Patent ID: 7310809

Claim:
A method for receiving information content from an information distribution system, wherein the information content is divided into a plurality of time-limited portions, the method comprising: prompting for a pay-by-time subscription to either a first multicast group that receives a first time-limited portion of the entire information content or a second multicast group that receives a second time-limited portion of the entire information content wherein the first time-limited portion of the entire information content and the second time-limited portion of the entire information content at least partially overlap; receiving a selection to subscribe to either the first multicast group or the second multicast group; providing either the first time-limited portion of the entire information content or the second time-limited portion of the entire information content depending on the selection; and prompting for a pay-by-time subscription to a third multicast group wherein the third multicast group receives a third time-limited portion of the entire information content and wherein the prompting for the pay-by-time subscription to the third multicast group occurs after the selection to subscribe to the second multicast group and substantially near the end of the second time-limited portion of the entire information content wherein the first time-limited portion of the entire information content and the third time-limited portion of the entire information content at least partially overlap and the second time-limited portion of the entire information content and the third time-limited portion of the entire information content at least partially overlap.