Abstract: A method, system and computer program product for conducting an online auction of a plurality of heterogeneous items between a plurality of selling and potential purchasing parties. The method includes the steps of accepting an offer in respect of an item, accepting one or more subsequent offers that is/are preferable to a previously accepted offer, and rejecting the previously accepted offer. While the offer/s is/are binding on a party making the offer, acceptance of the offer/s is/are not binding on a party accepting the offer. Classes of “seller strategies”, for offering items to potential purchasing parties, and “buyer strategies”, to decide which offers to accept, are also disclosed. As a result of the interaction of the buyer and seller strategies, the auction mechanism converges to an allocation of items to buyers at particular prices and assists in discovering a free and fair competitive equilibrium price.

Abstract: Website management services are disclosed. The services include presenting, by a website management host computer, a web page to a client device. The web page includes options that are configurable by a user of the client device for selecting a provider entity from a list of provider entities. The provider entities provide subscription-based technical services to subscribers. The subscription-based technical services include a links checker configured to verify operability of web page links for a website owned by the user of the client device and a monitor service configured to monitor performance characteristics of the website. The services include receiving, from the client device, a subscription-based technical service and a corresponding provider entity. The provider entities are third-party entities with respect to the website management host computer.

Abstract: A method or system that receives a product definition that includes a feature family having data defining one or more product features. The product definition including one or more corresponding rules defining one or more relationships between one or more product features. The method or system receiving input selecting one or more feature families of interest. The method or system identifying the one or more rules that provide a relationship connecting the one or more feature families to the selected feature families of interest. The method or system converting the identified rules to one or more positive logic rule groups. The method or system generating one or more global representations of the product definition by interacting the one or more positive logic rule groups to produce a result that defines the relationship between the interacted positive logic rule groups and storing the results that are determined as being valid.

Abstract: A method or system that receives a product definition that includes a feature family having data defining one or more product features. The product definition including one or more corresponding rules defining one or more relationships between one or more product features. The method or system receiving input selecting one or more feature families of interest. The method or system identifying the one or more rules that provide a relationship connecting the one or more feature families to the selected feature families of interest. The method or system converting the identified rules to one or more positive logic rule groups. The method or system generating one or more global representations of the product definition by interacting the one or more positive logic rule groups to produce a result that defines the relationship between the interacted positive logic rule groups and storing the results that are determined as being valid.

Abstract: The present invention provides systems and methods for processing return transactions over a network. An embodiment of the invention discloses an online return application that generates an electronic return shipping label that can be delivered to a browser of a customer that wishes to make a return. Also, disclosed is the creation and transmission of label delivery links, which provide for dynamic generation and delivery of shipping labels.

Abstract: A system and a method for the resale of one or more forward-sold goods and/or services allows a transaction to be specified as one in which the goods or services may be resold by the purchaser until a time close to actual delivery. The merchant maintains control of the conditions of the resale. If a resale occurs, the merchant receives a commission. The account of the original purchaser is credited with the resale price minus the commission. The availability of goods for resale can be determined by searching a web site for such goods.

Abstract: A system and a method for determining at least one of availability and price of a product includes an electronic storage device having a database of merchant transactions stored therein; an access path for allowing access to information concerning the transactions, including when a given product has been sold and the price at which the product was sold, and a processor for assembling the information concerning at least one of sales of the given product and the price at which it was sold, to provide at least one of locations where the product is available, and the price at which the product was sold at the location or locations. A computer readable non-transitory storage medium stores instructions of a computer program which, when executed by a computer system, results in performance of steps of the method for determining at least one of availability and price of a product.

Abstract: A system and a method for determining whether a refund has been issued by at least one of multiple parties having potential responsibility for issuing a refund. Issuance of multiple refunds to a claimant or claimants, or chargebacks to acquirers when a refund has been issued is prevented. The system includes an electronic storage device that has a database of data concerning transactions, including data as to whether a refund has been issued, an access path that allows access to and supplementing of data concerning a transaction, and a processor for assembling the data concerning the transaction so that access is provided to the multiple parties granted selected access to the data.

Abstract: The social in line consumer interaction launch pad is a digital commerce service that integrates into digital social forums that allows users (e.g., consumers) to perform commerce functions within a social conversation (e.g., interaction) without leaving the social forums. The launch pad automatically determines whether the conversation is about a company, brand, product and/or service, and converts text entered during the conversation into a ‘hypertext link-mouse over-launch pad’ for users to view and respond to services related to the brand, product and/or service based context. The launch pad is implemented through alliances with social forum service providers and/or a web browser plug-in to tag input (e.g., free form text) within reviews, comments, and unstructured data, selectable to initiate an interaction and/or transaction with the company of the brand and/or product. The launch pad determines the content to provide based on context information and demographics of the author and/or recipient.

Abstract: A method for displaying product details on a consumer device includes: preparing digital media for display on the device; detecting whether the digital media includes at least one product available for purchase; receiving a plurality of product data sets, each set associated with a product identifier and product details for an available product, the product details including information to initiate a transaction for the product; identifying an index of products in the digital media, the index including for each product a display location and a product identification number; receiving an indication from a user identifying a selected product in the digital media based on a display location in the digital media of the product and/or selection from a listing of the product in the index; retrieving product details for the product based on the product identification number and the product identifier; and displaying the retrieved product details.

