Digital content rental system using blockchain

Abstract

To provide a digital content rental system using blockchain that enables rewards to be returned to digital content providers.SOLUTION: A digital content rental system according to the present invention includes a digital content storage unit, an access right management unit that, in response to a lending request from a user who has entered into a rental contract, provides an access right to duplicate data of the digital content as an NFT (Non-Fungible Token), a digital content providing unit that provides the duplicate data of the digital content by streaming in response to a playback request from the user, and a revenue management unit that aggregates lending data based on management values of the NFT to calculate revenue distribution for each digital content provider and returns the revenue as a reward, and is characterized by including a digital content management server that, based on the rental contract, lends the digital content to the user so as to be playable without limitation during a lending period.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a blockchain-based digital content rental system, and in particular to a blockchain-based digital content rental system that provides access rights to digital content that can be rented within a certain contract amount of a rental contract, provides the content in a form that can be played as streaming without limit during the rental period, and returns rewards to the digital content provider. [Background technology]

[0002] There are many opportunities to come into contact with a variety of music in everyday life, including through television and radio broadcasts, and many music fans actively watch television and listen to radio music programs as a hobby. However, in the case of television and radio, the music provided is pre-selected by the broadcasting station, so it is not possible to listen to the music of your choice whenever you want. In the past, when music fans wanted to listen to their favorite music, they would typically purchase CDs or tapes containing their favorite songs, or rent these CDs or tapes from a rental store.

[0003] However, in recent years, subscription-based services and product access have become widespread, allowing users to pay a set amount and use a service or product for a set period of time without purchasing it. With the currently mainstream subscription-based music streaming services, users can listen to any song they like, whenever and as many times as they like, without any restrictions on the number of songs they can use, by paying a set monthly fee. Major music streaming services offer as many as 100 million songs. By using these music streaming services, users can enjoy music easily without having to store and carry their favorite songs. Due to this convenience, subscription-based music streaming services have become widespread and commonplace for music fans. As a result, the CD and tape rental business operated by rental stores has lost momentum and is shrinking in size.

[0004] On the other hand, from the perspective of music providers, when music was provided through the sale or rental of CDs or tapes, the copyrights were clear because CDs or tapes were reproduced and distributed, and revenue from providing music was relatively stable. However, with subscription-based music distribution services, the music provided is converted into digital data, making it easy to copy and move. This means that music can be provided without having to create CDs or tapes for sale or rental, which has expanded the range of music providers and led to a huge increase in the number of songs available.

[0005] Even in subscription-based music distribution services, revenue from songs is generally based on the number of times a user plays the song. However, due to the circumstances described above, the revenue based on the number of plays is kept low, far less than the revenue earned based on the number of rentals at traditional rental stores. For this reason, it is desirable to provide a system that will revitalize the music industry by improving the profits of music providers.

[0006] Patent Document 1 was proposed with the aim of promoting the appropriate dissemination of digital content, and discloses an information processing system that stores original data of digital content and derivative data created from the original data, issues tokens containing access information that enable access to these data on a distributed ledger, and lends out the original data or derivative data based on access requests from users who have acquired these tokens. Patent Document 1 also describes that data transmission is managed by tokens, and that a portion of the costs associated with lending is provided to the publisher of the digital content.

[0007] According to the invention of Patent Document 1, data lending is managed by tokens, so if applied to music data, it becomes possible to appropriately return costs to the publisher of electronic content, i.e., the provider of music. However, if the invention of Patent Document 1 is put into practical use, it cannot be said that there is sufficient motivation for users to choose the system, and it is unclear whether this system will become widespread.

[0008] Therefore, it is desirable to realize a music distribution service that provides appropriate reimbursement to music providers and that also offers users benefits not available with current subscription-based music distribution services. Depending on the song, a live video may be created, and music providers may create promotional videos for the song to widely promote the song. It is desirable that a music distribution service not only provide music but also provide digital content such as videos related to the song. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0009] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 7336011 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0010] The present invention has been made in consideration of the problems with the conventional music distribution system described above, and the object of the present invention is to provide a blockchain-based digital content rental system that provides access rights to digital content that can be rented within a certain contract amount of the rental contract, provides the content in a form that can be played as streaming without limit during the rental period, and returns rewards to the digital content provider. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] The digital content rental system according to the present invention, which has been made to achieve the above-mentioned object, is a digital content rental system comprising a digital content management server that, based on a rental contract with a user for a certain contract period and a certain contract amount, rents out digital content that can be rented within a certain contract amount to the user for a certain period of time at a predetermined rental fee as digital content that can be played unlimitedly during the rental period. The digital content management server is characterized by having: a digital content storage unit that acquires and stores data of the digital content provided by the digital content provider; an access right management unit that, upon receiving a rental request for the digital content from a user who has signed a rental contract, provides the user with access rights to copied data of the digital content held by the server or newly generated copied data of the digital content as an NFT (Non-Fungible Token); a digital content provision unit that, upon receiving a request from the user to play the digital content based on the access right, provides the user with copied data of the digital content corresponding to the access right by streaming; and a revenue management unit that compiles rental data including the number of rentals and each rental period during a specific compilation period based on the management value of the NFT, calculates revenue allocation for each digital content provider, and returns the result as a reward.

