered content is available to other users The client application accepts this input and transmits it to the server side application where it is stored in the central database The server side application then uses this data to determine which recommendations are transmitted to that user's followers

Server side application feature - Sponsored flows

Some flows may be pushed to users without them having selected these themselves These flows will be clearly identified in the client side application as 'sponsored flows' Sponsored flows may be generated by artists or organisations via the client side applications but the dissemination of sponsored flows is controlled by an administrator using a feature of the server side application Using the client side application, the user can, if they wish, add any sponsored flow to their selected flows, in which case messages from that flow become amalgamated with messages from their other flows and the flow will continue but will no longer be identified as 'sponsored' Server side application feature - Private flow subscriptions

Professional members (as identified in the central database) can use a server side application feature to create private subscription only flows to offer a premium service to select users Users will either be allowed access by invitation only which will be generated and issued from the server side application, or will go through a formal sign up process using the client side application to submit data to the server side application in order to access the relevant flow

Server side application feature - issue non forwardable flows

Professional members (as identified in the central database) can also use a server side application feature to create non forwardable flows These will be created by the server side application and forwarded to the user's usual list of followers but the server side application will restrict these from forwarding that particular flow any further into the network

Server side application - Submitting original digital content to a flow

Using a client side application feature Professional users will be able to submit an upload request to import original digital content and attach it to a posting to their flow The server side application will upload this digital content, store the relevant details in the central database and generate the relevant recommendation messages with links to it All users receiving this posting will be able to play or view this content directly from the message when they receive it

Client side application feature - Forward an incoming flow posting into an outgoing flow

Users can take any incoming posting which they may feel would be of interest to their follows and forward it directly into their outgoing flow

If forwarded as-ιs the posting will be forwarded in its original 'wrapper' showing the originator of the first posting If the user amends the comment with the posting in any way the message will be 're-wrapped' and appear as originating from them instead of the person who made the first posting

Client side application feature - Add a comment regarding any purchase to create a posting to an outgoing flow

When a user makes a purchase they will automatically be prompted to enter a comment regarding that purchase which will be incorporated into an automated posting made to their flow

Server side application features - View all other users following your flow

From their profile page users will be able to opt to view all other users who are currently following their flow, with details of any filters they have applied, how long they have been following for The client side application will submit this request to the server side application which then retrieves the relevant data from the central database and returns it to the client side application for formatting and display Optionally users will be able to view more comprehensive statistics for access to their flow including but not restricted to

Total number of viewings for each posting

Total number of plays/links followed for each posting

Viewings by generation for each posting (1 ^st generation = people following your flow, 2^nd generation = people they have forwarded any item to etc Etc)

Server side application feature - Managing other users following your flow

Using the client side application users will be able to select any user who is currently following their recommendation and submit a request to the server side application to block any of these from following their flow The server side application receives this request and updates the data held in the central database to exclude the identified users from receiving any further recommendations

Server side application feature - view popular recommenders

The server side application will generate a report based on selection criteria input into and received from the client side application, showing for any member of the community the number of followers they have accumulated and at an individual level what filters they have selected This allows followers to identify successful and popular recommenders of the moment Moreover it provides recommenders with an up-to-the-minute measure of their own popularity and the success, or otherwise, of their influence and opinions Specifically, 'leaderboards' will also be generated by the server side application to show all members the most popular recommenders and any member will be able to view quickly and easily the followers and recommenders for themselves or any other member

Client side application feature - Reply to a posting

Using the client side application, users can reply to any posting they receive via their incoming flow Replies will be directed to server side application which then routes them to the originator of the message as identified in the message wrapper Only the recipient of the reply will be able to see it in their profile via their own client side application

Server side application feature - Social Content Syndication and Exporting flows

The server side application will allow users to map their outgoing flow to a wide range of social networking, bookmarking, blogging or video broadcasting sites by recording their logon details and indicting that their flow should be syndicated to the identified sites Flows can also be exported via a number of different routes, including but not limited to Email, Widgets to export real-time flows to other internet sites such as social networking profiles, Mobile devices

Client side application feature - Mobile applications, including phones and other devices Flows can also be ported to mobile devices via specific applications for mobile phones etc

Graphical user interface.

