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Method and apparatus for facilitating sales of goods by independent parties

  • US 7,373,317 B1
  • Filed: 10/27/1999
  • Issued: 05/13/2008
  • Est. Priority Date: 10/27/1999
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. A method for facilitating sales of goods offered for sale by independent sellers, the method being computer-implemented by a marketeer'"'"'s marketeer controller computer capable of communicating via a communications network, the marketeer controller computer including a microprocessor and a memory operatively connected to the microprocessor, the method comprising:

  • the marketeer controller computer receiving data from an independent seller, the data having been transmitted in electronic form via the communications network, the data comprising a standard identification code identifying a tangible good, the standard identification code having been provided by the independent seller as typed input keyed into a website interface of a computerized communications device, the standard identification code having been previously established for standardized use in industry and identifying the good in a manner readily-identifiable by the marketer controller computer, the standard identification code being one of an industry-standard universal product code (UPC) and an industry-standard International Standard Book Number (ISBN), the standard identification code being physically attached to the tangible good; and

    in response to receipt of the standard identification code identifying the tangible good, the marketeer controller computer storing in the memory data identifying the tangible good, said storing adding the tangible good to a list of goods registered for sale with the marketer controller computer;

    whereby the tangible good identified by the standard identification code and offered for sale by the seller is thereby made available to be presented for sale by the marketeer controller computer;

    the marketeer controller computer subsequently;

    retrieving from a database data stored in association with the tangible good identified by the standard identification code provided by the seller, the retrieved data relating to the tangible good but not being readily identifiable from viewing of the standard identification code, the retrieved data comprising one of a textual description of the tangible good and an image of the tangible good; and

    the marketeer controller computer presenting the tangible good for sale by transmitting data for displaying to a buyer the retrieved data relating to the tangible good and a sale price at which the buyer may purchase the tangible good.

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