Patent ID: 8627500

Claim:
A system for management of digital media objects, comprising: A. two or more digital data apparatus, including at least a first digital data apparatus and a second digital data apparatus, in communications coupling with one or more stores, B. a digital media object that is stored in one or more of the stores and that is accessible by at least one of the first digital data apparatus and the second digital data apparatus, where the digital media object contains any of a song, a book, a video, a movie, a story, a software application, and a game, C. management logic at least one of executing on and in communications coupling with at least one of the first digital data apparatus and the second digital data apparatus, the management logic assigns a common, unique fingerprint identifier to the digital media object and copies thereof, during a first period of time that corresponds to a time before a sale or gifting of the digital media object, the management logic (i) prevents the second digital data apparatus from accessing the digital media object or copy thereof having the common, unique fingerprint identifier, and (ii) allows the first digital data apparatus to access the digital media object or copy thereof having the common, unique fingerprint identifier, during a second period of time that is mutually exclusive of the first period of time and that corresponds to a time after the sale or gifting of the digital media object, the management logic (i) prevents the first digital data apparatus from accessing the digital media object or copy thereof having the common, unique fingerprint identifier, and (ii) allows the second digital data apparatus to access the digital media object or copy thereof having the common, unique fingerprint identifier, wherein, during at least one of the first and second periods of time, the management logic prevents such access by blocking access to the digital media object or copy thereof by a filesystem of a said digital data apparatus, and D. a server digital data apparatus that includes a central store, and the management logic effects the sale or gifting by making an atomic transfer of ownership, from a user of the first digital data apparatus to a user of the second digital data apparatus, of a particular copy of the digital media object in the central store.