A graphical user interface according to a specific embodiment of a client-side application according the present invention will now be described in relation to Figures 5 to 15 An alternative embodiment is described with reference to Figures 16 to 19

Referring to Figure 5, the graphical user interface comprises a browser window 51 , a search component 52, a browser control component 53, a navigation component 54, an account credit component 55 and a content player 56 The graphical user interface also comprises additional components as can be seen in Figures 5 to 16 and as will be described

The navigation component presents a series of links to pages When a user clicks on the links, the browser window displays the pages As shown, the navigation component comprises links to a home page, a flow page, a my profile page and a my library page

Figure 5 shows the home page, Figure 7 shows the flows page, Figure 8 shows the my profile page and Figure 9 shows the my library page Within each page, further sub-pages may be accessed For example, referring to Figure 5, the home page contains sub-pages directed to 'mflow', 'people', 'channels', 'music' and 'learn'

Pages that are displayed by the browser window also contain links that can be used by the user to browse content The browser control component is arranged to allow control browser navigation, for example allowing a user to go forward or backward to content displayed in the browser window

The search component is arranged to receive search terms from a user, and also allows the user to specify search parameters to filter search results by all, album, track artist, genre, label and people (ι e users)

The content player is arranged to control playback of digital content items, either streamed from a remote server-side database, or played from a local client-side database The content player comprises control buttons, volume control and content information displays as is known in the art

The credit component displays the user name of the user logged onto the client along with the credit available in the user account of the user

The majority of the components of the graphical user interface are user interactable For example, as shown in Figure 6, the credit component can be user selected, and on selection displays an account crediting dialogue 61 The dialogue is arranged to receive payment from a user that is used to credit the account of the user

For the avoidance of doubt the graphical user interface is arranged to conduct a transaction with a remote server to transmit user generated information, and receive server generated information in response In the case of the credit component, the transaction is a secure transaction as is known in the art

Referring to Figure 7, the flows page is shown as a result of user selecting the flow link in the navigation component

It will be noted that although the content displayed in the browser window has changed the content player persists In particular, if this is so that if an item of digital content is playing, the user can retain control of playback of the digital content

Referring to Figure 7, the browser window displays a list of message items 71 in the form of so- called "flows" in a flow pane, and a filter component 72 The message items each comprise a user name 73 associated with the sender of the message item and information relating to an item of digital content sent by the user

The message items are listed in chronological order, with the most recently received message item being displayed at the top of the flow pane The message items listed originate from other users to which the currently logged in user subscribes, as will be described in further detail below The names of the other users to which the users subscribes are listed in the filter component as links It should be noted, as is discussed further below, that in this context "users" may not be limited to individual users, but could extend to categories to which a plurality of individual users are able to post message items On selection by the user of one of the user name links, the message items are filtered to display only those that are from the respective user selected Filtering can be disabled by selecting the "All users" link in the filter component Other filtering and search queries can be run by the logged in user, for example to search the message items - or flows - that have been received by the user

Each flow/message item 71 has a user 73 associated with it and also an item of digital content The name of the user is displayed with each message item, along with an avatar of that user, the time and/or date the user sent the message item as well as a user-defined message 74 With each message item there is also displayed digital content item information such as the track, artist, album, label and album art of the audio item of digital content

Furthermore, the message items displayed comprise a number of user-interactable objects A playback object, on selection, activates the playback of the digital content - streaming it from a server (unless it is determined that the digital content is already owned by the user, in which case it is played back from the local hard drive or other local memory instead) Whilst the playback can be initiated from a playback object, it can further be controlled by the pervasive content player as is known in the art Thus, if the content in the browser window changes, playback of the content is not normally interrupted unless, for example, a user selects playback of another item of digital content

