Patent ID: 8266709
Filing Date: 2012-09-11
Classification: H04L,H04N

Abstract:
1. A method of playing a media file, comprising: comparing information with an indicia of a play limit for a first media file to be played; based on said comparing, determining if said first media file is beyond said indicia of play limit; first playing said first media file without changing a quality of said media file, only if said media file is not beyond said play limit as determined by said determining; and if said first media file is beyond said play limit as determined by said determining, then creating a degraded quality media file which is of a smaller size than said first media file and storing said degraded quality media file in place of said first media file, and second playing said degraded quality media file, wherein said play limit comprises a fixed number of times that the first media file can be played on a first specified player, and said comparing compares a number of times that the first media file has been played on said first specified player with said fixed number of times, and where the first media file can be played said fixed number of times on a different specified player, even after the first media file has been played said specified number of times on said first specified player, where said play limit is determined based on a count, and said count restarts when said first media file is played on a different player.