Patent ID: 8738693

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for managing distribution of media files, the method being implemented by one or more processors and comprising: enabling a source computer that is part of a personal network of a user to allow a remote computing device that is external to the personal network to access and act upon a set of media files residing on the personal network, without uploading the set of media files to an intermediary server or computer, by configuring the source computer to perform steps comprising: scanning the personal network of the user to identify media files that can be shared and acted upon by the remote computing device, the personal network of the user including the source computer and one or more other devices; receiving a request from the remote computing device to access the set of media files; sending data that corresponds to each media file in the set to the remote computing device using a network and without use of an intermediary server or computer; enabling a user of the remote computing device to communicate with the source computer to specify one or more actions that are to be performed or initiated on the source computer for any of the one or more media files in the set; and initiating performance of the one or more actions specified by the remote user; wherein the one or more specified actions include sending at least portions of the selected media files to a particular network location specified by the user of the remote computing device, and wherein the particular network location is external to the personal network.