Patent ID: 8095529

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for ranking search results for multimedia items, the method comprising: identifying metadata associated with at least one of a plurality of multimedia items, the metadata describing at least one semantic characteristic of the multimedia item; comparing the identified metadata for the multimedia item to a reference database; altering a field within the identified metadata based on the comparison; determining an attribute for the multimedia item based on the identified metadata; storing an indication that, for the multimedia item, the determined attribute has a value represented by the identified metadata; receiving from a user a search query comprising at least one search term; determining an attribute for the search term whose value is represented by the search term; identifying at least one candidate multimedia item from the plurality of multimedia items for which an indication is stored that, for the candidate multimedia item, the determined attribute corresponds to the attribute determined for the search term determining a score for the at least one identified candidate multimedia item; and providing instructions to display the identified candidate multimedia item in search results to the user based on the determined score.