Patent ID: 8700538
Filing Date: 2014-04-15
Classification: G06Q,H04L

Abstract:
1. A method for renting playable media items, comprising: managing a general inventory of media titles for rental using a first computing system; managing a plurality of rental queues using the first computing system or a second computing system in communication with the first computing system, each of the plurality of rental queues being associated with a subscriber and containing a subscriber-chosen and subscriber-prioritized list of media titles that is to be delivered to and returned by the subscriber in accordance with predetermined rental rules, and at least some of the plurality of rental queues having one or more media titles designated by offering subscribers as being available for auction to other subscribers; iteratively renting items in the plurality of rental queues to the plurality of subscribers in accordance with the predetermined rental rules by providing physical copies of the media titles to the plurality of subscribers or by providing content associated with the media titles electronically to the plurality of subscribers via a computing network; conducting electronic auctions using the first computing system, the second computing system, or a third computing system, each of the electronic auctions being conducted among a plurality of the subscribers for ones of the media titles designated as being available for auction when the titles designated as being available for auction cannot be provided using the general inventory of media items and, for each auction, designating a winning subscriber for each auctioned media title; and transferring the auctioned media titles to those of the plurality of rental queues associated with the winning subscribers of the respective auctions.