[0012] The digital content preferably includes at least one of music data and a video related to the music data, and the music data is preferably lent out as a single record or an LP record containing music from the music data provider.

[0013] The digital content management server preferably determines whether additional lending to the user is possible within a certain period of time based on the lending status of the digital content to the user within that period of time, and if additional lending is possible, provides the user with lending availability information including at least one of the number of single records, LP records, or videos related to the music data that are available for additional lending.

[0014] If the digital content that can be rented out remains unrented at the end of a fixed period of a rental contract, it is preferable that the digital content management server determines whether or not additional rental is possible within the fixed period after adding the unused amount as a carryover from the previous rental contract when extending the rental contract or when signing a new rental contract.

[0015] It is preferable that the digital content management server further comprises a benefit provision unit that tallyes rental data for each user, determines a benefit determined according to at least one of the number of rentals or rental period, and provides the benefit to the user.

[0016] It is preferable that the digital content management server compiles lending data for each user, and when at least one of the number of times or the lending period of digital content relating to a specific music-related person, including the lyricist, composer, or performer of the music, exceeds a predetermined standard value, the server provides the user with a selectable benefit related to the music-related person as a benefit to be granted.

[0017] It is preferable that the digital content management server provides the user with the specific musical piece related person as a performer, and if there are multiple performers, the user can specify an individual performer and receive benefits related to that individual performer. [Effects of the Invention]

[0018] According to the blockchain-based digital content rental system of the present invention, when the content to be rented is music, the user is provided with access rights to the rentable single record or LP record via NFT, so the record rental process is clearly recorded, and even if the music is digital data, the copyright of the music provider is made clear, making it possible to secure and clarify the music provider's profits.

[0019] Furthermore, the blockchain-based digital rental record system of the present invention aggregates rental data for each user and grants users benefits based on at least one of the number of rentals or the rental period, thereby providing benefits to users. Furthermore, if a user is a fan of a specific music artist, they will have more opportunities to listen to that artist's music. If at least one of the number of rentals or the rental period for that artist exceeds a predetermined threshold, selectable benefits related to that artist are provided as benefits, greatly benefiting users who are fans of that artist. Furthermore, if the artist is a performer, and there are multiple performers, the user can select individual performers and receive benefits related to each performer. This system is highly attractive to passionate fans of individual performers. Such fan preference information can also be automatically acquired and aggregated from reward usage information, making it possible to provide feedback to music providers. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0020] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram illustrating a basic configuration of a digital content rental system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the rental of music and the associated return of rewards through a digital content rental system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] 10 is a diagram illustrating the contract amount and unused carryover according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 4] 1 is a diagram illustrating the rental of music and the granting of associated benefits by a digital content rental system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 5] 1 is a flowchart illustrating a method for lending digital content and redeeming rewards according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6]1 is a flowchart illustrating a method for aggregating rental data of digital content and granting benefits according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0021] Next, a specific example of an embodiment of a digital content rental system according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a basic configuration of a digital content rental system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Referring to Figure 1, a digital content rental system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises a digital content management server 10 that stores digital content and provides the digital content in response to a rental request from a user, a user terminal 20 connected to the digital content management server 10 via a network 5, and a blockchain 30 that processes rental records to users as non-rewritable records.

[0023] A digital content rental system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention is a system that rents out digital content that can be rented within a certain contract amount based on a rental contract for a certain contract period and a certain contract amount to a user for a certain period of time at a predetermined rental fee as digital content that can be played unlimitedly during the rental period. The digital content rental system 1 also compiles data on the rental of digital content to users, calculates revenue distributions for each digital content provider, and returns the revenue distributions to the user as compensation. The system also grants benefits to users when certain conditions are met based on the compilation of rental data.

[0024] Since the reliability of rental data is required for calculating revenue distribution and granting benefits, the digital content rental system 1 lends digital content to users by providing them with access rights to copied data of the digital content as an NFT (Non-Fungible Token), and uses the blockchain 30 to preserve the rental data in a form that cannot be tampered with.