Within a message item, adjacent the playback object, there is displayed playback limitation information that defines any limitations imposed on the accessing of the digital content item identified in that message item In particular, the length of continuous playback may be limited to 30 seconds If such a playback limitation is in effect, then during playback, on the content player, the playback remaining is displayed to a user As can be seen in Figure 10, this is represented by a counter showing a dial and a numeric value (e g 29 seconds remaining)

By default, message items that are received from other users to which the user subscribes enables the user to listen to, in full, once, the entire audio item After the entire audio item has been played once, a playback limitation is imposed, restricting the length of continuous playback - for example 30 seconds Thus digital content items referenced by message items that have been received as recommendations from other users can be played-back / previewed in their entirety This limitation may be imposed by flow (enabling full playback to be available from further flows from a different source)

Also displayed within a message item represented by the graphical user interface is a 'buy' button 75 and a messaging object in the form of a 'reflow' button 76 The buy button is arranged to initiate a purchase of the digital content item The reflow button allows the message item to be forwarded to other users subscribing to the logged in user as will be described

Referring to Figure 8, the graphical user interface is shown after selection of the "my profile" link with the "my profile" page displayed in the browser A "following" sub-category is selected in which other users to which the logged in user subscribes are displayed A subscription object for each user - represented by an 'unfollow' button - allows the logged in user to change subscription preferences for each user

For the avoidance of doubt, if a logged in user, through the graphical user interface finds a profile of a user - for example, using the search component - then that user profile will have a subscription object (for example, a 'follow' button) to enable subscription to that user Also, as well as permitting subscriptions to other users, it is also possible to subscribe to other user-based sources of message items For example, groups or categories that may be contributed to by many users may be subscribed to

In other sub-categories within the "my profile" page, other information associated with the logged in user is displayed by the graphical user interface

As will be described in greater detail in relation to Figure 12, the "my flows" sub-category displays a list of message items generated by the logged in user making recommendations

The "my account" sub-category allows a logged in user to set preference and user details The "credit history" sub-category allows a logged in user to see a history of the credit associated with a user account The "followers" sub-category allows a logged in user to see which other users are subscribed to receiving message items from that user In the "purchasers" sub-category, there is displayed a list of users that have purchased a digital content item as a result of a recommendation (via a message item) originating from the logged in user

Referring to Figure 9, the "my library" page is selected via the respective link The browser window shows a listing of digital content items that have been purchased and downloaded - and so stored locally on the client of the logged in user As the user has purchased these digital content items, the graphical user interface permits the user to play each item in full as many times as the user desires

As mentioned, it is possible for a user to search for additional digital content items via the search component

Referring to Figure 10, on entering a search term, a query is sent to a server which returns a listing of results pertinent to the search term for listing in the browser window In particular, listed are items such as albums, tracks and people that have the term being searched associated with them

As search terms are entered into the search component, they also appear as part of a search term history in the navigation component, and can be user-selected as a shortcut to running a previous search query again

Referring to the listing of digital content items listed under 'tracks', there are a number of tracks listed by track name, duration, artist, album and price Against each listing there is also a buy button allowing a logged in user to purchase that track, and also a message object in the form of a 'flow' button Referring to Figure 11 , the flow button, when selected opens a flow dialogue component The flow dialogue component contains digital content item information such as the title of the track, the artist and album art The flow dialogue component also comprises a field for receiving a user- defined message limited to 140 characters A user-interactable send button of the flow dialogue component allows the user to send a message item containing a reference to the respective item of digital content

Thus as a result of a user input and selection of an item of digital content, a message item relating to that digital content item associated with the user is propagated via a server to users subscribing to the logged in user Thus digital content items are effectively recommended by the logged in user to subscribing users

Referring to Figure 12, in the "my flows" sub-category of the "my profile" page, a listing of the message items / recommendations from the logged in user is displayed in the browser window As will be appreciated, the recommending user has playback restricted, however those users that are subscribed to the user making the recommendation are able to playback the audio item in full as described previously

Referring to Figure 13, when selecting the "flows" page, the browser window displays a listing of digital content items recommended by other users to which the logged in user is subscribed Each item can be played back in full once as described

