Automated printing system for producing copyright protected image-based product
View Patent ↗An automated printing system for producing an image-based product comprises a server computer that receives from a first user a group of one or more copyright protected digital images and price information for image-based product. The price information can be distinct for each group of copyright protected digital images. The automated printing system also includes a computer processor that processes the copyright protected digital images in response to an order from a second user and calculates payment to the first user based on the price information and a digital printer that produces the image-based product in response to the processed copyright protected digital image.
1. An automated printing system for producing image-based products of a common product type from a user account, comprising:
a server computer configured to receive:
a first gallery of one or more copyright protected digital images and a first price for a first image-based product incorporating a copyright protected image in the first gallery, wherein a first user owns copyrights of the one or more copyright protected digital images in the first gallery;
a second gallery of one or more copyright protected digital images and a second price for a second image-based product incorporating a copyright protected image in the second gallery, wherein the first user owns copyrights of the one or more copyright protected digital images in the second gallery, wherein the first image-based product and the second image-based product belong to a common product type, and wherein the first price is different from the second price;
a first order of the first image-based product incorporating the copyright protected image in the first gallery, wherein the first order is received from a second user; and
a second order of the second image-based product incorporating the copyright protected image in the second gallery, wherein the second order is received from a third user;
a computer processor configured to process a copyright protected digital image in the first gallery in response to the first order and to calculate payment to the first user based on the first price, and to process a copyright protected digital image in the second gallery in response to the second order and to calculate payment to the first user based on the second price; and
a digital printer coupled to the computer processor and configured to produce the first image-based product or the second image-based product.
2. The automated printing system of claim 1 , wherein the first user is a owner of the user account.
3. The automated printing system of claim 1 , wherein the computer processor is configured to insert a copyright message to at least one of the copyright protected digital images in the first gallery or in the second gallery.
4. The automated printing system of claim 1 , wherein the copyright protected digital images in the first gallery is accessible at an Internet address by a second user and the copyright protected digital images in the second gallery are accessible at the Internet address by a third user.
5. The automated printing system of claim 1 , wherein the first price and the second price are entered or changed by the first user at a web user interface.
6. The automated printing system of claim 1 , wherein the first gallery is accessible to the second user but not to the third user and the second gallery is accessible to the third user but not to the second user.
7. The automated printing system of claim 1 , wherein the server computer is configured to share the first gallery to the second user via a computer network.
8. The automated printing system of claim 1 , wherein the image-based product includes one selected from the group consisting of photographic prints, photo calendars, photo greeting cards, photo snapbook, and photo album.
9. The automated printing system of claim 1 , wherein the first order is received from a second user over a computer network.
10. A system for providing image-based products of a common product type from a user account, comprising:
a server computer configured to receive:
a first gallery of one or more copyright protected digital images and a first price for a first image-based product incorporating a copyright protected image in the first gallery, wherein a first user owns copyrights of the one or more copyright protected digital images in the first gallery;
a second gallery of one or more copyright protected digital images and a second price for a second image-based product incorporating a copyright protected image in the second gallery, wherein the first user owns copyrights of the one or more copyright protected digital images in the second gallery, wherein the first image-based product and the second image-based product belong to a common product type, and wherein the first price is different from the second price;
a first order of the first image-based product incorporating the copyright protected image in the first gallery, wherein the first order is received from a second user; and
a second order of the second image-based product incorporating the copyright protected image in the second gallery, wherein the second order is received from a third user;
a computer storage device configured to store a user account owned by the first owner and to store first gallery and the second gallery in the user account, wherein the first gallery is accessible to the second user but not to the third user and the second gallery is accessible to the third user but not to the second user; and
a computer processor configured to process a copyright protected digital image in the first gallery in response to the first order and to calculate payment to the first user based on the first price, and to process a copyright protected digital image in the second gallery in response to the second order and to calculate payment to the first user based on the second price.
11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the first user is a owner of the user account.
12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the first price and the second price are entered or changed by the first user at a web user interface.
13. The system of claim 10 , wherein the server computer is configured to share the first gallery to the second user via a computer network.
14. The system of claim 10 , wherein the first gallery and the second gallery of one or more copyright protected digital images are uploaded by the first user to the server computer over a computer network.
15. The system of claim 10 , wherein the computer processor is configured to insert a copyright message to at least one of the copyright protected digital images in the first gallery of the second gallery.