Good Morning Silicon Alley reports that Microsoft has applied for a patent that will enable a users to get receive incentives for when shared music files are purchased by others. If this sounds like Weedshare technology, you're on the right path.

"Patent application No. 10/326678: "'Redistribution of Rights-Managed Content and Technique for Encouraging Same' -- which, incidentally, figures prominently in a Microsoft Research whitepaper on digital media sharing commissions -- describes a system that adds tracking data to DRM-protected media files when they are purchased and uses that data to assign incentives, such as commission payments, when the files are shared with and re-purchased by others. It was originally developed by John Beezer, president of Shared Media Licensing, Weedshare's parent company. But Beezer later assigned his rights to it to Microsoft, which has since applied for its own patent on it."

(via paidContent)