Patent ID: 7356487

Claim:
A method for efficiently transporting digital files over a peer-to-peer network comprising at least one server node and multiple client nodes, the method comprising the steps of: a. when a digital file is to be transferred over the peer-to-peer network from a sending node to a receiving node, allowing other nodes to submit bids to transport the digital file over the peer-to-peer network for a particular price; b. allowing a sender to specify a particular quality of service for delivery of the digital file, the quality of service including immediate delivery and scheduled delivery; c. allowing the node with a lowest bid to transport the digital file to the receiving node, thereby optimizing network traffic based on economics; and d. uploading the digital file from the sending node to the at least one server node; and e. delivering the digital file from the at least one server node when the receiving node comes online when the specified quality of service is immediate delivery and the receiving node is off-line.