Patent ID: 8806555

Claim:
A subscriber network for delivering a displayable, sequential media file that has a complete duration and that is requested by a requesting subscriber of a network of subscribers, comprising: a library storing the sequential media file as a plurality of segments, each segment having a duration less than the complete duration and comprising a discrete sequence of the sequential media file such that the assembly of all of the plurality of segments in sequential order is required for displaying the sequential media file; a distribution network connecting the library and the network of subscribers for distributing the plurality of segments of the media file among the network of subscribers for storage on respective units of the subscribers; and a server in communication with the network of subscribers and having a controller for responding to a request from a requesting subscriber by directing to that requesting subscriber all of the plurality of segments of the sequential media file; and a requesting subscriber unit configured for sequentially assembling into the complete duration of the sequential media file all of the segments that are directed to the requesting subscriber and wherein the segments of the sequential media file are encrypted in a manner that prevents display of the complete duration of the sequential media file until all of the segments are sequentially assembled into the sequential media file.