Methods and systems for receiving warrants as an incentive for participation in a marketplace

• US 7,765,150 B2
• Filed: 02/14/2007
• Issued: 07/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: BGC Partners Incorporated (BGC Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: BGC Partners Incorporated (BGC Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lutnick, Howard W., Noviello, Joseph, Uman, Jonathan, Varacchi, Frederick, Varacchi, legal representative, Uman, legal representative
• Primary Examiner(s): Kalinowski; Alexander
• Assistant Examiner(s): CAMPBELL, KELLIE L
• Application Number:
  US11/674,706
• Publication Number:
  US 20080195522A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,259 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1, 705/35, 705/36.R, 705/37, 705/38, 705/39, 705/40
• US Class Current: 705/37
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/06 Asset management; Financial planning or analysis

Abstract

Methods and corresponding system are provided herewith that, in at least one embodiment, include the act or acts of receiving at least one warrant in exchange for executing at least one trading activity in a marketplace, in which the warrant may be converted into at least one ownership share of an entity associated with the marketplace; receiving information associated with the execution of the trading activities in the marketplace; receiving an indicia indicating a quantity of warrants eligible for conversion into ownership shares, in which the quantity of eligible warrants is determined based on the received information; and receiving a quantity of ownership shares of the entity, in which the quantity of ownership shares is determined based on a conversion ratio.

Claims

1. A method for incentivizing a plurality of participants to trade goods and services of a vertical market on a marketplace, the method comprising:

receiving from an ownership processor at least one warrant in exchange for agreeing to trade goods and services of the vertical market on the marketplace, in which the warrant is convertible into at least one ownership share of the marketplace based on the participant'"'"'s performance on the marketplace;

transmitting from a trading processor information about the participant'"'"'s performance on the marketplace, in which the trading processor and the ownership processor are in communication over a network, and in which the participant'"'"'s performance is used to determine a quantity of warrants that is convertible by the participant into the at least one ownership share of the marketplace;

transmitting information about a type of transaction that is provided by the participant, in which the type of transaction is used to determine an amount of a fee that is paid to the participant; and

receiving from the ownership processor a notification of the quantity of warrants that is convertible into the at least one ownership share, of the marketplace and the amount of the fee.

2. The method of claim 1, in which the act of receiving the at least one warrant further comprises:

receiving a total amount of warrants in accordance to an agreement, in which the agreement is agreed upon by the plurality of participants in advance, and in which the agreement permits the participant to convert a portion of the total amount of warrants based on the participant'"'"'s performance.

3. The method of claim 2, in which the act of determining the quantity of warrants that is convertible further comprises:

transmitting information about a revenue generated by the participant'"'"'s performance on the marketplace within a period of time; and

receiving a notification that the quantity of warrants that the participant is permitted to convert equals a product of the total amount of warrants issued and a ratio between the revenue and a target revenue, in which the target revenue is generated over a term of the agreement and is predetermined by the agreement.

4. The method of claim 2, in which the act of determining the quantity of warrants that is convertible further comprises:

transmitting information about a revenue generated by the participant'"'"'s performance on the marketplace; and

receiving a notification that the revenue meets a target revenue and that the quantity of warrants that the participant is permitted to convert equals a pre-determined quantity of warrants, in which the target revenue is pre-determined by the agreement.

5. The method of claim 2, in which the act of determining the quantity of warrants that is convertible further comprises:

transmitting information about a revenue generated by the participant'"'"'s performance on the marketplace within a period of time; and

receiving a notification that the revenue meets a target revenue and that the quantity of warrants that the participant is permitted to convert equals a pre-determined quantity of warrants, in which the target revenue is pre-determined by the agreement.

6. The method of claim 1, in which the act of determining the type of transaction that is provided by the participant further comprises:

transmitting information that the participant provides an information services transaction;

transmitting information that an information services transaction has occurred on the marketplace; and

receiving a notification that the fee to be paid comprises;

a revenue that is derived from the information services transaction.

