System and Method to Facilitate and Support Exchange of Proprietary Information
First Claim
1. A method of using a computer network to create an on-line forum where originators or users can post FDIs or RFPs, comprising the steps of:
- (a) receiving and storing in the database a plurality of ideas and/or requests for proposals;
(b) providing users or originators with an option to access the stored ideas or stored requests for proposals by agreeing to a license agreement which includes a confidentiality provision; and
(c) providing license accepting users or license accepting originators with access to the stored ideas or stored requests for proposals.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus effectuates bilateral commerce in ideas. An originator and user-driven on-line commercial network system is designed to facilitate idea submission, purchase, and licensing, and is easily adapted to business-to-business transfers of innovation as well as consumer-to-business transfers of innovation. The invention allows originators of ideas to communicate nondisclosing synopses of ideas globally to potential users, for users conveniently to search for relevant ideas and for users potentially to bind an originator to a limited duration license granting user the exclusive right to access and consider confidentially the originator'"'"'s fully disclosed idea. The invention also allows users to communicate confidentially or nonconfidentially unsolved problems or needs globally to potential originators, for originators conveniently to search for relevant unsolved problems or needs, and for originators to submit and communicate confidentially proposed solutions to the soliciting user.
81 Citations
35 Claims
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1. A method of using a computer network to create an on-line forum where originators or users can post FDIs or RFPs, comprising the steps of:
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(a) receiving and storing in the database a plurality of ideas and/or requests for proposals;
(b) providing users or originators with an option to access the stored ideas or stored requests for proposals by agreeing to a license agreement which includes a confidentiality provision; and
(c) providing license accepting users or license accepting originators with access to the stored ideas or stored requests for proposals.
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2. A method of using a computer network to create an on-line forum where originators or users can post FDIs or RFPs, comprising the steps of:
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(a) receiving and storing in the database a plurality of ideas and/or requests for proposals;
(b) providing users or originators with an option to access the stored ideas or stored requests for proposals by agreeing to an industry-specific, standardized license agreement; and
(c) providing license accepting users or license accepting originators with access to the stored ideas or stored requests for proposals.
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3. A method of using a computer network to create an on-line forum where originators or users can post FDIs or RFPs, comprising the steps of:
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(a) providing originators or users with an option to submit ideas or requests for proposals to an identified user or originator by agreeing to an user-specific or originator-specific submission agreement;
(b) receiving and storing in the database ideas or requests for proposals submitted by originators or users pursuant to the terms of the submission agreement; and
(c) providing the user or originator with an option to access the stored ideas or stored requests for proposals pursuant to the terms of the submission agreement.
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4. A method of using a computer network to create an on-line forum where originators or users can post FDIs or RFPs, comprising the steps of:
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(a) receiving and storing in the database a plurality of two-part descriptions each supplied by an originator or a user, each two-part description including a first-level element in the form of a basic description of each originator'"'"'s idea or each user'"'"'s unmet need or unsolved problem, and a second-level element in the form of a detailed description of each originator'"'"'s idea or each user'"'"'s unmet need or unsolved problem;
(b) permitting users or originators to access without restriction only the first-level elements of the stored two-part descriptions; and
(c) permitting users or originators to search the contents of the first-level and second-level elements of the two-part descriptions but disallowing visual access to the second-level elements. - View Dependent Claims (5)
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6. A method of using a computer network to create an on-line forum where originators or users can post FDIs or RFPs, comprising the steps of:
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(a) receiving and storing in the database a plurality of ideas and/or requests for proposals;
(b) providing users or originators with an option to access all or a portion of the stored ideas or stored requests for proposals;
(c) providing users or originators with the further option to select for further consideration one or more of the stored ideas or stored requests for proposals;
(d) providing selecting users or selecting originators with a limited period of time to consider and respond to the selected idea or ideas, or the selected request for proposal or requests for proposals; and
(e) restricting other users or other originators from selecting and responding to said idea or ideas, or said request for proposal or requests for proposals, during the exclusivity period.
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7. A method of using a computer network to create an on-line forum where originators or users can post FDIs or RFPs, comprising the steps of:
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(a) receiving and storing in a database a plurality of two-part descriptions each supplied by an originator or a user, each two-part description including a first-level element in the form of a basic description of each originator'"'"'s idea or each user'"'"'s unmet need or unsolved problem, and a second-level element in the form of a detailed description of each originator'"'"'s idea or each user'"'"'s unmet need or unsolved problem;
(b) permitting users or originators to access and select without restriction only the first-level elements of the stored two-part descriptions;
(c) providing selecting users or selecting originators with an option to access the second-level elements of the stored two-part descriptions that correspond to the selected first-level elements by agreeing to a license agreement specifying the terms of use for at least the second-level element; and
(d) providing license accepting users or license accepting originators with access to the second-level elements of the stored two-part description corresponding to the selected first-level elements. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. A method of using a computer network to create an on-line forum where originators or users can post FDIs or RFPs, comprising the steps of:
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(a) receiving and storing in the database a plurality of two-part descriptions each supplied by an originator or a user, each two-part description including a first-level element in the form of a basic description of each originator'"'"'s idea or each user'"'"'s unmet need or unsolved problem, and a second-level element in the form of a detailed description of each originator'"'"'s idea or each user'"'"'s unmet need or unsolved problem;
(b) permitting users or originators to access and select without restriction only the first-level elements of the stored two-part descriptions;
(c) providing selecting users or selecting originators with an option to access and respond to the user'"'"'s unmet need or unsolved problem or the originator'"'"'s idea by agreeing to a license agreement specifying the terms of use for at least the second-level element; and
(d) restricting other users or other originators from selecting and responding to said unmet need or unsolved problem or said idea for the duration of the term specified in the license agreement. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35)
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Specification