{
  "patent_number": "US 9021535",
  "country": "US",
  "title": "How Cable Networks Manage Virtual Ownership of Digital Movies",
  "original_title": "Methods and apparatus for providing virtual content over a network",
  "summary": "A system for cable providers to let users 'own' digital movies on a server instead of buying physical discs, allowing the provider to update that content remotely.",
  "what_it_does": "This patent describes a server system at a cable company's headend that manages digital movie purchases. When a user buys a movie, the system stores a personal copy on the network server and links it to that specific user account. The system can then push updates—like new bonus features, director's cuts, or metadata—directly to that stored copy. When the user wants to watch, the server delivers the movie along with these custom updates over the cable network.",
  "what_it_does_not_cover": [
    "Does not cover content delivery via standard internet streaming services like Netflix or YouTube.",
    "Does not cover peer-to-peer file sharing or decentralized storage methods.",
    "Does not cover the physical manufacturing or distribution of optical discs.",
    "Does not cover local storage of content on a user's personal hard drive or DVR."
  ],
  "filed": "2012-02-20",
  "granted": "2015-04-28",
  "expires": null,
  "status": "active",
  "holder": "Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC",
  "holder_url": "https://patentbrief.org/company/time-warner-cable-enterprises-llc",
  "inventors": [
    {
      "name": "Glenn Britt",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/inventor/glenn-britt"
    }
  ],
  "times_cited": 3,
  "tags": [
    "telecommunications",
    "consumer_electronics",
    "software"
  ],
  "abstract": "Methods and apparatus for selecting, purchasing and delivering content to users of a network so that the user has “virtual” ownership of and access to the content, thereby obviating the need for physical media (e.g., DVDs or CDs). In an exemplary embodiment, the network comprises a hybrid fiber coax (HFC) network, and on-demand (OD) sessions or broadcast modes are used to deliver the virtual content stored at the head-end (or hub site) to the requesting owner. The purchased content is associated with one or more users when stored, thereby providing the owner(s) unlimited access thereto, without the costs and effort associated with renting/purchasing and maintaining DVDs. The content may also comprise new release content, which would otherwise not be available over the network at that time but for the purchase and delivery mechanisms of the invention. Various other complementary features for enhancing the user's virtual ownership experience are also disclosed.",
  "url": "https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/9021535/netflix-user-profiles",
  "markdown_url": "https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/9021535/netflix-user-profiles/md",
  "google_patents_url": "https://patents.google.com/patent/US9021535",
  "relatedPatents": []
}