Methods of facilitating merchant transactions using a computerized system including a set of titles

A system for facilitating a transaction between a first entity and a second entity, comprising:

• one or more data stores in a network, the one or more data stores storing a plurality of title objects corresponding to a plurality of entities including the first and second entities, each title object representing one or more rights that may be redeemed by presentation of the title object to a title-enabled process operating in the network, each title object being encoded with an updateable state configured to prevent duplicate redemption of the one or more rights represented by the title object, each title object also being encoded with one or more pointers to one or more resources in the network to which the one or more rights correspond;
• one or more of the computing devices operating in the network, at least one of the one or more computing devices being in communication with at least one of the one or more data stores, the one or more computing devices being configured to:
• transfer a selected one of the title objects from the first entity to the second entity to effect the transaction and to transfer ownership of the one or more rights represented by the selected title object from the first entity to the second entity, wherein transfer of the selected title object includes transfer of control of the selected title object from the first entity to the second entity;
• and
• in conjunction with transfer of the selected title object, update the updateable state encoded in the selected title object and update a corresponding externally stored state stored separately from the selected title object such that the updateable state encoded in the selected title object agrees with the externally stored state, thereby transferring ownership of the one or more rights represented by the selected title object from the first entity to the second entity and ensuring that only a single valid instance of the selected title object may be used to redeem the one or more rights.

A computer program product for facilitating a transaction between a first entity and a second entity, the computer program product comprising one or more computer-readable media having computer program instructions stored therein, the computer program instructions being configured such that, when executed by one or more computing devices, the computer program instructions cause the one or more computing devices to:

• manage a plurality of title objects corresponding to a plurality of entities including the first and second entities, each title object representing one or more rights that may be redeemed by presentation of the title object to a title-enabled process operating in a network, each title object being encoded with an updateable state configured to prevent duplicate redemption of the one or more rights represented by the title object, each title object also being encoded with one or more pointers to one or more resources in the network to which the one or more rights correspond;
• transfer a selected one of the title objects from the first entity to the second entity to effect the transaction and to transfer ownership of the one or more rights represented by the selected title object from the first entity to the second entity, wherein transfer of the selected title object includes transfer of control of the selected title object from the first entity to the second entity;
• and
• in conjunction with transfer of the selected title object, update the updateable state encoded in the selected title object and update a corresponding externally stored state stored separately from the selected title object such that the updateable state encoded in the selected title object agrees with the externally stored state, thereby transferring ownership of the one or more rights represented by the selected title object from the first entity to the second entity and ensuring that only a single valid instance of the selected title object may be used to redeem the one or more rights.