[0025] The digital content management server 10 is the core of the digital content rental system 1, and in an embodiment, comprises a control unit 11, an input / output unit 12, a memory unit 13, a display unit 14, a digital content storage unit 15, an access right management unit 16, a digital content providing unit 17, a revenue management unit 18, and a bonus granting unit 19.

[0026] The digital content storage unit 15 acquires digital content data provided by digital content providers and stores it in the memory unit 13. Here, digital content refers to copyrighted works such as sound, particularly music, video, books, and designs, that have been digitized and can be played on electronic devices such as smartphones. In the embodiment, the digital content includes at least either music data or videos related to the music data, and the music data includes a single record containing a song from the music data provider or an LP record containing multiple songs.

[0027] The digital content to be stored may be received from a provider terminal owned by the digital content provider, or the operator may directly input the digital content data stored on electronic media into the digital content management server 10 from the electronic media. The digital content storage unit 15 associates the digital content with the digital content provider and stores them in the memory unit 13, making it easier to calculate the profit distribution associated with the rental. Since the original data of digital content is usually owned by the author of the digital content, it is the duplicated data of the digital content that is managed and stored by the digital content storage unit 15. Therefore, hereinafter, duplicated data of digital content will also be simply referred to as digital content.

[0028] The digital content provider is generally the author of the digital content, but in embodiments, this is not limited to this. For example, in the case of a song, it is not limited to the lyricist or composer, but may also be the performer or label. In such cases where there are multiple parties involved, it is possible that the recipient of the reward may be omitted. Therefore, in one embodiment, when acquiring digital content, the digital content storage unit 15 also acquires information about the recipient of the reward and stores it in association with the digital content.

[0029] Various methods for calculating the reward can be set. In one embodiment, duplicated data of digital content is stored so that it can be accessed by multiple users simultaneously, and the reward is calculated based on the total number of accesses, i.e., the total number of plays, over a specified period. In another embodiment, duplicated data of a single piece of digital content can be accessed by only one user during the rental period. If multiple users request rental at the same time, resulting in a long waiting time for rental, new duplicated data of the digital content is generated and lent out as necessary with the copyright owner's consent, and the reward is calculated based on the number of duplicated data of the digital content generated. In this case, the digital content storage unit 15 stores the duplicated data in the memory unit 13 so that they can be distinguished from each other.

[0030] When the access right management unit 16 receives a request from a user who has signed a rental contract to rent the digital content, it provides the user with an NFT containing access rights to the copy of the digital content that it owns or to newly generated copy of the digital content. The user who has been provided with the NFT can access the copy of the digital content based on this access right during the rental period, and can play and enjoy the digital content to which the access right has been granted any number of times, at any time.

[0031] When a user wishes to enter into a rental contract, if it is the user's first rental contract, the access rights management unit 16 accepts user information such as the user's name and contact information for user registration, creates a user list, and stores it in the storage unit 13. At this time, a user ID, which is a unique identifier for the user, is issued and stored in association with the user list. A rental contract may be limited to a specific period, or may be indefinite, continuing unless terminated for reasons of the user or rental company. In either case, the user pays a fixed contract amount for a fixed contract period.

[0032] The access rights management unit 16 sets and manages a rental limit for each user corresponding to a certain contract amount within a certain contract period based on the content of the user's desired rental contract. After signing the rental contract, when the user requests to rent digital content, the access rights management unit 16 checks whether the set rental unit price of the digital content desired by the user is within the user's rental limit. If it is within the rental limit, the access rights management unit 16 provides the user with access rights to the replicated data of the digital content as an NFT. At this time, rental data, such as which digital content will be rented to which user and for how long, is recorded in the blockchain 30 when the NFT is issued. Thereafter, each time a user accesses the rented digital content for playback, a record is added, and the blockchain 30 is updated. The blockchain 30 may be constructed within the digital content rental system 1, but in this embodiment, an existing blockchain 30 used by many NFT issuers is used.

[0033] In the digital content rental system 1 according to the embodiment of the invention, a user pays a fixed contract amount for a fixed period of time under a rental contract, regardless of whether the content is actually rented or not. Each time a user requests rental of digital content, the rental limit is consumed by the rental unit price of the content.

[0034] Therefore, for the user, the amount of remaining rental space available for rental is useful information. In this embodiment, the access right management unit 16 determines whether additional rentals to the user are possible within a certain period of time, based on the rental status of digital content to the user within that period. If additional rentals are possible, the access right management unit 16 provides the user with rental availability information including at least the number of single records, LP records, or videos related to the music data that are available for rental. This rental availability information is provided to the user, for example, through a user's personal page, which is individually assigned to each user, on a website provided by the rental company that operates the digital content management server 10.

