Manufacturer incentive system
OwnerBarry S. McAuliffe, David A. House +2inventors
InventorsBarry S. McAuliffe, David A. House, Benjamin J. Weisshaut, Jeffrey G. Ichnowski
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and apparatus is disclosed for tracking the buying and selling of a manufacturer's goods or products where the manufacturer may receive an incentive from the sale of the manufacturer's goods or products by other sellers. A manufacturer may have one or more incentive programs that may apply to goods sold or otherwise transferred. The method and apparatus may determine the incentive program that may apply and determine the incentive due the manufacturer.
Claims42
A computer-implemented method for the purchase and sale of products by purchasers and sellers, comprising:
- storing in computer storage information on a product for sale, the information including, an identification of the manufacturer of the product;
- determining the product was purchased;
- calculating by the computer a manufacturer incentive to the manufacturer of the purchased product;
- and
- paying the manufacturer incentive to the manufacturer if the manufacturer was not the seller of the product.
A computer-implemented method for enabling purchasers to buy products that are for sale, comprising:
- listing in computer storage products that are for sale;
- listing in computer storage the seller of the products;
- listing in computer storage the manufacturer of the products;
- purchasing at least one of the listed products;
- calculating by the computer a manufacturer incentive to the manufacturer of the purchased product;
- and
- paying the manufacturer incentive to the manufacturer if the manufacturer was not the seller of the product.
A computer system for tracking transactions of goods between parties that are not themselves the manufacturer of the goods and calculating incentives to be paid to the manufacturer based on those transactions.
A computer program, stored on a computer readable medium, that when read by a computer, causes the computer to:
- store in computer storage a listing of products that are for sale;
- store in computer storage an identification of the seller of the products;
- store in computer storage the manufacturer of the products;
- purchasing at least one of the listed products;
- calculating by the computer a manufacturer incentive to the manufacturer of the purchased product;
- and
- paying the manufacturer incentive to the manufacturer if the seller was not the manufacturer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.