Method of providing a virtual product to third parties

• US 8,615,472 B2
• Filed: 10/29/2009
• Issued: 12/24/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fraunhofer Gesellschaft Zur Foerderung Der Angewandten Forsching E.V.
• Original Assignee: Fraunhofer Gesellschaft Zur Foerderung Der Angewandten Forsching E.V.
• Inventors: Aichroth, Patrick, Hasselbach, Jens, Puchta, Stefan, Sporer, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Nigh, James D
• Application Number:
  US12/608,829
• Publication Number:
  US 20100049657A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,517 Days
• Field of Search: 705/51, 705/59
• US Class Current: 705/59
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0214 Referral reward systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]

Abstract

In a method of providing a virtual product to third parties, the virtual product being present in an original version in a digital form having a predetermined quality, a reduced version of the virtual product, along with information relating to a distributor of the virtual product, is initially provided. The reduced version'"'"'s quality is inferior to the quality of the original version, and the information relating to the distributor are associated with this reduced version. On the basis of the information associated with the reduced version, further information may be created. This further information indicates that the reduced version has been passed on to the third party by the content provider. The further information is created if the third party has acquired rights to the virtual product after having obtained the reduced version of same.

Claims

1. A method of passing on a virtual product from a first buyer to a second buyer, the method comprising:

acquiring, by the first buyer, a predetermined right to an original version of the virtual product from a provider,

obtaining, by the first buyer, the original version of the virtual product in a digital form from the provider, the original version of the virtual product having a predetermined quality,

selecting the original version of the virtual product obtained from the first buyer and to be passed on to the second buyer, and extracting content identification data identifying the virtual product from the original version of the virtual product;

logging in at a server computer and transmitting the content identification data to the server computer;

obtaining a personalized copy having a reduced quality, the quality of the personalized copy being reduced compared to the predetermined quality by

receiving, from the server computer, the personalized copy of the virtual product having the reduced quality, or

receiving transaction data from the server computer, the transaction data uniquely referencing the first buyer, creating, by the first buyer, a copy of the virtual product having the reduced quality, and personalizing the copy of the virtual product having the reduced quality on the basis of the transaction data to obtain the personalized copy having the reduced quality,

wherein the personalized copy of the virtual product having the reduced quality contains all information required for becoming a full-value version of the virtual product, the full-value version of the virtual product having a higher quality compared to the reduced quality, and the full-value version of the virtual product being achievable by a key only;

passing on only the personalized copy of the virtual product having the reduced quality to the second buyer; and

obtaining a reward after the second buyer has acquired the full-value version of the virtual product on the basis of the personalized copy of the virtual product having the reduced quality, wherein a reward is not obtained by the first buyer, when the second buyer has not acquired the full-value version of the virtual product on the basis of the personalized copy of the virtual product having the reduced quality, and

wherein the steps of acquiring the predetermined right to the original version of the virtual product, obtaining the virtual product, selecting, logging in, receiving, passing on and obtaining a reward are performed by a first buyer computer.

2. A method of obtaining a virtual product from a first buyer by a second buyer, the method comprising:

obtaining only a personalized copy of the virtual product having a reduced quality from the first buyer, the personalized copy of the virtual product having the reduced quality containing all information required for becoming a full-version of the virtual product, the full-version of the virtual product being achievable by a key only,

wherein the personalized copy includes a copy of the virtual product having the reduced quality and information uniquely referencing the first buyer after the first buyer has acquired a predetermined right to an original version of the virtual product from a provider and after the first buyer has obtained the original version of the virtual product in a digital form from the provider, wherein the original version of the virtual product has a predetermined quality,

wherein the reduced quality is reduced with respect to a quality of a full-version of the virtual product, and wherein the reduced quality is reduced with respect to the predetermined quality of the original version;

extracting the information which uniquely references the first buyer from the personalized copy of the virtual product so as to separate the information from the copy of the virtual product having the reduced quality;

reproducing the copy of the virtual product having the reduced quality;

transmitting content identification data identifying the virtual product and information uniquely referencing the first buyer to the server computer;

obtaining the key from the server computer; and

creating a full-version of the virtual product from the copy of the virtual product having the reduced quality using the key,

wherein the steps of obtaining only a personalized copy, extracting, reproducing, transmitting, obtaining the key and creating are performed by a second buyer computer.