[0035] In some circumstances, the rental limit for the fixed contract amount may not be used up within the fixed period of the contract. Therefore, in one embodiment, if there is any digital content that is available for additional rental but has not been rented out at the end of the fixed period of the rental contract, the access right management unit 16 determines whether or not additional rental is possible within the fixed period after the digital content management server 10 adds the unused amount as a carryover from the previous rental contract when extending the rental contract or signing a new rental contract.

[0036] In the case where copies of a digital content are lent to only one user at a time, if a user wishes to lend a digital content and all existing copies of the digital content are currently lent to other users, the access rights management unit 16 outputs information, based on the other users' rental data, indicating the earliest date when the rental period for the other users will expire and the existing copies will be available for rental again. At this time, a reservation for lending the copied data may be accepted at the request of the user. Furthermore, if the number of users who wish to lend the copied data exceeds a predetermined number and are unable to lend the copied data because all the copies are currently in use, the access rights management unit 16 may instruct the digital content storage unit 15 to generate and store new copied data, and the newly stored copied data may be used for the next rental.

[0037] In another embodiment, when a user wishes to rent a certain digital content, new copy data is generated each time, and the generated copy data is made available for rental so that it can be accessed at any time. In this case, the user who wishes to rent the digital content does not need to wait for or reserve copy data to become available depending on the situation.

[0038] When the digital content providing unit 17 receives a request from a user to play digital content based on the access right, it provides the user with copied data of the digital content corresponding to the access right as streaming data. The digital content providing unit 17 accepts unlimited playback requests during the rental period based on the user's rental contract. No additional costs are incurred no matter how many times the user plays the digital content during the rental period. By providing the copied data of the digital content as streaming, no data remains on the user terminal 20, preventing unauthorized copying.

[0039] The digital content providing unit 17 also provides the user with a list of rentable digital content stored in the storage unit 13 as a rental menu. At this time, the digital content may be provided by categorizing it according to the type or genre of the digital content. Furthermore, the digital content providing unit 17 provides the user with a playback menu that allows playback of all digital content currently rented by the user. The menu is provided on a website provided by the rental business. In particular, playback menus that differ depending on the user are provided via the user's My Page, etc.

[0040] The revenue management unit 18 compiles rental data including the number of rentals and the respective rental periods during a specific collection period based on the management value of the NFT, calculates the revenue distribution for each digital content provider, and returns it as a reward.

[0041] As mentioned above, the method of remuneration, i.e., revenue distribution, can be set in various ways. In one embodiment, it is calculated based on the multiplication of the number of plays of digital content and the unit price per play. More specifically, for a specific collection period, for example, every month, the playback amount for each digital content is calculated based on the number of plays and the unit price per play for each digital content. Based on this, the playback amount for each digital content provider is calculated. The playback amounts for all digital content providers are then calculated. The ratio of each playback amount to the total playback amount is calculated to calculate the revenue distribution ratio. The source of revenue distribution is a fixed rental fee based on the user's rental contract. In reality, fees such as copyright royalties and carrier billing are incurred, so these various costs are deducted from the total rental fee, and the remuneration is determined based on the revenue distribution ratio.

[0042] The digital content rental system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention provides digital content that can be rented within a certain contract amount and can be played unlimitedly during the rental period. Therefore, if revenue distribution is calculated based on the multiplication of the number of plays and the playback cost as described above, if a specific user repeatedly plays a specific digital content intensively, the revenue distribution ratio within a certain amount of capital may become unnaturally biased.

[0043] Therefore, in another embodiment, the amount to be distributed to the digital content provider is determined by multiplying the number of copies of digital content generated within a specific collection period by the unit price and then multiplying the result by a predetermined ratio. More specifically, when a user wishes to lend digital content, new copies are generated each time, and the unit price for generating the copies is allocated. For each digital content provider, the number of copies generated within a specific collection period is multiplied by the unit price, and this is then multiplied by a predetermined ratio to determine the remuneration. One example of the predetermined ratio is the revenue distribution rate, set at, for example, 60%. Another example is a subsidy for performers performing a song, set at, for example, 10%. In this embodiment, fees such as copyright royalties and carrier billing are included in the unit price for generating the copies. The method of revenue distribution by revenue management unit 18 shown here is merely an example, and various other methods are applicable, not limited to the above method.

