Method and system for secure sharing, gifting, and purchasing of content on television and mobile devices
A method and system are provided for secure sharing and purchasing of content on television and mobile devices, where a user, while viewing or listening to content can, with a simple interface, send a link to a sample time slice of the content to another user (or group of users) with optionally annotating the content in real-time or in a time-shifted manner. The shared clip segment can then be used as an incentive for the content to be purchased by the other user or optionally gift it to another user. Furthermore, during the sharing process, the user may engage in a live conversation with recipients who are viewing the shared content segment. The system can enable the user to additionally bookmark any segment of interest, which could be shared subsequently with other users. This experience of real-time or time-shifted sharing of content segments enables the user to approximate a living room or group viewing experience across people who are geographically separated and/or using different rendering devices.
1 . A method of sharing a content viewing or listening experience, the method comprising:
(a) identifying content of interest;
(b) selecting a time slice segment of the content;
(c) identifying a content recipient;
(d) transmitting the segment of the content to the content recipient; and
(e) engaging in a live or time-shifted conversation with the content recipient.
2 . The method of claim 1 wherein transmitting the segment comprises transmitting the segment or a link to the segment.
3 . The method of claim 1 further comprising sending an annotation of the segment to the recipient.
4 . The method of claim 1 wherein steps (b) and (c) are performed using a television remote control device.
5 . The method of claim 1 wherein the content comprises a video or music content.
6 . The method of claim 1 further comprising bookmarking content of interest for later distribution to a recipient.
7 . The method of claim 1 wherein the distribution of the content is governed by business rules associated with the content.
8 . The method of claim 1 wherein the device used for sharing the content is a television or a mobile device.