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US 2002/0178082 A1Published application
Method and apparatus for generating and distributing creative works
OwnerThomas W. Krause, Philip R. Krauseinventors
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for promoting the creation and distribution of creative works. The invention provides a novel cooperative auction means collecting funds for payment for inducing a rightholder to donate rights in a piece of intellectual property to the public domain.
Claims20
A method for using a computer system to effectuate an action related to a cause comprising:
- a) identifying a cause;
- b) identifying an entity capable of performing an action related to the cause;
- c) identifying a price for the action;
- d) specifying, via a computer system, a deadline for receiving pledges earmarked for the cause;
- e) receiving, via a computer system, before the deadline, a plurality of pledges of value units earmarked for the cause;
- and
- f) providing consideration to the entity in exchange for performance of the action, where the consideration comprises value units pledged in step e.
4 more elements
A method of increasing the availability of creative works to the public comprising:
- a) providing a site on a computer network for providing access to creative works;
- b) inducing a rightholder, having a set of rights in a creative work, to relinquish a subset of his rights in a creative work;
- c) providing means for storing the creative work in a manner accessible to a user visiting the site;
- and
- d) providing access to the creative work to a user visiting said site.
2 more elements
A method for realizing value from an intellectual property right comprising:
- specifying a price for the right;
- specifying a duration for a cooperative auction;
- putting the work up for cooperative auction at said price and duration;
- receiving pledges;
- and
- if the aggregate value of the pledges exceeds the price, extinguishing the intellectual property right.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.