Patent ID: 7720918

Claim:
A method for transferring a media asset from a sender to a recipient, the method comprising: receiving, at a media transport service implemented on a transport computer system, sender-side file transport parameters from a sender, the sender being a first media service implemented on a first computer system, the sender-side file transport parameters specifying a procedure for obtaining media assets from an outbox location of the sender; receiving, at the media transport service, recipient-side file transport parameters from a recipient, the recipient being a second media service implemented on a second computer system, the recipient-side file transport parameters specifying a procedure for delivery of media assets to an inbox location of the recipient; receiving, at the media transport service, transaction parameters from the sender, the transaction parameters including identification of a specific media asset to be transported and identification of the recipient as a destination for the media asset, wherein the transaction parameters further include a time window for delivery of the specific media asset; in response to receiving the transaction parameters, providing to the sender an estimated cost of transporting the specific media asset to the recipient; receiving an approval of the estimated cost from the sender prior to obtaining the specific media asset from the outbox location of the sender; obtaining, by the media transport service, the specific media asset from the outbox location of the sender in accordance with the transaction parameters and the sender-side file transport parameters; and transporting, by the media transport service, the specific media asset to the inbox location of the recipient in accordance with the transaction parameters and the recipient-side file transport parameters, wherein the act of transporting is performed such that the specific media asset arrives at the inbox location of the recipient within the time window.