System and method for content owner controllable hosted distributions system

1. A method for distributing content over a network, the method comprising:

providing by a communications service provider a content distribution node, wherein content stored by the content distribution node is accessible to subscriber of the communications service provider without traversing the Internet;

providing, via the content distribution node, a content mall comprising a plurality of content stores, wherein each of the content stores employs a CODEC proprietary to that content store to encode content stored on that content store;

providing a set-top box software repository having one or more software modules, each software module associated respectively with a content store of the plurality of content stores, wherein each software module allows a set-top box to access the respectively associated content store;

providing a centralized CODEC storage facility for content providers to store CODECS for download by subscribers of the communication service provider;

providing an advertisement repository storing one or more sets of advertisements, each set of advertisements associated respectively with a content store of the plurality of content stores, wherein each set of advertisements displays only with content from the respectively associated content store; and

granting access, via the content distribution node, to a plurality of content providers to store:

content to a respective content store in the content mall, wherein each content provider maintains control over content stored in their respective content store;

a content provider software module associated with the respective content store; and

a set of advertisements associated with the respective content store.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising configuring a user interface to enable the content provider to set a quality of service for distributing content from their respective content store.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising configuring a user interface to enable the content provider to partition a storage space associated with their respective content store for storing different types of content.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising configuring a user interface to enable the content provider to set pricing for different content in their respective content store.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising configuring a user interface to enable the content provider to remove content from their respective content store without notifying the communications service provider.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising configuring the content distribution node to enable the plurality of content providers to store software to their respective content stores for enabling subscriber devices to display content associated with their respective content store.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising configuring a user interface to enable the content provider to limit distribution of a particular content in their respective content store.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein a distribution limit of the content is limited a certain number of distributions.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein a distribution limit of the content is limited a certain period of time that the content can be distributed.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the period of time that the content can be distributed is a period of hours within a day.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising configuring a user interface to enable the content provider to set a bandwidth limit for distributing a particular content from their respective content store.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising configuring a user interface to enable the content provider to receive subscriber feedback associated with a particular content from their respective content store.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising configuring the content distribution node to monitor the distribution of content from a content provider store and billing the content provider based on a revenue sharing fee.

14. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining whether a subscriber fee is associated with a content in a content store;

responsive to a determination that the subscriber fee is associated with the content in the content store, billing the content provider based on a revenue sharing fee in response to the content being distributed to a subscriber of the communications service provider; and

responsive to a determination that no subscriber fee is associated with the content in the content store, inserting advertisement selected by the communications service provider as part of the content being distributed to the subscriber of the communications service provider.

15. The method of claim 1 , further comprising configuring by the communications service provider the content distribution node to limit a type of content that may be distributed in a content store by a content provider.

16. The method of claim 1 , further comprising configuring by the communications service provider the content distribution node to utilize subscriber personal information for distributing the content and restricting the plurality of content providers from accessing the subscriber personal information.

17. A system for distributing content over a network, the system comprising:

a data storage unit configured to store content;

a network interface for communicatively coupling to the network;

a memory component configured to store data and executable instructions;

a processing unit configured to execute the executable instructions to:

provide a content mall that is accessible to subscribers of a communications service provider without traversing the Internet, the content mall comprising a plurality of content stores, wherein each of the content stores employs a CODEC proprietary to that content store to encode content stored on that content store;

provide a set-top box software repository having one or more software modules, each software module associated respectively with a content store of the plurality of content stores, wherein each software module allows a set-top box to access the respectively associated content store;

provide a centralized CODEC storage facility for content providers to store CODECS for download by subscribers of the communication service provider;

providing an advertisement repository storing one or more sets of advertisements, each set of advertisements associated respectively with a content store of the plurality of content stores, wherein each set of advertisements displays only with content from the respectively associated content store; and

grant access to a plurality of content providers to store:

content to a respective content store in the content mall, wherein each content provider maintains control over content stored in their respective content store;

a content provider software module associated with the respective content store; and

a set of advertisements associated with the respective content store.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the processing unit is further configured to execute instructions to:

determine whether a subscriber fee is associated with a content in a content store;

responsive to a determination that the subscriber fee is associated with the content in the content store, bill the content provider based on a revenue sharing fee in response to the content being distributed to a subscriber of the communications service provider; and

responsive to a determination that no subscriber fee is associated with the content in the content store, insert advertisement selected by the communications service provider as part of the content being distributed to the subscriber of the communications service provider.

19. The system of claim 17 , wherein the processing unit is further configured to execute instructions to provide a user interface to enable a content provider to set restrictions on distribution of content, add and remove content, and set a quality of service guarantee associated with a particular content.

20. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer usable medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein, said computer readable program code comprising instructions to:

provide a content mall that is accessible to subscribers of a communications service provider without traversing the Internet, the content mall comprising a plurality of content stores, wherein each of the content stores employs a CODEC proprietary to that content store to encode content stored on that content store;

provide a set-top box software repository having one or more software modules, each software module associated respectively with a content store of the plurality of content stores, wherein each software module allows a set-top box to access the respectively associated content store

provide a centralized CODEC storage facility for content providers to store CODECS for download by subscribers of the communication service provider;

providing an advertisement repository storing one or more sets of advertisements, each set of advertisements associated respectively with a content store of the plurality of content stores, wherein each set of advertisements displays only with content from the respectively associated content store; and

grant access to a plurality of content providers to store:

content to a respective content store in the content mall, wherein a content provider maintains control over content stored in their respective content store;

a content provider software module associated with the respective content store; and

a set of advertisements associated with the respective content store.