7. The method of claim 1, in which the act of determining the type of transaction that is provided by the participant further comprises:

transmitting information that the participant provides an electronic transaction; and

transmitting information that an electronic transaction has occurred on the marketplace; and

receiving a notification that the fee to be paid comprises;

a revenue that is derived from the electronic transaction less a fee for providing at least one of;

a clearance, a settlement, and a fulfillment service.

8. The method of claim 1, in which the act of determining the type of transaction that is provided by the participant further comprises:

transmitting information that the participant provides an electronic transaction; and

transmitting information that a voice-assisted transaction has occurred on the marketplace;

receiving a notification that the fee to be paid comprises;

an amount paid by a voice transaction service provider in order to provide voice-assisted brokerage services.

9. An apparatus for incentivizing a plurality of participants to trade goods and services of a vertical market on a marketplace, the apparatus comprising:

a trading processor in communication with an ownership processor over a network;

a memory coupled to the trading processor, in which the memory stores instructions which, when executed by the trading processor, direct the trading processor to;

receive from the ownership processor at least one warrant in exchange for agreeing to trade goods and services of the vertical market on the marketplace, in which each warrant is convertible into at least one ownership share of the marketplace based on the participant'"'"'s performance on the marketplace;

transmit information about the participant'"'"'s performance on the marketplace, in which the participant'"'"'s performance is used to determine a quantity of warrants that may be converted by the participant into the at least one ownership share of the marketplace;

transmit information about a type of transaction that is provided by the participant, in which the type of transaction is used to determine an amount of a fee that is paid to the participant; and

receive from the ownership processor a notification of the quantity of warrants that is convertible into the at least one ownership share of the marketplace and the amount of the fee.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, in which the memory stores instructions which, when executed by the trading processor, further direct the trading processor to:

receive a total amount of warrants in accordance to an agreement, in which the agreement is agreed upon by the plurality of participants in advance, and in which the agreement permits the participant to convert a portion of the total amount of warrants based on the participant'"'"'s performance.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, in which the memory stores instructions which, when executed by the trading processor, further direct the trading processor to:

transmit information about a revenue generated by the participant'"'"'s performance on the marketplace within a period of time; and

receive a notification that the quantity of warrants that the participant is permitted to convert equals a product of the total amount of warrants issued and a ratio between the revenue and a target revenue,

in which the target revenue is generated over a term of the agreement and is predetermined by the agreement.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, in which the memory stores instructions which, when executed by the trading processor, further direct the trading processor to:

transmit information about a revenue generated by the participant'"'"'s performance on the marketplace; and

receive a notification that the revenue meets a target revenue and that the quantity of warrants that the participant is permitted to convert equals a pre-determined quantity of warrants, in which the target revenue is pre-determined by the agreement.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, in which the memory stores instructions which, when executed by the trading processor, further direct the trading processor to:

transmit information about a revenue generated by the participant'"'"'s performance on the marketplace within a period of time; and

receive a notification that the revenue meets a target revenue and that the quantity of warrants that the participant is permitted to convert equals a pre-determined quantity of warrants, in which the target revenue is pre-determined by the agreement.

14. The apparatus of claim 9, in which the memory stores instructions which, when executed by the trading processor, further direct the trading processor to:

transmit information that the participant provides an information services transaction;

transmit information that an information services transaction has occurred on the marketplace; and

receive a notification that the fee to be paid comprises;

a revenue that is derived from the information services transaction.

15. The apparatus of claim 9, in which the memory stores instructions which, when executed by the trading processor, further direct the trading processor to:

transmit information that the participant provides an electronic transaction; and

transmit information that an electronic transaction has occurred on the marketplace; and

receive a notification that the fee to be paid comprises;

a revenue that is derived from the electronic transaction less a fee for providing at least one of;

a clearance, a settlement, and a fulfillment service.