[0044] The reward provision unit 19 tally the rental data for each user, and determines a reward determined according to at least one of the number of rentals or the rental period, and provides the reward to the user. The timing at which the reward provision unit 19 tally the rental data may be synchronized with the timing of tallying by the revenue management unit 18, and the reward provision unit 19 may determine whether at least one of the number of rentals or the rental period satisfies a predetermined condition for each tallying period, but in one embodiment, the reward provision unit 19 determines the cumulative value of the number of rentals or the rental period since the user first received the rental.

[0045] Users have a wide range of interests in digital content, with some users enjoying playing all content regardless of genre or author, and others being fans of a specific genre or author, who enjoy playing only a limited number of digital content from that genre or author. In particular, the activity of intensively supporting a specific person, known as "oshikatsu," has recently become more widely known, and it is expected that enthusiastic "oshikatsu" users will intensively use the digital content of the person they support.

[0046] Therefore, the benefit granting unit 19 tally up rental data for each user, and when at least one of the number of rentals or rental period of digital content related to a specific music-related person, including a lyricist, composer, or performer, exceeds a predetermined threshold, the benefit granting unit 19 provides the user with a selectable benefit related to the music-related person as a benefit to be granted. Furthermore, when the specific music-related person is a performer and there are multiple performers, the user can specify each performer and receive a benefit related to each performer.

[0047] Furthermore, since the reward provision unit 19 can grasp the trends of users' interests through the aggregation of rental data, for example, when new digital content is newly provided, the reward provision unit 19 selectively provides the new information to users who are likely to be interested. The reward provision unit 19 may also extract users who have similar trends of enthusiastic interests and provide a place for users to communicate with each other on the aforementioned website.

[0048] Furthermore, the privilege granting unit 19 can grasp the popularity of digital content providers by aggregating rental data and granting privileges, so it may periodically summarize and rank these popularity statuses and provide feedback to digital content providers or disclose them to users. Such information can also be provided on the aforementioned website if necessary.

[0049] The input / output unit 12 includes communication means for inputting and outputting data to and from the user terminal 20 via the network 5, and for sending and receiving records to and from the blockchain 30. The input / output unit 12 also includes a keyboard and a mouse for inputting characters to the digital content management server 10. The storage unit 13 stores data such as a user list based on user information and acquired digital content, as well as a control program for controlling the digital content management server 10. The storage unit 13 is realized by a storage medium such as a hard disk, and may be configured as an external memory device if there is a large amount of information to be stored.

[0050] The display unit 14 displays user information, digital content provider information, and, if necessary, programs such as a control program for controlling the digital content management server 10. The display unit 14 is realized by a liquid crystal display device or the like. The control unit 11 controls each component of the digital content management server 10 in accordance with a control program stored in the storage unit 13 so that it performs the functions described above.

[0051] The user terminal 20 is a terminal that a user uses to apply for a rental contract, to request the rental of digital content, and to play and enjoy digital content. The user terminal 20 includes a control unit 21, an input / output unit 22, a storage unit 23, and a display unit 24.

[0052] The input / output unit 22 includes communication means for transmitting information for user registration and digital content rental requests when a user uses the digital content rental system 1, and for receiving digital content stream data transmitted from the digital content management server 10. The input / output unit 22 also includes a keyboard or touch panel for inputting basic user information into the user terminal 20, and a pointing device such as a mouse for selecting data to be displayed on the display screen.

[0053] The storage unit 23 stores data such as user information used for user registration, as well as a control program for controlling the user terminal 20. The display unit 24 displays screen data for using the digital content rental system 1, such as web page information transmitted from the digital content management server 10, and programs such as control programs as necessary. The control unit 21 controls each component of the user terminal 20 to perform the above-mentioned functions in accordance with a control program stored in the storage unit 23. The user terminal 20 is realized by an electronic device such as a personal computer, a tablet terminal, or a smartphone.

[0054] The network 5 is a wide area network such as the Internet. The blockchain 30 records data on the lending of digital content, such as records of access to digital content based on NFTs, in conjunction with the issuance of NFTs, and maintains the authenticity of the records. In one embodiment, a blockchain platform is utilized.

[0055] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the rental of music and the associated return of rewards through the digital content rental system according to the embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 2, a simplified example of the exchange of digital content between a digital content provider, a digital content rental business, and a user is shown.

[0056] First, digital content provider A provides a digital content rental business with song A on a single record as digital content. Similarly, digital content provider B provides song B on an LP record as digital content. The provided digital content is stored in storage unit 13 of digital content management server 10.

[0057] In contrast, User 1 and User 3 have borrowed song A, and User 2 has borrowed song B. The songs loaned to Users 1 to 3 are all copies of digital content newly generated when the loan request was received. For simplicity's sake, let's assume that only these three songs were loaned during the collection period.