3. A method of passing on a virtual product from a first buyer to a second buyer, the method comprising:

receiving login information and content identification data identifying a virtual product to be passed on from the first buyer to the second buyer after the first buyer has acquired a predetermined right to an original version of the virtual product from a provider and after the first buyer has obtained the virtual product in an original version in a digital form having a predetermined quality from the provider;

verifying, on the basis of the login information, whether the first buyer is a registered user;

authorizing the first buyer to create a copy of the virtual product having a reduced quality;

creating and transmitting transaction data to the first buyer, the transaction data uniquely referencing the first buyer, or creating and transmitting a personalized copy of the virtual product having the reduced quality to the first buyer in response to the step of authorizing the first buyer to create a copy of the virtual product having the reduced quality,

wherein the copy of the virtual product having the reduced quality contains all information required for becoming a full-version of the virtual product, wherein the full-version of the virtual product has a higher quality compared to the reduced quality, the full-version of the virtual product being achievable by a key only, and wherein the reduced quality is lower than the predetermined quality;

obtaining content identification data identifying the virtual product and information uniquely referencing the first buyer from the second buyer; and

granting a reward only when content identification data identifying the virtual product and information uniquely referencing the first buyer have been obtained, in the step of obtaining, from the second buyer indicating that the second buyer has acquired the full version of the virtual product on the basis of the personalized copy of the virtual product having the reduced quality; and

transmitting the key to the second buyer,

wherein the steps of verifying, creating, obtaining the content identification data, granting the reward and transmitting the key are performed by a server computer.

4. A method of passing on a virtual product from a first buyer to a second buyer, the method comprising:

acquiring, by the first buyer, a predetermined right to an original version of the virtual product from a provider;

obtaining, by the first buyer, the original version of the virtual product in a digital form from the provider of the virtual product, the original version of the virtual product having a predetermined quality,

selecting the original version of the virtual product obtained from the first buyer and to be passed on to the second buyer, and extracting content identification data identifying the virtual product from the original version of the virtual product;

logging in at a server computer and transmitting the content identification data to the server computer;

obtaining a personalized copy having a reduced quality, the quality of the personalized copy being reduced compared to the predetermined quality by

receiving, from the server computer, the personalized copy of the virtual product the having reduced quality, or

receiving transaction data from the server computer, the transaction data uniquely referencing the first buyer, creating, by the first buyer, a copy of the virtual product having the reduced quality, and personalizing the copy of the virtual product having reduced quality on the basis of the transaction data to obtain the personalized copy having the reduced quality;

passing on only the personalized copy of the virtual product having the reduced quality to the second buyer; and

obtaining a reward after the second buyer has acquired a full version of the virtual product on the basis of the personalized copy of the virtual product having the reduced quality, wherein a reward is not obtained by the first buyer, when the second buyer has not acquired the full-value version of the virtual product on the basis of the personalized copy of the virtual product having the reduced quality,

wherein the full-version of the virtual product has a higher quality compared to the reduced quality,

wherein the steps of acquiring a predetermined right, obtaining the virtual product, selecting, logging in, receiving, passing on and obtaining a reward are performed by a first buyer computer.

5. A method of obtaining a virtual product from a first buyer by a second buyer, the method comprising:

obtaining only a personalized copy of the virtual product having a reduced quality from the first buyer, the personalized copy of the virtual product including a copy of the virtual product having the reduced quality and information uniquely referencing the first buyer, after acquiring, by the first buyer, a predetermined right to an original version of the virtual product from a provider and after obtaining, by the first buyer, the original version of the virtual product in a digital form from the provider, wherein the original version has a predetermined quality;

extracting the information which uniquely references the first buyer from the personalized copy of the virtual product having the reduced quality so as to separate the information from the copy of the virtual product having the reduced quality;

reproducing the copy of the virtual product having the reduced quality;

transmitting content identification data identifying the virtual product and information uniquely referencing the first buyer to the server computer; and

obtaining a full version of the virtual product from the server computer, wherein the full-version of the virtual product has a higher quality compared to the reduced quality, and wherein the reduced quality is lower than the predetermined quality,

wherein the steps of obtaining, extracting, reproducing, transmitting, obtaining the full version and creating are performed by a second buyer computer.

6. A method of passing on a virtual product from a first buyer to a second buyer, the method comprising:

receiving login information and content identification data identifying a virtual product to be passed on from the first buyer to a second buyer after the first buyer has acquired a predetermined right to an original version of the virtual product from a provider, and after the first buyer has obtained the original version of the virtual product in a digital form from the provider, wherein the original version has a predetermined quality;

verifying, on the basis of the login information and the content identification data, whether the first buyer is a registered user;

authorizing the first buyer to create a copy of the virtual product having a reduced quality;

creating and transmitting transaction data to the first buyer, the transaction data uniquely referencing the first buyer or creating and transmitting a personalized copy of the virtual product having the reduced quality to the first buyer, in response to the step of authorizing the first buyer to create a copy of the virtual product having the reduced quality, wherein the reduced quality is reduced compared to the predetermined quality;

obtaining content identification data identifying the virtual product and information uniquely referencing the first buyer from the second buyer; and

granting a reward only when content identification data identifying the virtual product and information uniquely referencing the first buyer have been obtained, in the step of obtaining, from the second buyer indicating the second buyer has acquired a full version of the virtual product on the basis of the personalized copy of the virtual product having the reduced quality; and

transmitting a full version of the virtual product to the second buyer, wherein the full-version of the virtual product has a higher quality compared to the reduced quality,

wherein the steps of verifying, creating, obtaining, granting and transmitting are performed by a server computer.