Article

Apple receives patent for media distribution kiosk

Will the wireless-enabled device bring iTunes into retail shops and airports?

June 17, 2009 by James Bickers — Editor, Networld Alliance

On May 7, Apple Inc. was granted a patent for "Media distribution kiosk with virtual connector for interfacing with a personal media device" — or, as it has come to be known by speculating geeks around the world, the "iTunes kiosk."

Virtually anything the Cupertino iconoclasts do raises eyebrows, and this kiosk is particularly interesting as it appears to eschew a physical link with the iPod or other portable device, opting instead for a wireless one.

The patent describes a method for establishing a wireless data connection with a device, after "determining the physical presence of a first media device in proximity to a media distribution device."

In other words: The kiosk senses when an iPod is within range, then establishes a wireless connection with it. No more juggling of memory cards, no more proprietary cables.

Apple could not be reached for comment on this story.

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The "800-pound gorilla"

Patents get filed all the time — often defensively — and there is no guarantee that Apple is thinking about actually building and deploying the machines. If it did, Apple certainly would not be the first company to attempt to monetize digital media via kiosk, but they arguably bring some serious firepower to the competition.

Rendering from Apple's "iTunes kiosk" patent

A rendering of the "media distribution kiosk" from Apple Inc.'s patent filing.

"One of the things that Apple has done effectively is to set the benchmark for ease of use and user experience," said Eduardo Braniff, director of marketing communications company Imagination. In 2008, Braniff worked with airline alliance Oneworld on a travel-guide kiosk program called Travel Stations. "Whether or not you have an Apple product, you are familiar with their interface — flicking through things, the design, the intuitive nature. I can't predict whether it's going to trump all the others, but what it's going to do is raise the bar of interface design and ease of delivery. I think it's good to have somebody out in front that way."

Jason Goldberg, vice president of marketing for retail merchandising firm MTI, thinks the Apple kiosk is a great idea, especially for travelers. He points out that iPods have long been available at airports — increasingly, from vending machines — but you still have to take them home and sync them up with iTunes to get your content on them. The iTunes kiosk would eliminate the need for that step.

Apple's approach to DRM and its proprietary iTunes/iPod connection remains a sticking point for many, however.

"Apple is the 800-pound gorilla of digital content delivery, but their strategy is based upon the content being locked to their device to prevent piracy," said Brad Gleeson, senior vice president of business development for MOD Systems, which sells its own in-store digital media solution.

He noted that MOD's solution, in contrast with Apple's closed system that ties an iPod with a specific user account on iTunes, is built upon industry-standard SD cards and open-standard digital rights management, which allows content to be portable, as well as played on third-party devices with the appropriate slots.

"It's an uphill battle to compete with Apple's device dominance, but we believe consumers value choice, and a self-service digital media delivery platform such as what MOD is pioneering will be a viable and complimentary option for the digital media marketplace," he said. "If anything, this patent validates our business model.

"Apple's concept will undoubtedly do well, (but) we will be happy to be a successful complementary alternative to the closed Apple solution," he added.

"It's going to come down to, where is the best content," Braniff said. "At the end of the day, what I'm taking with me is the content, not the experience of using a kiosk. What we are after are our favorite books, or that track we want or that movie we want to watch. The content piece is very important in terms of who is going to dominate the market."