[0058] When the counting period ends, the revenue management unit 18 of the digital content management server 10 counts up the rental data recorded on the blockchain 30 and calculates that song A was rented out two times and song B once during the counting period. If the unit cost of generating the duplicated data associated with the rental of song A on a single record is P and the unit cost of generating the duplicated data associated with the rental of song B on an LP record is eight times that, or 8P, then the apparent income from the songs rented out during the counting period comes to 10P (2P and 8P combined). The reason we call it apparent income is that the actual income is a fixed contract amount associated with the rental contract, and no individual income is generated for the rental of each song.

[0059] The revenue management unit 18 finally tally up the data for each digital content provider. In the case of Figure 2, the total apparent income from the rental of songs provided by digital content provider A is entirely from song A, so 2P out of 10P, i.e., the revenue share is 20% of the total remuneration. On the other hand, the total apparent income from the rental of songs provided by digital content provider B is entirely from song B, so 8P out of 10P, i.e., the revenue share is 80% of the total remuneration. The revenue management unit 18 returns the remuneration based on the tallying results.

[0060] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the contract amount and unused carryover according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 3, the upper part shows the current contract period, and the lower part shows the contract amount and loanable amount for the next contract period after the current contract period ends. In the current contract period shown in the upper row, the user has paid a fixed contract amount for the rental contract, which sets a rental limit corresponding to the contract amount. This shows that the user has already rented single record track A1, single record track B1, and LP record track BL1 within the rental limit during the contract period. While no fees are incurred when each track is rented, the corresponding fee for each song is consumed from the fixed contract amount as each song is rented. Therefore, the amount available for additional rentals for this user is the fixed contract amount minus the rental fees already paid.

[0061] The access right management unit 16 of the digital content management server 10 calculates the additional rental amount based on the amount that can be rented, and provides it to the user. If the user rents additional songs according to this information, there will be no remaining balance, so the unused rental amount will not be carried over.

[0062] However, if the contract period ends without any unused portion, in this embodiment, the unused portion can be carried over. Therefore, the loanable amount for the next contract period is set by adding the carried-over amount to the normal contract amount. The access right management unit 16 determines the additional loanable amount for the next contract period based on the loanable amount to which the carried-over amount has been added.

[0063] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the rental of music and the associated provision of benefits by the digital content rental system according to the embodiment of the present invention. Like FIG. 2, FIG. 4 also shows a simplified example of exchanges regarding digital content between a digital content provider, a digital content rental business, and a user.

[0064] First, digital content provider A provides songs A1 and A2 as digital content to a digital content rental business. Similarly, digital content provider B provides songs B1 to B5 as digital content. The provided digital content is stored in storage unit 13 of digital content management server 10. In contrast, user 1 borrowed songs A1 and B1, user 2 borrowed songs B2 and B3, and user 3 borrowed songs B1, B2, B4, and B5. For simplicity's sake, let's assume that only these eight songs were borrowed during the collection period.

[0065] When the counting period ends, the benefit granting unit 19 of the digital content management server 10 counts the rental data for each user. In the case of Figure 2, user 1 does not tend to be biased towards a particular digital content provider, and has borrowed songs from both digital content provider A and digital content provider B. user 2 has not borrowed any songs from digital content provider A, but has borrowed two songs from digital content provider B. However, this does not exceed the standard value of three songs. user 3 also does not borrow any songs from digital content provider A, and has concentrated on borrowing songs from digital content provider B, but the number of borrowings is four, exceeding the standard value, indicating a preference for songs from digital content provider B.

[0066] Therefore, the benefit granting unit 19 determines and provides a benefit to user 3 who has rented a song provided by digital content provider B more than a threshold number of times. The benefit granted is selectable from those related to digital content provider B. Furthermore, if the song borrowed by user 3 is by multiple performers, for example, performers a, b, and c as shown in FIG. 4, the benefit granting unit 19 provides the user with a benefit related to each performer by specifying the individual performer. Benefits related to individual performers include, for example, an autographed colored paper of the performer, a figure of the performer, a private photo of the performer, or a concert ticket. Conversely, a benefit may be set in which the user gives a specific gift to the performer rather than receiving it. For example, if user 3 is an avid fan of performer c, the benefit can be obtained by selecting a benefit related to performer c from the menu of benefits provided by the benefit granting unit 19.

[0067] In this way, for users who have a specific person to support, if they borrow digital content related to the person involved in the song for a number of rentals or for a rental period that exceeds a standard value, they can receive benefits related to the person they are supporting and can also use it as a way to support that person, making the digital content rental system 1 a system with great utility for such users.

