CONTRACT AMENDMENT MECHANISM IN A VIRTUAL WORLD

• US 20090150804A1
• Filed: 12/06/2007
• Published: 06/11/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bokor, Brian R., House, Daniel E., Smith, Andrew B.
• Granted Patent: US 9,230,237 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/758
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/18 Legal services
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/26 Government or public services business processes related to the transportation industry G06Q50/40

Abstract

A method for amending a contract in a virtual world may include presenting an online chat option in response to another user'"'"'s avatar coming within a predetermined proximity range of an avatar of the user and in response to the other user'"'"'s avatar and the user'"'"'s avatar having previously entered into a contract in the virtual world. The method may also include recording the online chat between the users to define an amendment to the contract in response to the online chat option being selected. The method may further include appending the amendment to contracting terms in a contract object in response to acceptance of the amendment by the users.

Claims

1. A method for amending a contract in a virtual world, comprising:

presenting an online chat option in response to another user'"'"'s avatar coming within a predetermined proximity range of an avatar of the user and in response to the other user'"'"'s avatar and the user'"'"'s avatar having previously entered into a contract in the virtual world;

recording the online chat between the users to define an amendment to the contract in response to the online chat option being selected; and

appending the amendment to contracting terms in a virtual contract object in response to acceptance of the amendment by the users.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising presenting an interface to at least the user that selected the online chat option for the user to enter information related to the online chat.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

allowing identification of the contract; and

allowing identification of the amendment to the contract.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising allowing the online chat to be defined as one of a binding amendment and a non-binding amendment.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising requiring an electronic signature from each of the users in response to the online chat being designated as defining a binding amendment.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising presenting an interface to each user to enter an electronic signature in response to the chat being designated as defining a binding amendment.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein appending the amendment to the contract terms comprises appending the recorded online chat to the contract terms in the contract object.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising presenting an interface to enter at least one of additional information and requirements to be associated with the amendment in response to the amendment being appended to the contract terms in the contract object.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein presenting the interface to enter at least one of additional information and requirements comprises presenting a field to enter a requirement for an additional bond to be paid by a contractee in association with the amendment.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

discontinuing to record the online chat in response to one of determining that the users have accepted the amendment and determining that the users have terminated the chat; and

deleting the recording of the online chat in response to the users terminating the chat without accepting the amendment.

11. A method for amending a contract in a virtual world, comprising:

providing an option for a contractor and a contractee to negotiate an amendment to a virtual world contract previously formed by the contractor and the contractee;

establishing an online communication link between the contractor and the contractee in response to selecting the option to negotiate the amendment to the virtual world contract;

capturing online communications between the contractor and the contractee to form the amendment to the virtual world contract; and

appending the captured online communications between the contractor and the contractee to contract terms in a contract object to form the amendment to the virtual world contract.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein providing the option for the contractee and the contractor to negotiate an amendment to the virtual world contract comprises presenting an interface to at least the contractee to select an online chat option in response to a contractor'"'"'s avatar and a contractee'"'"'s avatar coming within a predetermined proximity range of one another in the virtual world.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising providing an option to designate the amendment as being one of a binding amendment and a non-binding amendment.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising requiring an electronic signature from each user in response to the amendment being a binding amendment.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising presenting an interface to enter selected information related to the virtual world contract and the amendment to the contract.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein presenting the interface comprises:

presenting a field for entering an identification of the contract; and

presenting a field for entering an identification of the amendment to the contract.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising providing a mechanism for requiring and obtaining an amendment bond from the contractee before the contractor starts any work associated with the amendment.

18. A method for amending a contract in a virtual world, comprising:

providing an option for a contractor and a contractee to negotiate an amendment to a virtual world contract previously formed by the contractor and the contractee;

establishing an online chat between the contractor and the contractee in response to selecting the option to negotiate the amendment to the virtual world contract and in response to a contractor'"'"'s avatar and a contractee'"'"'s avatar coming within a predetermined proximity range of one another in the virtual world;

recording the online chat between the contractor and the contractee to form the amendment to the virtual world contract; and

appending the recorded online chat between the contractor and the contractee to contract terms in a contract object to form the amendment to the virtual world contract.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising allowing the online chat to be defined as one of a binding amendment and a non-binding amendment.

20. The method of claim 20, further comprising presenting an option for a bond to be associated with the amendment.