Patent ID: 6744891
Filing Date: 2004-06-01
Classification: G06Q,H04L,H04N

Abstract:
A method of delivering data over a telephone communication network utilizing bidirectional communication while preserving widespread online access for a first class of use for limited purposes and ensuring proper payment of royalties for a second class of unrestricted use, the method comprising the steps of:generating a partially-degraded version of the data suitable for the first class of use, but unsuitable for the second class of use, by altering a portion of the data to reduce its perceived quality when utilized; providing the partially-degraded version of the data over the network to a customer online at a user terminal connected to the network in response to a customer request made utilizing the user terminal and transmitted over the network; and providing a higher quality version of the data suitable for the second class of unrestricted use to the customer over the network if the customer is entitled to receive the higher quality version wherein the step of providing a higher quality version of the data to the customer over the network includes transmitting remaining data to the customer such that the remaining data and the partially-degraded version of the data together provide the higher quality version of the data.