Method and System for Monetizing User-Generated Content

• US 20090132341A1
• Filed: 01/02/2008
• Published: 05/21/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Pure Verticals, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Pure Verticals, Inc.
• Inventors: Klinger, Theresa, Wada, Ariel
• Application Number:
  US11/968,374
• Publication Number:
  US 20090132341A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/10
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0209 Incentive being awarded or redeemed in connection with the playing of a video game
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking

Abstract

An e-commerce system, comprising a shopping cart executing on a network-connected server, product information available at the shopping cart, and software executing on the server for interacting with user-generated content associated with a first user, is disclosed. In the system, the software provides product information and code related to a specific product to the user-generated content in a form compatible with the user-generated content, such that upon the code being activated in the user-generated content by a second user, the second user is connected to the shopping cart at the server, and enabled to buy the product.

Claims

1. An e-commerce system, comprising:

a shopping cart executing on a network-connected server;

product information available at the shopping cart; and

interface software executing on the server for interacting with user-generated content associated with a first user;

wherein the interface software provides product information and code related to a specific product to the user-generated content, the code compatible with the user-generated content, and upon the code being activated in the user-generated content by a second user, the second user is connected to the shopping cart at the server, and is thereby enabled to buy the product.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the shopping cart executes on a social networking server.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the shopping cart executes on an online gaming server.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the shopping cart executes on an online virtual world server.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the user-generated content is accessed from a web browser.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the user-generated content is accessed from one of an Internet-connected mobile communications device, a computing device, or a gaming console.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the product information pertains to products from a plurality of distinct selling entities.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the shopping cart calculates all costs associated with purchasing the product within the user-generated content and provides an updated total to the second user to facilitate purchase.

9. The system in claim 8 wherein the costs include a fee to be paid to the first user when a specific interaction with the second user occurs.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the shopping cart, on request from the first user, provides information about a plurality of products available for sale by the first user in content generated by the first user, and upon selection by the first user of a particular product to promote provides to the first user code and product information suitable for embedding in the user-generated content.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein feedback from the second user is collected by the shopping cart and aggregated with similar feedback from a plurality of other users to generate statistics on the quality of product promotions included within user-generated content.

12. The system of claim 9 wherein the fee paid to the first user based is determined at least in part by the quality statistics pertaining to first user.

13. A method for e-commerce, comprising the steps of:

(a) transmitting product information and code related to a specific product by a network-connected server to user-generated content generated by a first user;

(b) embedding the code into the user-generated content for selling the product; and

(c) upon the code being activated in the user-generated content by a second user, connecting the second user to a shopping cart at the server, thereby enabling the second user to purchase the product.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the shopping cart executes on a social networking server.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the shopping cart executes on an online gaming server.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein the shopping cart executes on an online virtual world server.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein the user-generated content is accessed from a web browser.

18. The method of claim 13 wherein the user-generated content is accessed from one of an Internet-connected mobile communications device, a computing device, or a gaming console.

19. The method of claim 13 wherein the product information pertains to products from a plurality of distinct selling entities.

20. The method of claim 13 comprising the further step of calculating all costs associated with purchasing the product within the user-generated content and providing an updated total to the second user to facilitate purchase.

21. The method in claim 20 wherein the costs include a fee to be paid to the first user when a specific interaction with the second user occurs.

22. The method of claim 13 wherein the shopping cart further, on request from the first user, provides information about a plurality of products available for sale by the first user in content generated by the first user, and upon selection by the first user of a particular product to promote provides to the first user code and product information suitable for embedding in the user-generated content.

23. The method of claim 13 comprising the further step of collecting feedback from the second user and aggregating with similar feedback from a plurality of other users to generate statistics on the quality of product promotions included within user-generated content.

24. The method of claim 21 wherein the fee paid to the first user based is determined at least in part by the quality statistics pertaining to first user.