Patent ID: 7958163

Claim:
A method of transferring digital goods from a vendor to a central repository, comprising steps of: loading at least one file image from a source location by a vendor, wherein said source location comprises an FTP server; obtaining at least one File ID parameter for said at least one file image and a source file path to said at least one file image at a computer operated by a vendor from a list of input parameters, wherein said at least one File ID parameter comprises an XML (eXtensible Markup Language) file, wherein said XML file contains an element corresponding to said at least one file image, and wherein said element contains said at least one File ID parameter; obtaining a vendor identifier and a checksum for verifying the integrity of said file image via one or more application-specific forms available to a user through one or more web service; linking said at least one file image with a corresponding metadata object within a product description, wherein said at least one metadata object comprises an entitlement attribute specifying at least one customer, from among a plurality of customers, entitled to download said file; creating said at least one corresponding metadata object by the vendor of the of said at least one file image; uploading said at least one file image from said source location to a database at said central repository, wherein said uploading fails if said at least one file image is not found; said metadata object is not found; or said at least one file image fails an integrity check; generating at least one email message to notify at least one customer from a plurality of customers that said at least one file image is ready to be downloaded, wherein the step of generating said at least one email comprises generating at least one executable hyperlink that, when executed, provides said at least one customer with access to a dynamically-generated, password- protected, personalized web space configured for downloading said at least one file subject to said entitlement attribute; and interpreting the at least one File ID parameter and the at least one additional parameter according to predefined rules for the display of the at least one file image on standardized browsers using a user-defined template.