System and method for managing sponsorships

• US 8,285,586 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2006
• Issued: 10/09/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Evans, Sandra J., Lantz, Harrison P., Sherwood, Amy L., Furth, David L., Delgado, Marcus
• Primary Examiner(s): Kucab, Jamie
• Assistant Examiner(s): Prieto, Tomas
• Application Number:
  US11/612,645
• Publication Number:
  US 20080195401A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,121 Days
• Field of Search: 705/51, 705/52, 705/14, 705/10, 705/59, 705/1.1, 705/7.41, 705/80, 705/310, 705/317, 705/329
• US Class Current: 705/7.41
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/188 Electronic negotiation

Abstract

A system and method for managing sponsorships by a sponsor, in which the party requesting the sponsorship requests to use content owned and protected by the sponsor, such as trademarks, logos, and copyrighted material. An embodiment of the method involves receiving, at a computer network site, a request for sponsorship from a requester and responding to the request by sending either an approval or a rejection. If an approval is sent, the method further involves providing the requestor with access to content of the sponsor through the site. As part of providing this access, the method can involve requiring the requestor to accept an agreement posted on the site. The method can also include monitoring the requestor'"'"'s actual use of the content.

Claims

1. A system for managing a sponsorship between a sponsor and a requestor, the system comprising:

a processor configured to execute computer-executable instructions; and

a memory device for storing a program comprising the computer-executable instructions for managing the sponsorship between the sponsor and the requestor, the computer-executable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform a method comprising;

receiving, via a computer network, a request for sponsorship from the requestor,

in response to approving the request, providing to the requestor an agreement including terms and conditions regarding using a logo of the sponsor for the sponsorship, and

in response to receiving an acceptance of the terms and conditions, enabling transmission of the logo to the requestor,

requesting, from the requestor, a sample corresponding to an example of use of the logo,

receiving the sample from the requestor after the logo is transmitted to the requestor,

analyzing the sample to determine if the use of the logo in the sample complies with the terms and conditions, and

in response to determining that the sample does not comply with the terms and conditions,

determining if previous samples from the requestor were rejected as not complying with the terms and conditions and if so, determining a total number of samples rejected,

comparing the number to a number limit,

in response to determining that the number exceeds the number limit, denying the requestor access to the logo, and

in response to determining that the number does not exceed the number limit, requesting another sample.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to perform the method further comprising:

exchanging electronic mail messages with the computer of the requestor, and wherein the request and receipt of the sample are electronic mail messages.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a requestor information database containing data associated with the requestor.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the request for sponsorship includes data comprising a name of the requestor, an address of the requestor, a telephone number of the requestor, a description of an event for which the sponsorship is sought, a date and duration of the event, an e-mail address of the requestor, a requested donation amount, a name of a contact person who directed the requestor to the site, and a password for accessing secured pages posted by the system, and wherein the processor is further operative to store the data in the requestor information database storing information associated with the requestor.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the processor is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to perform the method further comprising:

archiving the sample in the requestor information database.

6. The system of claim 3, wherein the processor is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to perform the method further comprising:

archiving, in the requestor information database, the requestor'"'"'s response to the terms and conditions.

7. The system of claim 3, wherein the processor is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to perform the method further comprising:

archiving, in the requestor information database, whether the sample complies with the agreement.

8. The system of claim 3, wherein the processor is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to perform the method further comprising:

archiving, in the requestor information database, whether the sample has been received from the requestor.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the logo comprises a trademark.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to perform the method further comprising:

denying access to the logo, in response to receiving a refusal of the terms and conditions.

11. A method for managing a sponsorship between a sponsor and a requestor, the method comprising:

receiving, by a computer via a computer network, a request for sponsorship from the requestor;

in response to approving the request, providing, by the computer to the requestor, an agreement that includes terms and conditions regarding using a logo of the sponsor for the sponsorship;

denying, by the computer, access to the logo, in response to receiving a refusal of the terms and conditions; and

in response to receiving an acceptance of the terms and conditions,

enabling, by the computer, transmission of the logo to the requestor,

requesting, by the computer, a sample corresponding to an example of use of the logo from the requestor,

receiving, by the computer, the sample from the requestor after the logo is transmitted to the requestor,

analyzing, by the computer, the sample to determine if the use of the logo in the sample complies with the terms and conditions,

in response to determining that the sample does not comply with the terms and conditions,

determining, by the computer, if previous samples from the requestor were rejected as not complying with the terms and conditions and if so, determining a number of total samples rejected,

comparing, by the computer, the number to a number limit,

in response to determining that the number exceeds the number limit, denying, by the computer, the requestor access to the logo, and

in response to determining that the number does not exceed the number limit, requesting, by the computer, another sample.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein requesting the sample and receiving the sample further comprise:

sending a first electronic mail message to the requestor to request the sample; and

receiving, by the computer, a second electronic mail message comprising the sample.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the request for sponsorship comprises data indicating a name of the requestor, an address of the requestor, a telephone number of the requestor, a description of an event for which the sponsorship is sought, a date and duration of the event, an electronic mail address of the requestor, a requested donation amount, a name of a contact person who directed the requestor to the site, and a password for accessing secured pages posted by the system.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising storing the data and the sample in a requestor information database in communication with the computer.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising archiving, in the request information database, additional data that indicates that the requestor accepted the terms and conditions, if the sample has been received from the requestor, and if the sample complies with the terms and conditions.

16. A system for managing a sponsorship between a sponsor and a requestor, the system comprising:

a processor configured to execute computer computer-executable instructions; and

a memory device for storing the computer-executable instructions for managing the sponsorship between the sponsor and the requestor, the computer-executable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform a method comprising;

receiving, at a computer via a computer network, a request for sponsorship from the requestor;

in response to approving the request, providing to the requestor an agreement that includes terms and conditions regarding using a trademark of the sponsor for the sponsorship;

denying access to the trademark, in response to receiving a refusal of the terms and conditions; and

in response to receiving the acceptance from the requestor of the terms and conditions

enabling transmission of the trademark to the requestor,

requesting a sample corresponding to an example of use of the trademark from the requestor,

receiving the sample from the requestor after the trademark is transmitted to the requestor,

analyzing the sample to determine if the use of the trademark in the sample complies with the terms and conditions, and

in response to determining that the sample does not comply with the terms and conditions,

determining if previous samples from the requestor were rejected as not complying with the terms and conditions and if so, determining a total number of samples rejected,

comparing the number to a number limit,

in response to determining that the number exceeds the number limit, denying the requestor access to the trademark, and

in response to determining that the number does not exceed the number limit, request requesting another sample.