Princeton University Office of Technology Licensing and Intellectual Property
Fourth Floor, New South Building
Post Office Box 36 PRIVATE
Princeton, New Jersey 08544-0036
Phone: (609) 258-6762
FAX: (609) 258-1159
S-MART: A MONETARY SYSTEM OF PRICING AND TRADING FOR CONTENT SHARING
Researchers at Princeton University have developed a system design for peer-to-peer computer networks for content sharing. Princeton is currently seeking an industrial collaborator to commercialize this technology.
The new system proposes creating a market economy for user-submitted content while providing income for the system provider through a commercial advertisement mechanism to enable system upkeep and development. It introduces an economic system having its own virtual currency for Internet users to come together and to trade their content among themselves. The virtual currency has real monetary value which allows it to be exchanged with real money at any time, transforming the peer-to-peer network design from a barter economy to a monetary economy. As such, it solves the commonly encountered problems of free-riders and blocked leechers in peer-to-peer networks and enables users to share their content without restriction in time and space.
It is anticipated that this technology will be competitive with current file sharing systems in that it will provide increased incentives for Internet users to share their content with others.
Patent protection is pending.
For more information please contact:
William H. Gowen
Office of Technology Licensing and Intellectual Property
Princeton University
4 New South Building
Princeton, NJ 08544-0036
(609) 258-6762
(609) 258-1159 fax