Patent ID: 7881315

Claim:
A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, not comprising a propagated data signal or transmission media, which is encoded with computer-executable instructions which when executed by a processor, perform a method for distributing digital content between a source communication device operable by a source entity and a sink communication device operable by a sink entity, the method comprising: without consulting a network-based entity, identifying a digital content item to be distributed based on one or more criteria specified by the source communication device or the sink communication device or both, the digital content item stored on a computer-readable medium accessible by the source communication device; determining a proximity of the source communication device and the sink communication device, the proximity based both on whether the source entity and the sink entity have a common prior affinity, the common prior affinity comprising a logical relationship between the source entity and the sink entity that establishes a level of trust between the source communication device and the sink communication device, and on whether the source communication device is proximate to the sink communication device within a predetermined, static geographical sub-region of a local communication region; if the source communication device and the sink communication device are determined to be in proximity because the source entity and the sink entity have a common prior affinity and the source communication device is proximate to the sink communication device within a predetermined, static geographical sub-region of a local communication region, establishing a peer-to-peer communication session between the source communication device and the sink communication device; and arranging for asynchronous distribution, via the peer-to-peer communication session, of the identified digital content item from the computer-readable medium accessible by the source communication device to a computer-readable medium associated with the sink communication device.