Digital audio and video playback with performance complement testing

1. A method for monitoring viewing of a selection, the method comprising:

receiving a request to view the selection, the selection stored in a local memory in an encrypted form;

denying the request to view the selection if at least one of the following conditions has occurred:

(1) a first condition in which at least a first predetermined number of selections from a recording that includes the selection have been viewed within a first selected time interval,

(2) a second condition in which at least a second predetermined number of consecutive selections from the recording that includes the selection have been viewed within a second selected time interval,

(3) a third condition in which at least a third predetermined number of selections from a recorded anthology that includes the selection have been viewed within a third selected time interval, or

(4) a fourth condition in which at least a fourth predetermined number of consecutive selections from the recorded anthology that includes the selection have been viewed within a fourth selected time interval; and

if not denying the request, allowing the selection to be viewed in an unencrypted form.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the selection is viewed by transmitting the selection to a transducer, and wherein the selection is a music file.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein denying the request comprises disabling a user control for viewing the selection.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining if a performance complement is applicable to said selection.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining if said selection is restricted; and

when said selection is restricted, determining if at least one of payment and payment-equivalent has been made for said viewing of said selection.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein, when at least one of said payment and said payment-equivalent has not been made for viewing of said selection, allowing payment-equivalent to be made by viewing a selected number of selected advertisements at approximately a time said selection is viewed.

7. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:

receiving said payment or said payment-equivalent for said viewing of said selection; and

allowing subsequent viewing of said selection without restriction.

8. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:

receiving said payment or said payment-equivalent for said viewing of said selection; and

allowing subsequent viewing of said selection only within a time interval determined with reference to a time said payment or said payment-equivalent is received.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining if said selection is restricted; and

when said selection is not restricted, allowing said selection to be viewed.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising choosing at least one of said first, second, third, and fourth selected time intervals to have a length of about three hours.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising selecting at least one of the predetermined numbers as follows: selecting the first predetermined number to be 3, selecting the second predetermined number to be 2, selecting the third predetermined number to be 4, and selecting the fourth predetermined number to be 3.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

downloading the selection across a communications network from a server computer; and

storing the selection in the local memory prior to receiving the request to view the selection.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

providing a playlist that includes at least the selection.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein viewing further comprises viewing an audio only selection.

15. A method for monitoring viewing of a selection at one or more selected times, the method comprising:

providing a playlist including at least one selection that is chosen for viewing, wherein the at least one selection has an encrypted form;

testing for at least one of the following conditions: (1) within a first selected time interval, at least M1 playlist selections from the same recording will have been viewed, if the selection is viewed; (2) within a second selected time interval, at least M2 consecutive selections from the same recording will have been viewed, if the selection is viewed; (3) within a third selected time interval, at least M3 selections from the same recorded anthology will have been viewed, if the selection is viewed; or (4) within a fourth selected time interval, at least M4 consecutive selections from the same recorded anthology will have been viewed, if the selection is viewed, where M1, M2, M3 and M4 are selected non-negative numbers; and

when a tested for condition is present, declining to permit viewing of the selection within the corresponding first, second, third, or fourth time interval;

otherwise, allowing the selection to be viewed in an unencrypted form.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the selection is viewed by transmitting the ection to a transducer, and wherein the selection is a music file.

17. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:

receiving a user request to skip a currently viewed selection; and

if a predetermined maximum number of skips have occurred, declining to permit skipping of the selection.

18. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:

receiving a user request to skip a currently viewed selection; and

if a tested for condition is present, declining to permit skipping of the selection.

19. A method for monitoring viewing of selections, the method comprising:

receiving a request to skip a currently viewed selection to view a next selection, the next selection stored in a local memory in an encrypted form;

denying the request to skip the currently viewed selection if at least one of the following conditions has occurred:

(1) a first condition in which at least a first predetermined number of selections from a recording that includes the next selection have been viewed within a first selected time interval,

(2) a second condition in which at least a second predetermined number of consecutive selections from the recording that includes the next selection have been viewed within a second selected time interval,

(3) a third condition in which at least a third predetermined number of selections from a recorded anthology that includes the next selection have been viewed within a third selected time interval,

(4) a fourth condition in which at least a fourth predetermined number of consecutive selections from the recorded anthology that includes the next selection have been viewed within a fourth selected time interval, or

(5) a fifth condition in which a fifth predetermined number of skips have occurred within a fifth selected time interval; and

if not denying the request, skipping the currently viewed selection to allow the next selection to be viewed in an unencrypted form.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the selection is viewed by converting the selection to sound, and wherein the selection is a music file.

21. The method of claim 19 , wherein denying the request to skip comprises disabling a user control for viewing the selection.

22. A method for playing back a selection, the method comprising:

receiving a request to play the selection, the selection stored in a local memory in an encrypted form; and

unencrypting the selection in response to the request to play the selection, unless at least one of the following conditions has occurred:

(1) a first condition in which at least a first predetermined number of selections from a recording that includes the selection have been played within a first selected time interval,

(2) a second condition in which at least a second predetermined number of consecutive selections from the recording that includes the selection have been played within a second selected time interval,

(3) a third condition in which at least a third predetermined number of selections from a recorded anthology that includes the selection have been played within a third selected time interval, or

(4) a fourth condition in which at least a fourth predetermined number of consecutive selections from the recorded anthology that includes the selection have been played within a fourth selected time interval.

23. The method of claim 22 , wherein the requested selection can be played by feeding the unencrypted selection to a speaker, and wherein the requested selection is a music file.