In addition, it is possible for a logged in user to forward the message items / recommendations Each message item that has been received by a user comprises a "reflow" button that can be selected by the user to forward that message item and its associated reference to a respective digital content item

For example, on selection of the "reflow" button on the fourth message from the top of the browser window - as shown in Figure 13 - displays a reflow dialogue component very similar in nature and operation to the flow dialogue component described in relation to Figure 11

It will be noted that this message item also comprises a reference to an originator of the recommendation In particular it is stated in the message item that "oleg reflowed the track (originally from suIliOI ) by Sigur Ros on Thursday " - suilliOI - being the originator

Referring to Figure 15, as this message item is reflowed by the logged in user, the originator of the recommendation is retained within the message item displayed In particular, the message item (listed at the top of Figure 15) is displayed in a manner similar to a standard message item, except the originator is also displayed

If a logged in user selects the buy button and purchases an item of content, the server interacting with graphical user interface will determine the user that originated the message item from which a purchase has been made Thus, in the present example, the user sulliOI would be identified as the originator by the server

Once a purchase process has been completed, credits from the account of the purchasing user will be deducted for purchasing the digital content item In addition, a proportion of the credits will be transferred from the purchasing users account, to the account of the original recommending user

As such, a user is rewarded for recommending a digital content item to another user that purchases that item of digital content Thus, users are encouraged to make good recommendations of digital content items

Reciprocally, a user purchasing an item of digital content has a mechanism to thank an originator of a digital content item for a good recommendation

Referring back to Figure 14, in a user defined field, it is possible to include tags for aiding searching and/or describing an item of digital content In particular, an "@" tag can be used to reference a particular user and a "#" tag can be used as a descriptor for a message item containing a particular item of digital content.

Tags may be used to establish categories to which a plurality of users may submit message items (for example, to indicate that the content item is of a particular style or would be of interest to a particular audience). These categories may be followed in essentially the same manner as individual users can be followed. A user may therefore receive all flows that have been posted to a particular category by any user (or by any user entitled to post to that category) in the same way that they may choose to receive any flow posted by a particular user. As indicated above, these categories may be treated for many purposes as effectively an additional user - for example, flows posted to a category may be filtered by a user following that category in the same way as flows of another user being followed.

While Figures 5 to 15 indicate an example of a user interface that can be provided in one embodiment of the invention, it will be appreciated that many alternative user interfaces may be used in different embodiments of the invention as claimed. Figures 16 to 19 show an alternative arrangement for a flows page. The main page is shown in Figure 16, and Figures 17 to 19 indicate the results of user interaction with different elements of the page.

Figure 16 indicates a flows page with one item selected on the page. Figure 17 shows the result of user interaction (for example by hovering a mouse) with the central part of the selected pane - a series of user options (previewing, "liking", buying and reflowing in a new flow) are provided to the user in a modified flow pane. Of these options, all have been discussed above apart from "liking", which simply augments a popularity index for that flow (or alternatively, for that content item). Figure 18 shows shows a modified flow pane provided to the user on user interaction with a content item representation (for example, by hovering the mouse over album art). This provides additional information relating to the content item (such as further track listings, popularity indicators, and options to buy the content item). Figure 19 shows a modified flow pane provided to the user on user interaction with a user representation (for example, by hovering the mouse over an avatar of the user associated with sourcing the message item). This provides additional information about the originating user - it may be used, for example, to allow flows from that user to be followed (or no longer followed).

Claims

1. A method for a client to propagate message items as user recommendations of selected items of digital content, comprising:

o accessing a remote database of digital content items;

o receiving a user-associated input selecting a digital content item;

o generating, in response to the input, a message item comprising:

• a user identifier associated with a user of the user-associated input; and

• a content identifier associated with the selected digital content item; and o transmitting the generated message item.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method comprises transmitting the generated message item to other users subscribing to the user identifier of the generated message item. 3. The method according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the method comprises:

o receiving message items; and

o listing digital content items identified in received message items as part of the accessing step.

