Patent ID: 8200581

Claim:
A system for distributing digital media assets across a network to customers comprising: a digital media asset management server coupled to the network for servicing transfers to customers, said digital media asset management server including: (a) a first software routine configured to transfer a first digital media asset over the network for a first customer to a first client device based in part on an authorization generated for said first customer and to generate a transaction record associated with said transfer; wherein said first digital media asset is configured by said first software routine to include identification data for such asset and said first customer on said first client device, including at least a customer identification and an asset identification embedded within the first digital media asset; further wherein said first digital media asset is a first type of asset that is configured to be transferable by said first customer between said first client device and a second client device of said first customer without an additional authorization from said digital media asset management server; (b) a second software routine configured to detect one or more second digital media assets stored on said first client device which do not have embedded identification data for said first customer; wherein said second digital media assets are a second type of asset that is not configured to be transferable by said first customer between said first client device and a second client device of said first customer without an additional authorization from said digital media asset management server; said second software routine being further configured to convert said one or more second digital media assets on said first client device into said first type of asset by adding an embedded customer identification and an asset identification information for the first customer to each of said one or more second digital media assets as stored on said first client device.