Method and apparatus for certified secondary market inventory management
First Claim
1. A method for presenting certified secondary market inventory, the method comprising:
- maintaining a certified catalog of items for sale on a secondary market, wherein the certified catalog of items includes at least one certified item available from a current owner, the certified item being associated with item identification information and having a verified chain of custody between the manufacturer of the certified item and the current owner;
presenting available items in the certified catalog anonymously, such that the current owner of the certified item is not revealed to potential buyers; and
fulfilling a transaction involving the certified item by accommodating shipment of the certified item to a given buyer without revealing the given buyer and the current owner to each other in association with the fulfillment of the transaction.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A certified secondary market inventory platform maintains a certified catalog of items for sale on a secondary market. Certified items are tracked by the platform and have a verified chain of custody between the manufacturer and the current owner. The certified catalog of items is presented anonymously, such that current owners of certified items are not revealed to potential buyers. Anonymity also extends to fulfillment, with shipment of a certified item to a buyer being performed without revealing the buyer and the current owner to each other. Verification of the chain of custody may, for example, include evidence such as a goods-received note corresponding to a shipment of the certified item from the manufacturer to the current owner, or a shipping notification from the manufacturer. A physical audit may also be conducted in association with publication of the certified catalog of items, as a pre-requisite for such publication.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method for presenting certified secondary market inventory, the method comprising:
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maintaining a certified catalog of items for sale on a secondary market, wherein the certified catalog of items includes at least one certified item available from a current owner, the certified item being associated with item identification information and having a verified chain of custody between the manufacturer of the certified item and the current owner; presenting available items in the certified catalog anonymously, such that the current owner of the certified item is not revealed to potential buyers; and fulfilling a transaction involving the certified item by accommodating shipment of the certified item to a given buyer without revealing the given buyer and the current owner to each other in association with the fulfillment of the transaction. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A system for presenting certified secondary market inventory, the system comprising:
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means for maintaining a certified catalog of items for sale on a secondary market, wherein the certified catalog of items includes at least one certified item available from a current owner, the certified item being associated with item identification information and having a verified chain of custody between the manufacturer of the certified item and the current owner; means for presenting available items in the certified catalog anonymously, such that the current owner of the certified item is not revealed to potential buyers; and means for fulfilling a transaction involving the certified item by accommodating shipment of the certified item to a given buyer without revealing the given buyer and the current owner to each other in association with the fulfillment of the transaction. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. An apparatus for presenting certified secondary market inventory, the system comprising:
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a certified inventory management module, which maintains a certified catalog of items for sale on a secondary market, wherein the certified catalog of items includes at least one certified item available from a current owner, the certified item being associated with item identification information and having a verified chain of custody between the manufacturer of the certified item and the current owner; an inventory presentation module, in communication with the certified inventory management module, which presents available items in the certified catalog anonymously, such that the current owner of the certified item is not revealed to potential buyers; and a transaction fulfillment module, which prompts fulfillment of a transaction involving the certified item by accommodating shipment of the certified item to a given buyer without revealing the given buyer and the current owner to each other in association with the fulfillment of the transaction. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method for selling items on a certified secondary market platform, the method comprising:
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making at least one certified item available for presentation in a certified catalog of items for sale on a secondary market as a current owner of the certified item, wherein the certified item is associated with item identification information and having a verified chain of custody between the manufacturer of the certified item and the current owner, and wherein available items are presented in the certified catalog anonymously, such that the current owner of the certified item is not revealed to potential buyers; and accommodating fulfillment of a transaction involving the certified item by receiving instructions corresponding to the transaction and making the certified item available to a shipper that ships the certified item to a given buyer without revealing the given buyer and the current owner to each other in association with the fulfillment of the transaction.
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20. A method for buying items on a certified secondary market platform, the method comprising:
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accessing a certified catalog of items for sale on a secondary market, wherein the certified catalog of items includes at least one certified item available from a current owner, wherein the certified item is associated with item identification information and having a verified chain of custody between the manufacturer of the certified item and the current owner, and wherein available items are presented in the certified catalog anonymously, such that the current owner of the certified item is not revealed to potential buyers; selecting the certified item for purchase; and submitting payment for the certified item to a provider of the certified secondary market platform, pursuant to fulfilling a transaction involving the certified item without receiving an identification of the current owner in association with the fulfillment of the transaction.
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Specification