Patent ID: 8122488

Claim:
A system for distributing a media file to a client over a computer network, the client having a download agent and being configured to request access to the media file over the computer network, the system comprising: a distribution server for receiving the request from the client and for authenticating the client, wherein the distribution server is configured to provide the download agent with a torrent file associated with the media file provided the client has been authenticated; a server farm containing a plurality of servers each having at least one IP address and each having been pre-seeded with a complete copy of the media file, which is stored on each of the servers; and an access control module between the server farm and the computer network and configured to restrict access to the plurality of servers to download agents associated with clients authenticated by the distribution server, wherein each of the plurality of servers includes a torrent application configured to receive a download request via its at least one IP address from the download agent and configured to transmit at least a fragment of the media file to the download agent in response to the download request.