The E-commerce patent is an interesting new creation. Usually, E-commerce patents
are based on the Internet, and teach a better method of doing business by means of the Internet.
The E-commerce patent field boomed with the realization that vast sums were at stake in on-line business, but since it
is somewhat dependent upon the "Dot-Com Revolution", the recent devaluation of the Tech Sector
has taken just a bit of the bloom off of this rose. Nonetheless, E-commerce patent attornys remain
on one of the cutting edges of patent law.
We've included as examples abstracts
taken from patents previously granted. Some of these patents were close to history, some are unknown,
a few were chosen whimsically. Note that these are not chosen for being patents
done by Barber Legal, we're not advertising here, nor promising that "we can get you a patent like this",
what we are doing is giving you an idea of the sorts of things that have been done
in the past by inventors and patent attorneys around the world.
The excerpts on this page are E-commerce patents.
Reading these patents and comparing them to the ones we show as examples of
business method patents and e-commerce patents, will show discerning readers that
software patents, business method patents, and e-commerce patents have quite a bit
in common. The first excerpt is from the breakthrough (or infamous, depending on who you talk to)
Amazon.com "1-Click" patent. Competitors have even placed a bounty of $10,000 on any information which can be used to
destroy this patent! The '411 patent may even be said to have created the "E-commerce Patent" field as we know it, and populated
it with "E-commerce Patent Attorneys", because the financial value
of this patent is gigantic.
Note that classification of these patents into catagories like "E-commerce" versus "Software" is debatable. The '411 patent,
for example, may be considered to be a business method, a software concept, or an e-commerce tool. For that matter,
there are those who break out an extra catagory of "Internet" patents as well!
Abstract:
A method and system for placing an order to purchase an item via the Internet.
The order is placed by a purchaser at a client system and received by a server system.
The server system receives purchaser information including identification of the purchaser,
payment information, and shipment information from the client system. The server system then
assigns a client identifier to the client system and associates the assigned client
identifier with the received purchaser information. The server system sends to the client
system the assigned client identifier and an HTML document identifying the item and
including an order button. The client system receives and stores the assigned client
identifier and receives and displays the HTML document. In response to the selection of
the order button, the client system sends to the server system a request to purchase the
identified item. The server system receives the request and combines the purchaser
information associated with the client identifier of the client system to generate an
order to purchase the item in accordance with the billing and shipment information whereby
the purchaser effects the ordering of the product by selection of the order button.
Inventors: Hartman; Peri (Seattle, WA); Bezos; Jeffrey P. (Seattle, WA); Kaphan; Shel (Seattle, WA); Spiegel; Joel (Seattle, WA)
Assignee: Amazon.com, Inc. (Seattle, WA)
Appl. No.: 928951
Filed: September 12, 1997
Primary Examiner: Trammell; James P.
Assistant Examiner: Smith; Demetra R.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Perkins Coie LLP
Abstract:
Systems and methods consistent with the present invention facilitate a
transaction between a user and a party represented by a server on a network.
When the user agrees to enter a transaction with the party, the party's server
informs a profile server. The profile server stores a user profile tag corresponding
to the user, including a unique user identification code, instructions, and user data.
Using information in the user profile tag, the profile server confirms that the user
wishes to engage in the transaction. After this confirmation, the profile server
may complete the transaction.
Inventors: Brisebois; Michel A. (Wakefield, CA); Roberts; Jobe (Wakefield, CA); Weisskopf; Michael (Stittsville, CA)
Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (CA)
Appl. No.: 222926
Filed: December 30, 1998
Primary Examiner: Millin; Vincent
Assistant Examiner: Rosen; Nicholas David
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner, L.L.P.
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* Both "Amazon.com" and "1-Click" are Trademarks of Amazon.com, Incorporated.