Method and apparatus for simplified artist-buyer transactions

• US 6,868,394 B1
• Filed: 09/20/2000
• Issued: 03/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Daniel Mele
• Original Assignee: Daniel Mele
• Inventors: Mele, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Rosen, Nicholas D.
• Application Number:
  US09/665,862
• Time in Patent Office: 1,637 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/27
• US Class Current: 705/26.81
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0635 Processing of requisition or of purchase orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0643 Graphical representation of items or shoppers

Abstract

A website on a computer server system contains (for browser access) a database of client recording artists, to each of whom is assigned an individual Web page 45b exhibiting musical works for sale. A shopper browsing the website may evaluate and initiate purchase of one or more recordings directly with the website. The website charges each client artist a portion of the price of each purchase made by a shopper. The website and its owners take payment, obtain shipping data from the buyer, deduct a website usage fee from the purchase price, and send the purchase order and the client artist'"'"'s payment to the client artist or client artist'"'"'s representative.

Claims

1. An apparatus for arranging and conducting simplified business transactions between creators of works of art, hereinafter called client artists, and shoppers for such works of art, comprising:

a server computer system including one or more processors, one or more main memory subsystems, one or more storage subsystems, and one more connections to the World Wide Web;

a website stored in and executing in said server computer system, said website including

one or more online forms for registering and for presenting works of art produced by one or more client artists;

one or more online order forms for evaluating and purchasing one or more works of art of any of said client artists by a purchaser;

an online World Wide Web connection to each of said client artists for the forwarding purchase order information to the client artist;

a collection of web pages for each of said client artists, each such client artist web page in a form suitable for computer storage and retrieval via the World Wide Web, each such client artist web page in turn comprising background information concerning the client artist and the client artist'"'"'s works of art, a plurality of samples of the client artist'"'"'s works of art available for sale, and a description of each sample and the work it represents;

means for receiving purchase information from a purchaser for ordering a work of art;

means for validating the purchaser'"'"'s billing information for the order;

means for submitting a bill for the order to an account of the purchaser'"'"'s;

means for deducting from a sale price of the work of art a website fee for each sale completed;

means for sending purchase order information to the client artists, whereby any client artist may fulfill orders quickly and directly to shoppers and whereby inventory of works of art controlled by the website is minimized; and

means for conveying payment for the ordered work of art to the client artist who presents said ordered work of art for sale.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein each client artist is a musician.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein each client artist is a musical group.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein each work of art comprises one or more musical pieces.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein each of said plurality of samples of the client artist'"'"'s works of art available for sale is a sound sample of a specific musical piece.

6. A method for arranging and conducting simplified business transactions between creators of works of art and shoppers for such works of art, comprising the steps of:

registering one or more client artists with a website via World Wide Web access using an online form;

acquiring from each client artist one or more images and background information concerning the client artist and the client artist'"'"'s works of art, and a sample of each work of art the client artist wishes to share with shoppers before sale;

displaying images, background information concerning the client artist and the client artist'"'"'s works of art, and a sample of the work of art for all works each client artist wishes to share with shoppers before sale, for each such work of art for each client artist, creating a webpage;

bringing all said webpages online on the website for World Wide Web access by shoppers;

at a shopper'"'"'s request for a sample presentation, offering the requested sample to the shopper via the World Wide Web for shopper evaluation;

at a shopper'"'"'s request for purchase of a work of art by a client artist, presenting the shopper with an online order form from the website;

taking the shopper'"'"'s order, shipping and billing information from the online order form to produce an order;

validating shopper billing information for the order;

submitting a bill for the order to the shopper'"'"'s account;

deducting from the sale price of the work of art a website fee for each sale completed;

preparing an order to the client artist for the ordered work, said order comprising the identity of the work of art and the address to which it is to be sent;

conveying to the client artist the order and the client artist'"'"'s payment for the ordered work of art,

whereby the client artist fulfills the order directly with the shopper, and

whereby the website shipment and maintenance of inventory of works of art is eliminated.

7. The method of claim 6 whereby offering a sample presentation comprises playing back an audio file.

8. A method for arranging and conducting simplified business transactions between creators of works of art and shoppers for such works of art, comprising the steps of:

registering one or more client artists with a website via World Wide Web access using an online form;

obtaining from each client artist an advance payment of a website usage fee;

acquiring from each client artist one or more images and background information concerning the client artist and the client artist'"'"'s works of art, and a sample of each work of art the client artist wishes to share with shoppers before sale;

for all works each client artist wishes to share with shoppers before sale, for each such work of art for each client artist, creating a webpage displaying images, background information, and a sample of the work of art;

bringing all said webpages online on the website for World Wide Web access by shoppers;

at a shopper'"'"'s request for a sample presentation, presenting the requested sample of a work of art via the World Wide Web for shopper evaluation;

at a shopper'"'"'s request for purchase of a work of art by a client artist, presenting the shopper with an online order form from the website;

taking the shopper'"'"'s order, shipping and billing information from the online order form to produce an order;

validating shopper billing information for the order;

submitting a bill for the order to the shopper'"'"'s account;

deducting from the sale price of the work of art a website fee for each sale completed;

preparing an order to the client artist for the ordered work, said order comprising the identity of the work of art and the address to which it is to be sent;

conveying to the client artist the order and the client artist'"'"'s payment for the ordered work of art,

whereby the client artist fulfills the order directly with the shopper, and

whereby the website shipment and maintenance of inventory of works of art is eliminated.

9. The method of claim 8 whereby offering a sample presentation comprises playing an audio file.