Facilitating Electronic 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 ideas or unmet need or unsolved problems comprising:
- 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;
permitting users or originators, or both, to access and select without restriction only the first-level elements of the stored two-part descriptions; and
permitting users or originators, or both, 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.
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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.
69 Citations
20 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 ideas or unmet need or unsolved problems comprising:
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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; permitting users or originators, or both, to access and select without restriction only the first-level elements of the stored two-part descriptions; and permitting users or originators, or both, 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 (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method of using a computer to facilitate and control sequential access to a two-level information database created by inputs supplied by originators comprising:
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receiving and storing in the database a plurality of two-part descriptions each supplied by an originator, each two-part description including a nonconfidential first-level element in the form of a searchable and accessible basic description of an originator'"'"'s entry, and a confidential second-level element in the form of a searchable, but not accessible detailed description of each originator'"'"'s entry; permitting users to access and select without restriction, only the nonconfidential first-level elements of the stored two-part descriptions; providing selecting users with an option to access, search and review the confidential second-level elements of the stored two-part descriptions that correspond to the selected first-level elements by electronically submitting to each selecting user a license agreement including a confidentiality provision; receiving and storing in the computer an acceptance of the license agreement by each selecting user; and upon receipt of license acceptance, providing accepting users with unrestricted access on a confidential basis via the computer to the confidential second-level elements of the stored two-part descriptions corresponding to the selected first-level elements. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method of using a computer to facilitate and control sequential access to a two-level information database created by inputs supplied by originators comprising:
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receiving and storing in the database a plurality of two-part descriptions each supplied by an originator, each two-part description including a nonconfidential first-level element in the form of a searchable and accessible basic description of an originator'"'"'s entry, and a confidential second-level element in the form of a searchable, but not accessible detailed description of each originator'"'"'s entry; permitting users to access and select without restriction, only the nonconfidential first-level elements of the stored two-part descriptions; providing selecting users with an option to access, search and review the confidential second-level elements of the stored two-part descriptions that correspond to the selected first-level elements by electronically submitting to each selecting user a license agreement including a confidentiality provision; receiving and storing in the computer an acceptance of the license agreement by each selecting user; upon receipt of license acceptance, providing accepting users with unrestricted access on a confidential basis via the computer to the confidential second-level elements of the stored two-part descriptions corresponding to the selected first-level elements; and upon receiving license acceptance by one selecting user, subsequently restricting other users from visually accessing the second-level element but permitting the other users to continue to access and select the first-level element for the duration of the license term. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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Specification