[0068] FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a method for renting digital content and redeeming rewards according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 5, the flow of the digital content management server 10 lending digital content to users and returning rewards to digital content providers is shown.

[0069] First, in step S500, the digital content management server 10 acquires digital content from a digital content provider and stores it in the storage unit 13 of the digital content management server 10. The digital content management server 10 receives new digital content from time to time and adds and registers it in the rental menu, so step S500 does not necessarily come at the beginning of the flow. Also, if digital content that has already been acquired and stored is stored in the rental menu, step S500 may not necessarily be included. 2 to 4, the digital content is mainly music, but the digital content is not necessarily limited to music. Therefore, in this embodiment, the rental menu is provided by type and genre of digital content.

[0070] Although not shown in Figure 5, users who use the digital content rental system 1 register as users and enter into a rental contract in advance. In one embodiment, the rental contract is on a monthly basis, and the contract fee is set to allow rental of approximately 20 digital content items per month. By limiting the scope of rentals in this way, the monthly fee can be kept low, making it possible to provide the service at a lower cost than existing digital content distribution services that allow unlimited playback.

[0071] A user who has signed such a rental contract can rent digital content up to the contracted amount, and the rented digital content can be played unlimitedly during the rental period based on the access rights granted by the NFT. When the digital content management server 10 receives a digital content rental request from a user who has signed a rental contract in step S510, it provides the user with the access rights to the digital content requested for rental as an NFT in step S520. A record of the rental is then registered in the blockchain 30, and subsequent accesses for playback are also managed so that records are kept in the blockchain 30.

[0072] Once rented, digital content can be played back any number of times during the rental period. If the user wishes to play the content, the digital content management server 10 accepts a playback request from the user (step S530) and provides the requested digital content to the user as streaming data (step S540). In one embodiment, the digital content management server 10 provides the user terminal 20 with a menu of digital content that can be played back during the rental period, and the user selects the digital content they wish to play from the menu, which sends a playback request to the digital content management server 10. Furthermore, the digital content management server 10 deletes the digital content from the menu of playable digital content when the rental period expires.

[0073] The digital content management server 10 compiles rental data for each digital content and each digital content provider for a certain period, for example, one month, and calculates the profit share for each digital content provider and returns it as a reward (step S550).

[0074] FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a method for aggregating rental data of digital content and providing benefits according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 6, there is shown a flow of granting a privilege to a user when the digital content management server 10 lends digital content to the user.

[0075] A user of the digital content rental system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention can rent and play various digital contents after signing a rental contract. The digital content rental system 1 is easy for users to use and can provide users with benefits based on their record of renting digital contents so that they can feel the benefits of using the system.

[0076] The digital content management server 10 tally up the rental data for each user for a certain period, for example, every month (step S600). As a result of the tallying, it is determined whether at least one of the number of rentals or the rental period, or the total number of points counted according to the number of rentals or the rental period, exceeds a predetermined reference value (step S610).

[0077] When performing the aggregation and determination in steps S600 and S610, the digital content management server 10 also determines whether there is a specific concentration tendency among the digital content loaned to the user being aggregated, and if there is a specific concentration tendency, it also determines whether the loan of the specific digital content exceeds a predetermined reference value. For example, if all of the digital content loaned by a user over a certain period of time was by the same author, it is determined that there is a specific concentration tendency. Based on this concentration tendency, it is assumed that the user is a fan of that author. A specific concentration tendency is not limited to being based on digital content related parties such as authors or performers, but may also be determined based on the content of the digital content, such as genre. For example, if all of the digital content loaned to a user over a certain period of time was classical music, it is determined that there is a concentration tendency toward classical music, and the user is determined to have a hobby of listening to classical music. The digital content rental system 1 provides a special benefit related to the user's hobby or a target of support to a user who shows a specific tendency to concentrate in the total rental data.

[0078] If it is determined in step S610 that the predetermined reference value is exceeded, the digital content management server 10 determines a benefit for the user in step S620 and grants it to the user in a selectable manner. In particular, when determining in step S610, if it is determined that the rental data for the target user tends to be concentrated on data related to specific digital content parties such as authors or performers, and the rental data for that digital content exceeds the reference value, the digital content management server 10 provides the user with a selectable benefit related to the digital content parties with the tendency to be concentrated.

