MARKETING OF ENTERTAINMENT MATERIAL

THIS INVENTION relates to the marketing of entertainment material in an electronic format. More particularly it relates to a retail facility for retailing entertainment material and to methods of retailing and purchasing entertainment material. The entertainment material may, in particular, be audio and visual material.

It will be appreciated that the audio and visual material could be music, a recording of a performance or a show, a book, a video, or the like.

According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a retail facility for retailing entertainment material in an electronic format, which includes a library of works in an electronic format; a work selecting means whereby a customer may select a desired work in the library; a transferring means for transferring a copy of the selected work from the library to a portable device of the customer; and a payment means whereby a customer may pay for the copy; wherein the facility is implemented in a physical manner.

Further in accordance with the invention there is provided a method of retailing entertainment material in an electronic format, which includes providing a library of works in an electronic format; enabling a customer to select a desired work in the library; facilitating transfer of a copy of the selected work from the library, to a portable device of the customer; and receiving payment for the copy, all in a physical retail facility.

Still further in accordance with the invention there is provided a method of purchasing entertainment material in an electronic format by a customer, which includes selecting a desired work in a library of works, in an electronic format; requesting transfer of a copy of the selected work from the library to a portable device of the customer; permitting transfer of the copy to the portable device; and paying for the copy, all in a physical retail facility.

The entertainment material may be in a digital form, and as indicated above the works may be audio works and/or video works.

The retail facility may be a shop, store or kiosk.

The transferring means may be operable in a wireless manner or may have a physical connector for the portable device. Thus, the portable device may be an MP3 player, a mobile phone, a PDA, a memory disc or a memory stick.

The retail facility may have a plurality of marketing stations and the work selecting means may include a work selecting arrangement at each marketing station whereby a customer may select a desired work from the library. The transferring means may then include a work transferring arrangement at each marketing station whereby a customer may transfer a selected work to his portable device from the library. Similarly, the payment means may then include a payment arrangement at each marketing station whereby a customer may pay for the work selected by him. The transferring arrangement may have a transfer mode selecting means whereby the customer may select the manner in which the copy of the work is transferred to the portable device. Alternatively, this could be done in an automatic manner. Thus, the transferring arrangement may have a USB connecting port, an infra-red unit, a Bluetooth module, a Wi-Fi module, or the like.

Instead, or in addition, the transferring means may include a transfer station which is separate from the marketing stations and which has a work transferring arrangement whereby works selected by customers at the marketing stations may be transferred to their portable devices, from the library. The payment means may similarly include a payment station which is separate from the marketing stations and which has a payment arrangement whereby customers may make payment for works selected by them at the marketing stations.

Each marketing station may have a voucher generator for generating a voucher with details of the work selected by the customer and the pay station may then have a voucher reader for reading the vouchers.

Each marketing station may also permit a customer to browse through the library. Each marketing station may, accordingly, have a sampling arrangement whereby a customer may listen to and/or look at a particular work in which the customer is interested.

The retailing facility may include a server computer on which the library is stored.

The retail facility may further include a payment means whereby the customer pays for the copy of the selected work. This may comprise a pay station.

Alternatively each marketing station may have a payment facility which may be card based or via the Internet. If there is a pay station, then the transferring facility may be at the pay station, such that the copy of the selected work is transferred after payment has been effected at the pay station. Further, if the facility has a pay station, each marketing station may have a voucher generating means for providing the customer with a voucher that identifies the work selected by him and the pay station will then have a voucher reading means for reading the voucher.

The library may be stored on a server computer.

A prospective customer may be required to register, and a registration means may then also be provided.

The copy of the work may be encrypted before it is transferred.

The invention is now described, by way of an example, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawing that shows a retail facility for retailing audio-visual material in accordance with the invention.

With reference to the drawing, a facility for retailing entertainment material, in particular audio and audio-visual material, is designated generally by reference numeral 10. The facility 10 comprises a shop in a shopping centre or mall.

The facility 10 has a number of marketing stations 12, a pay station 14, a control computer 15, a server 16 and a transfer station 18. The control computer 15 communicates with the Internet 20 and with a banking network via a connection 22.

A library of available works, and the cost of each, is stored on the server 16.

Each marketing station 12 is in the form of a booth, kiosk or cubicle in which there is a display screen, a keyboard, a navigating means, speakers or headphones and a voucher generator. Thus, a prospective customer enters the facility, sits down at the screen and logs onto the control computer 15 via icons available on the screen. The prospective customer then browses through the available works to select a particular work in which he is interested, the price of the work being indicated. Appropriate genre and performer icons and drop down menus are provided. The navigating means may be a touch pad, or the screen may be touch sensitive. The prospective customer then listens to the selected work, or a part thereof, by activating an audio icon, the work being audibly reproduced by the speakers or headphones. The prospective customer puts those works that he has selected in a "shopping basket". When he has selected all the works that he

wants, he selects a "buy" icon and a voucher is generated having a unique purchasing number, the works selected and the price thereof. The voucher may be printed or may have the information stored on a magnetic strip.

The customer then proceeds to the pay station 14, which has a voucher reader for reading the voucher, a credit card reader for reading the customer's credit card and a cash acceptor and validator. The customer presents the voucher, which is read by the voucher reader and the customer is asked to either pay the relevant amount in cash or by means of his credit card. Payment may be recorded on the voucher. Once payment is effected, the customer proceeds to the transfer station 18. He presents the voucher at the transfer station 18. The transfer station 18 also has a voucher reader and a number of transfer devices, so that the copies of the selected works can be transferred to the customer's mobile device. Thus, the transfer station has a USB port, an infrared unit, a Bluetooth module, and a Wi-Fi module. Either the customer or an assistant selects the appropriate transfer mode and the relevant copies are transfered onto the customers mobile device and the customer is given a receipt.

For marketing, tracking and record keeping purposes a once off registration of the customer's details will be required to be completed on the customer's first visit. These details include the customer's name, age, ID number, contact details and the like. The customer then uses his ID number at the retail facility, or any shop in a chain, for all future logins. Each time the customer logs in and uses the facility his personal details, music selection, works browsed, purchase amount , etc are automatically updated.