Patent ID: 7783767

Claim:
A universal media sharing system for distributed sharing of media content, comprising: a secure encrypted micro web server including a media file store for storing media files for a local user on a computer and for sharing media files over a network connected to the computer; a media file fingerprinting module linked to said micro web server for creating media file fingerprints and media file metadata accurately authenticating the content of the user's media files regardless of original media file metadata; a local user index stored by the micro web server on said computer based on the user's media files and media file fingerprints stored by the micro web server; a global sharing index of media file fingerprints, media file metadata, local users, and local user metadata stored on a central remote server in network contact with the micro web server; a sharing group index stored by the micro web server on said computer, said sharing group index including a list of other users authorized to access one or more of the media files stored on the micro web server and available from the micro web server over the network; a user authentication module linked to the micro web server for authenticating other users for access to the micro web server based on independently verifiable data associated with the other user; a media file authentication module linked to the micro web server for authenticating a media file as legitimate and correlated to the micro web server and associated media store in which the media file is located; a media conversion module linked to the micro web server for converting media files to a universal media format upon receipt of a media file at the micro web server, the universal media format including an encapsulated streaming media player coupled to the media file metadata of universal media format files; a media distribution module linked to the micro web server for at least one of distributed sharing and distributed streaming of a media file to a remote computer over the network via a standard network protocol; and a media sharing module linked to the micro web server for distributing to a sharing user, upon an authenticated request for a media file over the network from the sharing user to the micro web server, such that the sharing user begins to receive the media file in the universal media format and playback begins of the media file at the sharing user through the encapsulated streaming media player without further user intervention and without requiring user installation of a media codec.