Patent ID: 6889206

Claim:
A method for transferring data that provides pay-per-use accounting, the method comprising: providing the data in a file to a provided content providing node, the file comprising a content identifier, the content providing node having a first node identifier; providing on a content managing node a value for validating a request, the request conveying the first node identifier, the content identifier, and a second node identifier of a content requesting node; validating the request in accordance with the value; logging at the content managing node a first event in response to the request; determining a payee identifier in accordance with the request; forming a first report comprising the payee identifier; logging at an event reporting node a second event in response to a second report, the second report provided in response to a permit provided by an authorizing node, provision of the permit being responsive to validating the request, the second report conveying the first node identifier, the content identifier, and the second node identifier; and adjusting a pay-per-use account associated with the payee identifier in accordance with the first report and the second report.