How Websites Get Paid for Referring Video Traffic
A method for tracking which website sent a user to a video stream so the referring site can be paid for the advertisement shown.
Original patent title: “Methods and apparatus for transmitting multimedia files in a data network”
A method for tracking which website sent a user to a video stream so the referring site can be paid for the advertisement shown. Granted to Zaron Remote LLC in 2015 with 24 claims and 6 forward citations.
Key facts
Coverage
What does this patent actually cover?
The patent describes a system that tracks the origin of a user request for a multimedia file. When a user clicks a link on a referring website, the system captures the referring site's identity and embeds this information into the digital file request. When the user later initiates a streaming session to watch the video, the streaming server uses that embedded identity to track which advertisements were shown to that specific user. Finally, the server uses this data to automatically calculate and issue payment to the referring website for the traffic it generated.
The gap
What does this patent NOT cover?
- Does not cover general video streaming that lacks a mechanism for tracking the referring website's identity.
- Does not cover systems that do not explicitly link advertisement tracking to the remuneration of the referring site.
- Does not cover offline or non-web-based multimedia distribution methods.
These exclusions are unique to PatentBrief — derived from the actual claim language, not patent-office boilerplate.
What made this novel
The system embeds the referring site's identity into the initial file request and carries that data through to the stateful streaming session, ensuring the referral credit persists even when the user switches from a simple web request to a complex media stream.
Schematic visualization of the patent's claim structure. Hand-drawn diagrams in progress for each landmark patent.
Where you've seen this
Real-world examples
Affiliate marketing video platforms
Ad-supported streaming services with referral programs
Content syndication networks
Why it matters
The bigger picture
This patent addresses the complex challenge of affiliate marketing in digital media. By automating the link between a referral and the subsequent monetization of a video stream, it provides a technical framework for revenue sharing between content distributors and the websites that drive their traffic.
Filed
April 26, 2010
Granted
October 6, 2015
Market context
Who's building on this
Companies in this space
The technology is relevant to major ad-tech companies and video streaming platforms that manage complex affiliate and referral revenue models. While Zaron Remote LLC is the assigneeassigneeThe entity that owns the patent — usually the inventor's employer or a company.Read more →, the concepts are foundational to how modern digital advertising networks track user acquisition sources.
Market impact
This patent formalizes the technical handshake required to attribute video ad revenue to specific referrers. It supports the infrastructure of digital affiliate marketing, allowing content owners to scale partnerships by automating the financial tracking of traffic sources.
Claim 1 — Plain English
What this patent covers
The patent describes a system that tracks the origin of a user request for a multimedia file. When a user clicks a link on a referring website, the system captures the referring site's identity and embeds this information into the digital file request. When the user later initiates a streaming session to watch the video, the streaming server uses that embedded identity to track which advertisements were shown to that specific user. Finally, the server uses this data to automatically calculate and issue payment to the referring website for the traffic it generated.
The clever bit
The system embeds the referring site's identity into the initial file request and carries that data through to the stateful streaming session, ensuring the referral credit persists even when the user switches from a simple web request to a complex media stream.
What it does not cover
- Does not cover general video streaming that lacks a mechanism for tracking the referring website's identity.
- Does not cover systems that do not explicitly link advertisement tracking to the remuneration of the referring site.
- Does not cover offline or non-web-based multimedia distribution methods.
Patent timeline
Application submitted to the patent office
Application published, typically 18 months after filing
Patent officially issued
PatentBrief Score
Impact Score
Early stage
Citation count
17/40
Early citations
Claim breadth
16/20
Broad claimsclaimsThe numbered statements at the end of a patent that legally define what the inventor owns.Read more →
Recency
5/20
Granted 10–20 years ago
Assignee scale
0/20
Independent or smaller assigneeassigneeThe entity that owns the patent — usually the inventor's employer or a company.Read more →
PatentBrief Impact Score — based on citation count, claim breadth, recency, and assignee scale. Not a legal assessment.
Heuristic Value Estimate
What this patent might be worth
$87K – $280K
Midpoint $175K · 3.9 yr remaining · industry ×1.6
Heuristic only — blends forward/backward citation counts, claim scope, time remaining, litigation history, and CPC-derived industry baseline. Real valuations need a professional appraisal.
The original legal language
Original claims
24 claims as filed with the patent office.
Concepts involved
Citations
Patent lineage
Cite this patent
Gutiérrez, Á. F. (2015). How Websites Get Paid for Referring Video Traffic (U.S. Patent No. 9,154,532). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/9154532/netflix-original-content-recommendation
Auto-generated from the patent record. Double-check author order and the issue date against the official USPTO document before submitting.
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Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What does How Websites Get Paid for Referring Video Traffic cover?
A method for tracking which website sent a user to a video stream so the referring site can be paid for the advertisement shown.
Who owns patent US 9154532?
Zaron Remote LLC owns this patent, granted in 2015.
When does this patent expire?
This patent is expected to expire on October 6, 2035, when the invention enters the public domain.
What is patent US 9154532 cited by?
This patent has been cited by 6 later patents that build on its ideas.
What problem does this patent solve?
This patent addresses the complex challenge of affiliate marketing in digital media. By automating the link between a referral and the subsequent monetization of a video stream, it provides a technical framework for revenue sharing between content distributors and the websites that drive their traffic.
What does this patent NOT cover?
Does not cover general video streaming that lacks a mechanism for tracking the referring website's identity.
Patent monitoring