Patent ID: 7996882
Filing Date: 2011-08-09
Classification: G06F,G06Q

Abstract:
1. A digital asset distribution method, comprising: at a digital asset server system, receiving a digital asset and associated permissions from each of a plurality of publishers, where the associated permissions include specifications of one or more user groups; hosting the digital assets received from each publisher on the digital asset server system; at the digital asset server system, receiving a request from a user to access a requested digital asset via the digital asset server system via a link in a web page published by a publisher of an asset; determining whether the user is authorized to access the requested digital asset according to the permissions for the digital asset; if the user is not authorized to access the requested digital asset, determining whether the user is authorized to access an alternative digital asset; if the user it not authorized to access the requested digital asset or the alternative digital asset, displaying a substitute to the user, wherein the substitute depends on user groups to which the user belongs, and wherein the substitute includes a link to the digital asset server system by which the user may obtain authorization to download the digital asset; if the user is authorized to access the requested digital asset, saving the requested digital asset in a user account and displaying the requested digital asset; and if the user is authorized to access the alternative digital asset, saving the alternative digital asset in a user account and displaying the alternative digital asset.