SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MANAGING SPONSORSHIPS

• US 20080275822A1
• Filed: 06/17/2008
• Published: 11/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sherwood, Amy L., Delgado, Marcus, Evans, Sandra J., Lantz, Harrison P., Furth, David L.
• Granted Patent: US 8,666,901 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/80
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/188 Electronic negotiation

Abstract

A system and method for managing sponsorships by a sponsor, in which the party requesting the sponsorship requests to use content owned and protected by the sponsor, such as trademarks, logos, and copyrighted material. An embodiment of the method involves receiving, at a computer network site, a request for sponsorship from a requester and responding to the request by sending either an approval or a rejection. If an approval is sent, the method further involves providing the requestor with access to content of the sponsor through the site. As part of providing this access, the method can involve requiring the requestor to accept an agreement posted on the site. The method can also include monitoring the requestor'"'"'s actual use of the content.

Claims

1. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:

receive a request for sponsorship from a requester, the request for sponsorship from the requester including a request that an entity provide sponsorship as a sponsor according to the request for sponsorship from the requestor;

in response to receiving the request for sponsorship from the requester, determine whether the request for sponsorship from the requestor is approved;

in response to determining that the request for sponsorship from the requester is approved, provide the requester with access to an agreement between the sponsor and the requester regarding terms and conditions for use of controlled sponsor content that is otherwise not available to the requestor;

in response to receiving acceptance by the requestor of the agreement, provide the requester with access to the controlled sponsor content;

provide a communication to the requestor requesting a sample use of the controlled sponsor content for monitoring use by the requester of the controlled sponsor content; and

determine whether the sample use of the controlled sponsor content complies with the agreement if the sample use of the controlled sponsor content is received from the requestor.