System and method for distributed content electronic commerce

A system for use in an electronic commerce transaction conducted over a network, the system comprising:

• a common electronic commerce server coupled to the network, the electronic commerce server for providing electronic commerce transaction functionality for a plurality of merchants subscribing to the system, the transactional functionality including completing the transaction;
• and
• at least one merchant content server coupled to the network, the merchant content server for storing detailed merchant content related to at least one product for sale by the subscribing merchants, wherein the detailed merchant content is separate from the transaction functionality provided by the electronic commerce server.

A method for conducting an electronic commerce transaction between parties including one or more merchants offering products for sale and a purchaser using a network, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing content functionality by content servers coupled to the network, wherein content functionality provides detailed merchant content information about products being offered for sale by the one or more merchants to the purchaser;
• and
• providing transaction functionality by a commerce server coupled to the network, wherein includes completing the transaction is provided separate from the content functionality.

A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the steps of:

• providing content functionality by content servers coupled to a network, wherein content functionality provides detailed merchant content information about products being offered for sale by one or more merchants to a purchaser;
• and
• providing transaction functionality by a commerce server coupled to the network [for completing the electronic commerce transaction], wherein the transactional functionality which includes completing the transaction is provided separate from the content functionality.

An electronic commerce server system for carrying out electronic commerce between purchasers and merchants over a network comprising:

• at least one merchant content servers coupled to the network, wherein content server provides detailed merchant content information about products being offered for sale by the merchants to the purchasers;
• and
• a common commerce server coupled to the network to provide transactional functionality, wherein the transactional functionality which includes completing the electronic commerce transaction is provided separate from the content functionality.