[0079] For example, suppose the digital content is a song, and the user is a fan of a musical group consisting of multiple performers, and is an especially ardent fan of one particular performer within the group. Suppose the user intensively borrows songs performed by this performing group over a certain period of time, exceeding a certain threshold. In response, the digital content management server 10 provides the user with a selection of multiple benefits related to the performing group. Examples of benefits include various merchandise related to the performing group and concert tickets. Furthermore, in the case of a performing group consisting of multiple performers, selectable benefits related to each performer are also provided. This allows the user to select and receive benefits related to their favorite performer within the performing group. Benefits are not limited to those received by the user; they may also include benefits in which the user is the sender, such as by designating a favorite performer and giving a tip.

[0080] After providing the user with a selectable benefit in step S620, the digital content management server 10 receives a benefit selection result from the user in step S630 and provides the selected benefit to the user in step S640.

[0081] In the flow shown in Figure 6, the awarding of a benefit is determined based on rental data over a certain period of time, but in other embodiments, the determination is based on cumulative rental data. That is, the timing of the calculation for determining the benefit is not particularly limited, and each time a user requests a rental, the user's points for the number of rentals or rental period are added up, and the benefit is awarded when the accumulated points reach a predetermined reference value. In this case, multiple predetermined reference values ​​may be set according to the points to encourage users to continue using the service.

[0082] For users who do not have a particular preference for digital content to play and enjoy, existing flat-rate distribution services that allow unlimited playback of any digital content for a flat rate may be more suitable. However, for users with specific preferences, even if there is a huge number of digital content on the menu, the range of use is limited. For this reason, even if the digital content that can be rented is limited to within the fixed contract amount as explained above, users can still be satisfied with the use of the digital content rental system 1, which can be used at a lower cost than conventional services in exchange for such restrictions. Furthermore, since users can expect to receive benefits tailored to their preferences and can also be used as a way to support their favorite artists, this system provides sufficient motivation for users with specific preferences.

[0083] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and can be modified in various ways without departing from the technical scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0084] 1. Digital content rental system 5. Network 10 Digital Content Management Server 11, 21 Control unit 12, 22 Input / output section 13, 23 Storage section 14, 24 Display section 15 Digital Content Storage Department 16 Access Rights Management Department 17 Digital Contents Department 18 Revenue Management Department 19. Benefits Granting Department 20, 20-1, 20-2, 20-3 User terminal 30 Blockchain

Claims

1. A digital content rental system including a digital content management server that, based on a rental contract for a fixed contract period and a fixed contract amount with a user, rents out digital content that can be rented within a fixed contract amount to the user for a fixed period at a predetermined rental fee as digital content that can be played unlimitedly during the rental period, The digital content management server a digital content storage unit that acquires and stores digital content data provided by the digital content provider; an access right management unit that, upon receiving a request from a user who has signed a rental contract to rent the digital content, provides the user with an access right to the copy data of the digital content held by the rental contract or the newly generated copy data of the digital content as an NFT (Non-Fungible Token); a digital content providing unit that, upon receiving a request from a user to play back digital content based on the access right, provides the user with copied data of the digital content corresponding to the access right by streaming; A digital content rental system characterized by having a revenue management unit that compiles rental data including the number of rentals and each rental period during a specific collection period based on the NFT management value, calculates revenue distribution for each digital content provider, and returns it as a reward.

2. The digital content rental system of claim 1, characterized in that the digital content includes at least one of music data or videos related to the music data, and the music data is rented out as a single record or LP record containing music from the music data provider.

3. The digital content rental system of claim 2, characterized in that the digital content management server determines whether additional rentals to the user are possible within a certain period of time based on the rental status of the digital content to the user within a certain period of time, and if additional rentals are possible, provides the user with rental availability information including at least one of the number of single records, number of LP records, or number of videos related to the music data that are available for additional rental.

4. The digital content rental system of claim 3, characterized in that if there is any digital content available for additional rental that remains unrented at the end of a certain period of a rental contract, the digital content management server adds the unused amount as a carryover from the previous rental contract when extending the rental contract or signing a new rental contract, and then determines whether additional rental is possible within the certain period.

5. The digital content rental system described in claim 1, characterized in that the digital content management server further has a benefit granting unit that compiles rental data for each user, determines benefits based on at least one of the number of rentals or the rental period, and provides them to the user.

6. The digital content rental system described in claim 2, characterized in that the digital content management server compiles rental data for each user, and when at least one of the number of times or the rental period of digital content related to a specific music-related person, including the lyricist, composer, or performer of the music, exceeds a predetermined standard value, provides the user with a selectable benefit related to the music-related person as a benefit to be granted.

7. The digital content rental system of claim 6, wherein the digital content management server provides the user with the opportunity to select an individual performer and receive benefits related to that performer if the specific musical piece related person is a performer, and if there are multiple performers, the user can specify that individual performer.

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