METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROCESSING ON-LINE DONATIONS ASSOCIATED WITH MEDIA CONTENT

1 . A method comprising:

integrating a payment button with an associated item of media content on a web page;

linking the payment button with an account on a payment site;

receiving a donation from a donor via the payment button; and

crediting the donation to the account linked to the payment button.

2 . The method as claimed in claim 1 including validating the account on the payment site.

3 . The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein integrating the payment button includes providing a plurality of options associated with the payment button.

4 . The method as claimed in claim 1 including creating multiple instantiations of the payment button in child versions of the item of media content that are displayed on a plurality of web pages.

5 . The method as claimed in claim 1 including importing the payment button and the associated item of media content into a plurality of web pages.

6 . The method as claimed in claim 1 including enabling a user to enter comments upon activation of the payment button.

7 . The method as claimed in claim 1 including tracking the revenue collected via a particular payment button.

8 . The method as claimed in claim 1 including distributing the payment button and the associated item of media content via email.

9 . The method as claimed in claim 1 including activating the payment button via a pointing device.

10 . An article of manufacture comprising a machine-readable storage medium having machine executable instructions embedded thereon, which when executed by a machine, cause the machine to:

integrate a payment button with an associated item of media content on a web page;

link the payment button with an account on a payment site;

receive a donation from a donor via the payment button; and

credit the donation to the account linked to the payment button.

11 . The article of manufacture as claimed in claim 10 being operable to validate the account on the payment site.

12 . The article of manufacture as claimed in claim 10 being operable to provide a plurality of options associated with the payment button.

13 . The article of manufacture as claimed claim 10 being operable to create multiple instantiations of the payment button in child versions of the item of media content that are displayed on a plurality of web pages.

14 . The article of manufacture as claimed in claim 10 being operable to import the payment button and the associated item of media content into a plurality of web pages.

15 . The article of manufacture as claimed in claim 10 being operable to enable a user to enter comments upon activation of the payment button.

16 . The article of manufacture as claimed in claim 10 being operable to track the revenue collected via a particular payment button.

17 . The article of manufacture as claimed in claim 10 being operable to distribute the payment button and the associated item of media content via email.

18 . The article of manufacture as claimed in claim 10 being operable to activate the payment button via a pointing, device.

19 . A system comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor to store information related to user donations; and

a donation module to integrate a payment button with an associated item of media content on a web page, link the payment button with an account on a payment site, receive a donation from a donor via the payment button, and credit the donation to the account linked to the payment button.

20 . The system as claimed in claim 19 being operable to validate the account on the payment site.