Superdistribution is an approach to distributing digital products such as software, videos, and recorded music in which the products are made publicly available and distributed in encrypted form instead of being sold in retail outlets or

online shop Online shopping is a form of electronic commerce which allows consumers to directly buy goods or services from a seller over the Internet using a web browser or a mobile app. Consumers find a product of interest by visiting the website of the ...

s. Such products can be passed freely among users on physical media, over the Internet or other networks, or using mobile technologies such as

Bluetooth Bluetooth is a short-range wireless technology standard that is used for exchanging data between fixed and mobile devices over short distances and building personal area networks (PANs). In the most widely used mode, transmission power is limi ...

IrDA The Infrared Data Association (IrDA) is an industry-driven interest group that was founded in 1994 by around 50 companies. IrDA provides specifications for a complete set of protocols for wireless infrared communications, and the name "IrDA" also ...

or MMS ( Multimedia Messaging Service). Over 280 models of telephones support superdistribution based on

OMA DRM OMA DRM is a digital rights management (DRM) system invented by the Open Mobile Alliance, whose members represent mobile phone manufacturers (e.g. Nokia, LG, Motorola, Samsung, Sony-Ericsson, BenQ-Siemens), mobile system manufacturers (e.g. Er ...

; companies such as

Vodafone Vodafone Group plc () is a British multinational telecommunications company. Its registered office and global headquarters are in Newbury, Berkshire, England. It predominantly operates services in Asia, Africa, Europe, and Oceania. , Vod ...

and Deutsche Telekom have been exploring it. Superdistribution allows and indeed encourages digital products to be distributed freely in encrypted form, even as the product's owner retains control over the ability to use and modify the product. Superdistribution is a highly efficient means of distribution because distribution is not impeded by any barriers and anyone can become a distributor. A product made available through superdistribution may be free, in which case the user can use it immediately and without restriction, or restricted by means of Digital Rights Management (DRM). Restricted products generally require a license that the user must purchase either immediately or after a trial period (in the case of so-called

demoware Shareware is a type of proprietary software that is initially shared by the owner for trial use at little or no cost. Often the software has limited functionality or incomplete documentation until the user sends payment to the software developer ...

). Superdistribution was invented in 1983 by the Japanese engineer Ryoichi Mori and patented by him in 1990.U.S. Patent 5,103,392
''System for storing history of use of programs including user credit data and having access by the proprietor'', Inventor: Mori, Ryoichi (Tokyo, JP), April 7, 1992 (filed December 5, 1990). Mori's prototype, which he called the Software Service System (SSS), took the form of a peer-to-peer-architecture with the following components: *a cryptographic wrapper for digital products that cannot be removed and remains in place whenever the product is copied. *a digital rights management system for tracking usage of the product and assuring that any usage of the product or access to its code conforms to the terms set by the product's owner. *an arrangement for secure payments from the product's users to its owner.

References

{{reflist Software distribution File sharing networks Distributed data storage Business models

See also

References