Patent ID: 8069489

Claim:
A method for controlling access to an original configuration of a digital work on a computer network, said method comprising the steps of: providing a masked configuration of said digital work, said masked configuration of said digital work being created by applying a masking effect on said original configuration of said digital work, said masked configuration being adapted for interfering with at least one of—viewing, hearing, displaying, and rendering of said digital work in said original configuration on a computer system, said masked configuration being readily accessible by a user of said digital work and remaining representative of said original configuration of said digital work thereby enabling said user to substantially examine said digital work; allowing said user to access said masked configuration of said digital work, for at least one of—viewing, hearing, displaying and rendering of said digital work in said masked configuration on said computer system, and providing at least a preview version of said digital work on said computer system; controlling at least one of—presence, absence, duration of application and permanence of said masking effect on said original configuration of said digital work, in accordance with at least one criterion thereby controlling receiving of said digital work in said original configuration by said user.