16. The apparatus of claim 9, in which the memory stores instructions which, when executed by the trading processor, further direct the trading processor to:

transmit information that the participant provides an electronic transaction; and

transmit information that a voice-assisted transaction has occurred on the marketplace;

receive a notification that the fee to be paid comprises;

an amount paid by a voice transaction service provider in order to provide voice-assisted brokerage services.

17. An article of manufacture for incentivizing a plurality of participants to trade goods and services of a vertical market on a marketplace, the article of manufacture comprising:

a storage medium, in which the storage medium stores instructions which, when executed by an trading processor, direct the trading processor to;

receive from an ownership processor at least one warrant in exchange for agreeing to trade goods and services of the vertical market on the marketplace, in which the trading processor and the ownership processor are in communication over a network, and in which each warrant is convertible into at least one ownership share of the marketplace based on the participant'"'"'s performance on the marketplace;

transmit information about the participant'"'"'s performance on the marketplace, in which the participant'"'"'s performance is used to determine a quantity of warrants that may be converted by the participant into the at least one ownership share of the marketplace;

transmit information about a type of transaction that is provided by the participant, in which the type of transaction is used to determine an amount of a fee that is paid to the participant; and

receive from the ownership processor a notification of the quantity of warrants that is convertible into the at least one ownership share of the marketplace and the amount of the fee.

18. The article of manufacture of claim 17, in which the memory stores instructions which, when executed by the trading processor, further direct the trading processor to:

receive a total amount of warrants in accordance to an agreement, in which the agreement is agreed upon by the plurality of participants in advance,

and in which the agreement permits the participant to convert a portion of the total amount of warrants based on the participant'"'"'s performance.

19. The article of manufacture of claim 18, in which the memory stores instructions which, when executed by the trading processor, further direct the trading processor to:

transmit information about a revenue generated by the participant'"'"'s performance on the marketplace within a period of time; and

receive a notification that the quantity of warrants that the participant is permitted to convert equals a product of the total amount of warrants issued and a ratio between the revenue and a target revenue, in which the target revenue is generated over a term of the agreement and is pre-determined by the agreement.

20. The article of manufacture of claim 18, in which the memory stores instructions which, when executed by the trading processor, further direct the trading processor to:

transmit information about a revenue generated by the participant'"'"'s performance on the marketplace; and

receive a notification that the revenue meets a target revenue and that the quantity of warrants that the participant is permitted to convert equals a pre-determined quantity of warrants, in which the target revenue is pre-determined by the agreement.

21. The article of manufacture of claim 18, in which the memory stores instructions which, when executed by the trading processor, further direct the trading processor to:

transmit information about a revenue generated by the participant'"'"'s performance on the marketplace within a period of time; and

receive a notification that the revenue meets a target revenue and that the quantity of warrants that the participant is permitted to convert equals a pre-determined quantity of warrants, in which the target revenue is pre-determined by the agreement.

22. The article of manufacture of claim 17, in which the memory stores instructions which, when executed by the trading processor, further direct the trading processor to:

transmit information that the participant provides an information services transaction;

transmit information that an information services transaction has occurred on the marketplace; and

receive a notification that the fee to be paid comprises;

a revenue that is derived from the information services transaction.

23. The article of manufacture of claim 17, in which the memory stores instructions which, when executed by the trading processor, further direct the trading processor to:

transmit information that the participant provides an electronic transaction; and

transmit information that an electronic transaction has occurred on the marketplace; and

receive a notification that the fee to be paid comprises;

a revenue that is derived from the electronic transaction less a fee for providing at least one of;

a clearance, a settlement, and a fulfillment service.

24. The article of manufacture of claim 17, in which the memory stores instructions which, when executed by the trading processor, further direct the trading processor to:

transmit information that the participant provides an electronic transaction; and

transmit information that a voice-assisted transaction has occurred on the marketplace;

receive a notification that the fee to be paid comprises;

an amount paid by a voice transaction service provider in order to provide voice-assisted brokerage services.