METHOD OF PROVIDING A VIRTUAL PRODUCT TO THIRD PARTIES

• US 20100049657A1
• Filed: 10/29/2009
• Published: 02/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fraunhofer Gesellschaft Zur Foerderung Der Angewandten Forsching E.V.
• Original Assignee: Fraunhofer Gesellschaft Zur Foerderung Der Angewandten Forsching E.V.
• Inventors: AICHROTH, Patrick, PUCHTA, Stefan, HASSELBACH, Jens, SPORER, Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 8,615,472 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/59
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0214 Referral reward systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]

Abstract

In a method of providing a virtual product to third parties, the virtual product being present in an original version in a digital form having a predetermined quality, a reduced version of the virtual product, along with information relating to a distributor of the virtual product, is initially provided. The reduced version'"'"'s quality is inferior to the quality of the original version, and the information relating to the distributor are associated with this reduced version. On the basis of the information associated with the reduced version, further information may be created. This further information indicates that the reduced version has been passed on to the third party by the content provider. The further information is created if the third party has acquired rights to the virtual product after having obtained the reduced version of same.

Claims

1. A method of passing on a virtual product from a first buyer to a second buyer, the first buyer having acquired a predetermined right to the original version of the virtual product from a provider and having obtained, from the provider, the virtual product in an original version in a digital form having a predetermined quality, the method comprising:

selecting the virtual product to be passed on, and extracting content identification data identifying the virtual product;

logging in at a server and transmitting the content identification data to the server;

receiving, from the server, a personalized copy of the virtual product having reduced quality, or receiving transaction data from the server, the transaction data uniquely referencing the first buyer, creating, by the first buyer, a copy of the virtual product having reduced quality, and personalizing the copy of the virtual product having reduced quality on the basis of the transaction data, the copy of the virtual product having reduced quality containing all the information required for becoming a full-value product, the full-value product being achievable by a key only;

passing on only the personalized copy of the virtual product having reduced quality to the second buyer; and

obtaining a reward once the second buyer has acquired a full version of the virtual product on the basis of the personalized copy of the virtual product having reduced quality.

2. A method of obtaining a virtual product from a first buyer on the part of a second buyer, the method comprising:

obtaining only a personalized copy of the virtual product having reduced quality from the first buyer, the copy of the virtual product having reduced quality containing all the information required for becoming a full-value product, the full-value product being achievable by a key only, and the personalized copy including information which uniquely references the first buyer, the first buyer having acquired a predetermined right to the original version of the virtual product from a provider, and having obtained the virtual product in an original version in a digital form having a predetermined quality from the provider;

extracting the information which uniquely references the first buyer from the personalized copy so as to separate the information from the copy of the virtual product having reduced quality;

reproducing the copy of the virtual product having reduced quality;

transmitting content identification data which identifies the virtual product, and information which uniquely references the first buyer, to the server;

obtaining the key from the server; and

creating a full-value version of the copy of the virtual product having reduced quality using the key.

3. A method of passing on a virtual product from a first buyer to a second buyer, the method comprising:

receiving login information and content identification data identifying a virtual product to be passed on from the first buyer, the first buyer having acquired a predetermined right to the original version of the virtual product from a provider, and having obtained the virtual product in an original version in a digital form having a predetermined quality from the provider;

verifying, on the basis of the login information, if the first buyer is a registered user;

creating and transmitting transaction data to the first buyer, the transaction data uniquely referencing the first buyer, if the first buyer is authorized to create a copy of the virtual product having reduced quality, or creating and transmitting a personalized copy of the virtual product having reduced quality to the first buyer, the copy of the virtual product having reduced quality containing all the information required for becoming a full-value product, the full-value product being achievable by a key only;

obtaining content identification data identifying the virtual product, and information uniquely referencing the first buyer from the second buyer; and

granting a reward on the part of the server once the second buyer has purchased a full version of the virtual product on the basis of the personalized copy of the virtual product having reduced quality; and

transmitting the key to the second buyer.

4. A method of passing on a virtual product from a first buyer to a second buyer, the first buyer having acquired a predetermined right to the original version of the virtual product from a provider and having obtained, from the provider, the virtual product in an original version in a digital form having a predetermined quality, the method comprising:

selecting the virtual product to be passed on, and extracting content identification data identifying the virtual product;

logging in at a server and transmitting the content identification data to the server;

receiving, from the server, a personalized copy of the virtual product having reduced quality, or receiving transaction data from the server, the transaction data uniquely referencing the first buyer, creating, by the first buyer, a copy of the virtual product having reduced quality, and personalizing the copy of the virtual product having reduced quality on the basis of the transaction data;

passing on only the personalized copy of the virtual product having reduced quality to the second buyer; and

obtaining a reward once the second buyer has acquired a full version of the virtual product on the basis of the personalized copy of the virtual product having reduced quality.

5. A method of obtaining a virtual product from a first buyer on the part of a second buyer, the method comprising:

obtaining only a personalized copy of the virtual product having reduced quality from the first buyer, the personalized copy including information which uniquely references the first buyer, the first buyer having acquired a predetermined right to the original version of the virtual product from a provider, and having obtained the virtual product in an original version in a digital form having a predetermined quality from the provider;

extracting the information which uniquely references the first buyer from the personalized copy so as to separate the information from the copy of the virtual product having reduced quality;

reproducing the copy of the virtual product having reduced quality;

transmitting content identification data which identifies the virtual product, and information which uniquely references the first buyer, to the server; and

obtaining a full version of the virtual product from the server.

6. A method of passing on a virtual product from a first buyer to a second buyer, the method comprising:

receiving login information and content identification data identifying a virtual product to be passed on from the first buyer, the first buyer having acquired a predetermined right to the original version of the virtual product from a provider, and having obtained the virtual product in an original version in a digital form having a predetermined quality from the provider;

verifying, on the basis of the login information and the content identification data, if the first buyer is a registered user;

creating and transmitting transaction data to the first buyer, the transaction data uniquely referencing the first buyer, if the first buyer is authorized to create a copy of the virtual product having reduced quality, or creating and transmitting a personalized copy of the virtual product having reduced quality to the first buyer;

obtaining content identification data identifying the virtual product, and information uniquely referencing the first buyer from the second buyer; and

granting a reward on the part of the server once the second buyer has purchased a full version of the virtual product on the basis of the personalized copy of the virtual product having reduced quality; and

transmitting a full version of the virtual product to the second buyer.