Abstract: A method and apparatus configure a network between users in a communication system. In a server, the method includes receiving user information from a terminal for purchasing contents, storing information on a purchaser for each of a plurality of contents, and configuring the network including users who purchase identical contents. Accordingly, the network can be automatically configured between user terminals on the basis of a contents purchase history of the user terminal in the communication system.

Abstract: A system and method for generating an electronic catalog for online computer users is disclosed. The system and method in an example embodiment include generating a tagged webpage template corresponding to a seller site; using the tagged webpage template to extract item information from the seller site; storing the extracted item information in a database of item listings; enabling selection of a plurality of item listings from at least some of the item listings provided in the database; enabling arrangement of the plurality of selected item listings on a plurality of pages in a computer-generated electronic catalog; recording an identifier of the computer-generated electronic catalog; and recording information associating each of the plurality of selected item listings with the identifier of the computer-generated electronic catalog.

Abstract: According to one aspect, embodiments of the invention provide a method for administering a virtual gift card, the method comprising acts of receiving a request from a server of a retailer, providing, in response to the request, an interface to a terminal operated by a purchaser, the interface comprising fields for receiving a value and a recipient for the virtual gift card, receiving from the terminal, in response to input from the purchaser, the value and the recipient for the virtual gift card, generating a code for the virtual gift card, and sending a message to the recipient of the virtual gift card, the message including the code for the virtual gift card.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus and systems for automatically calculating charitable donations for donors and for distributing the charitable donations in accordance with the donors' wishes to approved and/or registered recipients, such as approved charitable organizations. In some embodiments, the method includes receiving contributor information, recipient information and donation data during a predetermined period of time, and then aggregating the donations from a plurality of contributors into a plurality of recipient contribution amounts. The process also includes distributing, at the end of the predetermined period of time, the recipient contribution amounts to recipient financial institutions based on the contributor information, the recipient information and the donation data.

Abstract: Embodiments of methods and systems are provided that allow a user to upload inventories, view inventories in the proximity of the user, and/or facilitate transactions over a user device in a simple manner. In an embodiment, a method for transactions comprises loading, by a server at a remote location, an application on a user device of a user, wherein the application allows the user to upload an inventory comprising one or more items and/or services offered for sale by the user, as well as to view on the user device other inventory offered for sale by one or more other users as the user comes into proximity of the one or more other users, and wherein an inventory list maintained at the user device is constantly updated with the other inventory viewed by the user device. The method also comprises receiving, by the server at the remote location, transaction information associated with conducting a transaction in connection with the inventory list over the user device.

Abstract: A system may comprise: a web server for posting matters of clients for bidding by contingency professionals; a client matter engine for enabling a particular client to post a particular group of related matters and to select a particular contingency professional bidding on the particular group of matters to handle the particular group of matters; a professional bidding engine for enabling the particular contingency professional to review at least a portion of the posted matters and to bid on the particular group of matters; and a bidding exchange engine for enabling the particular client and the particular contingency professional to communicate without exchanging direct contact information.

Abstract: Information about desired songs is collected on a portable memory device in communication with a radio tuner. The radio tuner may receive signals from a terrestrial or satellite digital radio transmission, or from an analog radio transmission. These transmissions may include text data about the current song being played. Upon activation by a user, song data is stored on the memory device. The memory device is then connected to a computer system, which uses software to extract the song data and uniquely identify the song. The identified songs are stored on the computer system, and can be used to allow the user easy access to the identified song through prior art techniques. If no textual data is stored about a song, the song is identified by identifying the radio station that played the song and the time at which the user activated the mechanism.

Abstract: According to one aspect, embodiments of the invention provide a method for administering a virtual gift card, the method comprising acts of receiving a request from a server of a retailer, providing, in response to the request, an interface to a terminal operated by a purchaser, the interface comprising fields for receiving a value and a recipient for the virtual gift card, receiving from the terminal, in response to input from the purchaser, the value and the recipient for the virtual gift card, generating a code for the virtual gift card, and sending a message to the recipient of the virtual gift card, the message including the code for the virtual gift card.

Abstract: A method for providing a license to a user for accessing a protected content on a user device is provided, the method comprising: transmitting user authentication data from the user device to a user account server; transmitting user identification data from the user account server to a license server if the user authentication data corresponds to a valid user account on the user account server; checking in the license server, whether the user is entitled to the license; and transmitting the license from the license server to the user device, if the user identification data is validated and if the user is deemed entitled to the license. A corresponding system, a license server and a software module are provided as well.

Abstract: An internet-based system and method allows customers to remotely check-in to a wait list for a no-appointment first listed-first served business. A location associated with a customer is received and an interactive map displays multiple icons with each icon corresponding to a location of the business. A dynamically updated estimated wait time for the wait list at each business location is displayed. A customer selection of a location at which to receive a service from the business is received by a selection of the icon representing the business and the customer is added to the wait list at the location.