System and method for publishing and displaying digital materials

1. A system configured to manage annotations made by users to electronic book files, the system comprising:

one or more physical computer processors configured by computer readable instructions to:

upload a set of media files and publication requirements by a media publisher for viewing by a plurality of users via a publisher interface on the publisher computing platform, the publication requirements specifying a date and time for publication of the set of media files, wherein a content of at least one media file within the set of media files being in an e-book file format (ePub);

responsive to a current date and time satisfying the date and time for publication as specified by the publication requirements, publish the set of media files by presenting individual media files in a user interface on a user computing platform, wherein the individual media files are grouped based on the content of the at least one media file within the set of media files;

obtain user selection of a media file from a first user viewing the set of media files presented in the user interface on the user computing platform operated by the first user;

map the first user to the selected media file by associating the first user with the selected media file such that the selected media file is marked as being checked out by the first user;

obtain one or more annotations to the checked-out media file presented within the user interface on the user computing platform operated by the first user, the one or more annotations comprising at least one of a content highlight, a note, and a bookmark entered by the first user;

generate an annotation summary comprising the one or more annotations associated with the checked-out media file, wherein the first user may interact with the one or more annotations within the checked out media file by a user command effectuated within the annotation summary;

obtain user selection of a media file from a second user viewing the set of media files presented in a user interface on a user computing platform operated by the second user; and

share the one or more annotations and comments made by the first user to set of the media files with the second user viewing the set of media files;

wherein the first and second users manage the one or more annotations within the system via the user interface on the user computing platform operated by the first and second users respectively.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the management of the one or more annotations effectuated by the user command comprises adding, removing and editing annotations.

3. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a reading content module configured for reading content after the first user has been mapped to the content.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first user can interact with the annotation summary by searching the annotation summary and viewing the one or more annotations within the content of the checked-out media file.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the first user selected annotation tool is configured to annotate the content of the checked-out media file by adding highlights, notes and bookmarks to the checked-out media file.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein sharing of the user annotations and comments within the checked-out media file includes making them public by setting sharing properties.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the sharing properties comprise one or more of audience and permissions.

8. The system of claim 6 , wherein the user computing platform comprises the user's PC, an e-book reader device, a handheld phone, or a handheld computer.

9. A system configured to manage permissions based on publication ownership of electronic book files, the system comprising:

one or more physical computer processors configured by computer readable instructions to:

upload a set of media files, payment requirements, and publication requirements by a media publisher for viewing by a plurality of users via a publisher interface on the publisher computing platform, the publication requirements specifying a date and time for publication of the set of media files, wherein a content of at least one media file within the set of media files being in an e-book file format (ePub);

responsive to a payment received from a first user satisfying the payment requirements, and responsive to a current date and time satisfying the date and time for publication as specified by the publication requirements, publish the set of media files by presenting individual media files in a user interface on a user computing platform operated by the first user, wherein the individual media files are grouped based on the content of the at least one media file within the set of media files;

obtain user selection of a media file from a first user viewing the set of media files presented in the user interface on the user computing platform operated by the first user;

map the first user to the selected media file by associating the first user with the selected media file such that the selected media file is marked as being checked out by the first user;

present the checked-out media file in the user interface on the user computing platform; and

responsive to a payment received from a second user satisfying the payment requirements, and responsive to a current date and time satisfying the date and time for publication as specified by the publication requirements, publish the set of media files by presenting individual media files in a user interface on a user computing platform operated by the second user, wherein the individual media files are grouped based on the content of the at least one media file within the set of media files;

wherein the payment requirements comprise a licensing fee determined by the media publisher.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the media publisher manages the payment requirements and payments within the system via the publisher interface on the publisher computing platform.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the publisher interface is integrated with public Representation State Transfer Application Program Interface (RESTful) APis.

12. The system of claim 9 , wherein the one or more physical computer processors configured by computer readable instructions to manage the payments by the media publisher by providing a payment term within the system via the publisher interface on the publisher computing platform.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the payment requirements comprise a licensing fee determined by the media publisher.

14. The system of claim 12 , wherein satisfying the payment requirements comprise the fee made by the user satisfying the licensing fee determined by the media publisher.

15. The system of claim 9 , further comprising a reading content module configured for reading content after the first user has been mapped to the content.

16. The system of claim 9 , wherein the user computing platform comprises the user's PC, an e-book reader device, a handheld phone, or a handheld computer.