4. The method according to any preceding claim, wherein the method comprises receiving message items generated by other users by subscribing to user identifiers of other users.

5. The method according to any preceding claim, wherein the accessing step comprises querying the database of digital content items using search terms.

6. The method according to any preceding claim, wherein the method comprises completing an identification process to assign a user identifier to the client.

7. The method according to any preceding claim, wherein the accessing step comprises:

o viewing description information about a digital content item;

o streaming a digital content item; and/or

o downloading a digital content item.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein when the accessing step comprises downloading the digital content item, the accessing step further comprises authorising payment for the digital content item from an account of the user.

9. The method according to any claim 8, wherein authorising payment comprises transferring a portion of the payment from an account of a downloading user to an account of a recommending user,

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the portion is a minor portion such as 20%,

11. The method according to. any preceding claim, wherein the message item comprises a user- defined field.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the user-defined field is arranged to receive a tag for classifying a digital content item within the message item.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the inclusion of a tag within the user-defined field assigns the message item to a category associated with the tag.

14, The method according to any preceding claim, wherein the method comprises transmitting the generated message item to users subscribing to a category assigned to the generated message item.

15. The method according to any preceding claim, wherein when a message item is received from other users, the client is arranged to stream the entire digital content item referenced by the received message item. 16, The method according to any one of claims 8 to 16, when dependent on claim 7, wherein complete streaming of a digital content item is limited to digital content items that have been received as recommendations in message items received by the client.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein complete streaming of a digital content item is limited to digital content items that have not been streamed previously by the client from a received message item.

18. The method according to any preceding claim, wherein when the accessing step comprises querying the database of digital content items using search terms, the accessing of a digital content item found as a result of the search term is limited.

19. The method according to claim 18 wherein the access limitation comprises limiting the duration for which a digital content item can be streamed.

20. The method according to any preceding claim, the method further comprising forwarding a message item received from other users as a recommendation, said forwarded message item comprising an originating user identifier identifying the user that originated the original message item as a recommendation.

21. A method for a server to propagate message items as user recommendations of selected items of digital content, comprising:

o providing a database of digital content items for access by a plurality of clients; o receiving, via a client, a user-associated input selecting a digital content item; o generating, in response to the input, a message item comprising:

^» a user identifier associated with a user of the user-associated input; and » a content identifier associated with the selected digital content item. 22. A method according to any preceding claim to be carried out on or between a server and a client.

23. A computing device arranged to carry out the method according to any preceding claim 24, A carrier medium comprising code portions when run on a computing device causes the computing device to carry out the method according to any one of claims 1 to 22.

25. A message item as claimed in any preceding claim.

26. A signal comprising a message item as claimed in any preceding claim.

27. A graphical user interface for use in receiving a user interaction to carry out the method according to any one of claims 1 to 22.

28. A method of tracking message propagation across a network between a plurality of clients, each client being identified by a client identifier, the method comprising the steps of:

o receiving, at a server, from at least one of the plurality of clients, one or more message items, the one or more message items each comprising:

B a content identifier associated with an item of digital content, and

^« a client identifier associated with the client transmitting the message item; and in response to receiving the one or more message items:

^» processing a set of rules associated with a respective message item to determine a set of the plurality of clients subscribing to the content identifier and/or client identifier in that message item,

o transmitting, to the set of plurality of clients, a server message comprising a content identifier associated with that message item, » updating, at a server database, a network map to register a path between a client from which a message item has been received and at least one of the associated set of plurality of clients to which a server message has been sent, the registration of a path containing information about the time at which the path was made, and

* updating, at the server, the set of rules in response to an updated network map;

o displaying, at at least one of the set of plurality of clients, the server message including the content identifier;

o receiving, at at least one of the set of plurality of clients, a user input via a user- interactable object associated with the content identifier, and in response transmitting further message items to the server, the further message items comprising the content identifier, and a further client identifier associated with the client transmitting the further message items; and

receiving, at the server, from at least one of the plurality of clients, user preferences for updating the set of rules used to determine client message subscription.