24. The method of claim 22 , further comprising:

denying the request to play the selection when at least one of conditions (1) through (4) have occurred by disabling a user control for playing the selection.

25. A computer program product comprising a computer-readable medium containing computer program code for performing any one of the methods of claims 1 through 24 .

26. A system for monitoring viewing of a selection, the system comprising:

a client computer that is programmed to test requests to view the selection, the selection stored in a local memory in an encrypted form, and to deny the request to-view the selection if at least one of the following conditions has occurred:

(1) a first condition in which at least a first predetermined number of selections from a recording that includes the selection have been viewed within a first selected time interval;

(2) a second condition in which at least a second predetermined number of consecutive selections from the recording that includes the selection have been viewed within a second selected time interval;

(3) a third condition in which at least a third predetermined number of selections from a recorded anthology that includes the selection have been viewed within a third selected time interval; or

(4) a fourth condition in which at least a fourth predetermined number of consecutive selections from the recorded anthology that includes the selection have been viewed within a fourth selected time interval;

the client computer further programmed to allow the selection to be viewed in an unencrypted form if not denying the request.

27. The system of claim 26 , wherein the requested selection is viewed by delivering said selection to an audio rendering device, and wherein said selection is a music file.

28. The system of claim 26 , wherein denying the request comprises disabling a user control for viewing the selection.

29. The system of claim 26 , wherein said client computer is further programmed to determine if a performance complement is applicable to said selection.

30. The system of claim 26 , wherein said client computer is further programmed:

to determine if said selection is restricted; and

when said selection is restricted, to determine if at least one of payment and payment-equivalent has been made for said viewing of said selection.

31. The system of claim 30 , wherein said client computer is further programmed so that, when at least one of said payment and said payment-equivalent has not been made for viewing of said selection, the system allows payment-equivalent to be made by viewing a selected number of selected advertisements at approximately a time said selection is viewed.

32. The system of claim 30 , wherein said client computer is further programmed:

to receive said payment or said payment-equivalent for said viewing of said selection; and

to allow subsequent viewing of said selection without restriction.

33. The system of claim 30 , wherein said client computer is further programmed:

to receive said payment or said payment-equivalent for said viewing of said selection; and

to allow subsequent viewing of said selection only within a time interval determined with reference to a time said payment or said payment-equivalent is received.

34. The system of claim 30 , wherein said client computer is further programmed:

to determine if said selection is restricted; and

when said selection is not restricted, to allow said selection to be viewed.

35. The system of claim 30 , wherein at least one of said first, second, third, and fourth selected time intervals has a length of about three hours.

36. The system of claim 30 , wherein at least one of said predetermined numbers satisfies the following: the first predetermined number is 3, the second predetermined number is 2, the third predetermined number is 4, the fourth predetermined number is 3.

37. The system of claim 30 , wherein the client computer is further programmed to download the selection across a communications network from a server computer and store the selection in the local memory.

38. The system of claim 26 , further comprising:

a playlist that includes at least the selection.

39. The system of claim 26 , wherein viewing comprises viewing an audio only selection.

40. A system for monitoring and modifying a playlist at one or more selected times, the system comprising:

a playlist including at least one viewable selection, wherein the at least one viewable selection has an encrypted form; and

a computer that is programmed to:

test for at least one of the following conditions: (1) within a first selected time interval, at least M1 playlist selections from the same recording will have been viewed, if the selection is viewed; (2) within a second selected time interval, at least M2 consecutive selections from the same recording will have been viewed, if the selection is viewed; (3) within a third selected time interval, at least M3 selections from the same recorded anthology will have been viewed, if the selection is viewed; or (4) within a fourth selected time interval, at least M4 consecutive selections from the same recorded anthology will have been viewed, if the selection is viewed, where M1, M2, M3 and M4 are selected non-negative numbers;

when a tested for condition is present, decline to permit viewing of the selection within the corresponding first, second, third, or fourth time interval; and

otherwise, allow the selection to be viewed in an unencrypted form.

41. The system of claim 40 , wherein the requested selection is viewed by delivering said selection to an audio rendering device, and wherein said selection is a music file.

42. The system of claim 40 , wherein the computer is further programmed to:

receive a user request to skip a currently viewed selection; and

if a predetermined maximum number of skips have occurred, decline to permit skipping of the selection.

43. The system of claim 40 , wherein the computer is further programmed to:

receive a user request to skip a currently viewed selection; and

if a tested for condition is present, decline to permit skipping of the selection.

44. A system for monitoring viewing of selections, the system comprising:

a client computer that is programmed to test requests to skip a currently viewed selection to view a next selection, the next selection stored in a local memory in an encrypted form, and to deny the request to skip the currently viewed selection if at least one of the following conditions has occurred:

(1) a first condition in which at least a first predetermined number of selections from a recording that includes the next selection have been viewed within a first selected time interval,

(2) a second condition in which at least a second predetermined number of consecutive selections from the recording that includes the next selection have been viewed within a second selected time interval;

(3) a third condition in which at least a third predetermined number of selections from a recorded anthology that includes the next selection have been viewed within a third selected time interval;

(4) a fourth condition in which at least a fourth predetermined number of consecutive selections from the recorded anthology that includes the next selection have been viewed within a fourth selected time interval; or

(5) a fifth condition in which a fifth predetermined number of skips have occurred within a fifth selected time interval; and

the client computer further programmed to skip the currently viewed selection to allow the next selection to be viewed in an unencrypted form if not denying the request.

45. The system of claim 44 , wherein the selection is viewed by converting the selection to sound, and wherein the selection is a music file.

46. The system of claim 44 , wherein denying the request to skip comprises disabling a user control for viewing the selection.