Administering equity incentive award program

Abstract

Provided are computer-based methods and apparatus for carrying out an incentive award program by a business entity, comprising the steps of participating in a transaction having at least two parties, determining at least one of these parties to be an award recipient, and providing as the incentive award an investment vehicle that comprises at least one issue of a sector of equity in the incentive award program itself, and wherein the business entity may be the owner or an authorized operator of the incentive award program.

1 . A computer-based method for carrying out an incentive award program by a business entity that owns the incentive award program or is an authorized operator having authority to carry out at least in part the incentive award program, comprising the steps of: 
 a. participating in a quantifiable transaction, the quantifiable transaction having at least two transacting parties,    b. determining at least one of the transacting parties to be a recipient of an incentive award offered by the business entity,    c. choosing as the incentive award an investment vehicle that comprises at least one issue of a sector of equity in the incentive award program,    d. providing the chosen incentive award to the recipient, and    e. carrying out steps a-d using at least one computer processor and at least one computer storage means.    
     
     
         2 . A computer-based method for carrying out an incentive award program by a business entity that owns the incentive award program or is an authorized operator having authority to carry out at least in part the incentive award program, comprising the steps of: 
 a. participating in a quantifiable transaction, the quantifiable transaction having at least two transacting parties,    b. determining at least one of the transacting parties to be a recipient of an incentive award offered by the business entity,    c. choosing as the incentive award an investment vehicle that comprises at least one issue of a sector of equity in the incentive award program, wherein said issue of a sector of equity is of shares of ownership in the incentive award program or a sector thereof,    d. providing the chosen incentive award to the recipient, and    e. carrying out steps a-d using at least one computer processor and at least one computer storage means.    
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  wherein said shares of ownership comprise shares of common stock, shares of preferred stock, shares of tracking stock, and warrants, said shares of ownership trading on at least one stock exchange or electronic trading site or by at least one private placement, said stock exchange or electronic trading site being at any geographical location globally.  
     
     
         4 . A computer-based method for carrying out an incentive award program by a business entity that owns the incentive award program or is an authorized operator having authority to carry out at least in part the incentive award program, comprising the steps of: 
 a. participating in a quantifiable transaction, the quantifiable transaction having at least two transacting parties,    b. determining at least one of the transacting parties to be a recipient of an incentive award offered by the business entity,    c. choosing as the incentive award an investment vehicle that comprises at least one issue of a sector of equity in the incentive award program,    d. providing the chosen incentive award to the recipient,    e. processing at least one part of the incentive award's operations by formulaic means, and    f. carrying out steps a-e using at least one computer processor and at least one computer storage means.    
     
     
         5 . A computer-based method for carrying out an incentive award program by a business entity that owns the incentive award program or is an authorized operator having authority to carry out at least in part the incentive award program, comprising the steps of: 
 a. participating in a quantifiable transaction, the quantifiable transaction having at least two transacting parties,    b. determining at least one of the transacting parties to be a recipient of an incentive award offered by the business entity,    c. choosing as the incentive award from a plurality of issues in a plurality of sectors of equity in the incentive award program an investment vehicle that comprises at least one issue of a sector of equity in the incentive award program,    d. providing the chosen incentive award to the recipient, and    e. carrying out steps a-d using at least one computer processor and at least one computer storage means.    
     
     
         6 . A computer based method for carrying out an incentive award program by a business entity that owns the incentive award program or is an authorized operator having authority to carry out at least in part the incentive award program, comprising the steps of: 
 a. participating in a quantifiable transaction, the quantifiable transaction having at least two transacting parties,    b. determining at least one of the transacting parties to be a recipient of an incentive award offered by the business entity,    c. choosing as the incentive award an investment vehicle that comprises at least one issue of dilutive instruments of ownership, comprising in its own value or that of any entity in which it has the authority to issue shares or other instruments of ownership, as traded on a stock exchange or by means of a private placement, further comprising electing to isolate its incentive program activity as part of its overall business, and establishing a publicly traded tracking company, shares of which are granted as awards,    d. providing the chosen incentive award to the recipient, and    e. carrying out steps a-d using at least one computer processor and at least one computer storage means.    
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 4  further comprising processing at least one part of the incentive award program's operations by formulaic means, comprising means for funding of the incentive awards of a single transaction from multiple sources and for awards therein to be made to more than one recipient, means for valuing the incentive award based upon a percentage of the value of the awarded transaction that is applicable during a predefined initial period of operation of the incentive award program and means for setting parameters by which the business entity assigns a value of the rewarded quantifiable transaction, and at least one parameter being indicative of geographical location related to the transaction; and at least one parameter being indicative of the selected date of the cashing-in award.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said issue of a sector of equity is shares of ownership in the award program operations in all market niches and in all geographic areas around the globe where the program is practiced.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said issue of a sector of equity is of shares of ownership in the value of an Internet portal web site that provides exclusive access to a web site of the incentive award program.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1  wherein, in providing the chosen incentive award to the recipient, fees received by the business entity from participants are not disbursed to establish recipient's investment account, rather investment account balances are enumerated in shares of equity.  
     
     
         11 . An apparatus for carrying out an incentive award program by a business entity that owns the incentive award program or is an authorized operator having authority to carry out at least in part the incentive award program, the apparatus comprising: 
 a. a computer memory storage device;    b. a computer processor connected to the storage device;    c. the storage device storing a program for controlling the processor,    d. and the processor operative with the program to perform the steps of: 
 i. participating in a quantifiable transaction, said transaction having at least two transacting parties,  
 ii. determining at least one of the transacting parties to be a recipient of an incentive award offered by the business entity, the investment award an investment vehicle that comprises at least one issue of a sector of equity in the incentive award program, and  
 iii. providing the chosen award to the recipient.  
   
     
     
         12 . An apparatus for carrying out an incentive award program by a business entity that owns the incentive award program or is an authorized operator having authority to carry out at least in part the incentive award program, the apparatus comprising: 
 a) a computer memory storage device;    b) a computer processor connected to the storage device;    c) the storage device storing a program for controlling the processor,    d) and the processor operative with the program to perform the steps of: 
 i. participating in a quantifiable transaction, said transaction having at least two transacting parties,  
 ii. determining at least one of the transacting parties to be a recipient of an incentive award offered by the business entity, choosing as the incentive award from a plurality of issues in a plurality of sectors of equity in the incentive award program an investment vehicle that comprises at least one issue of a sector of equity in the incentive award program, and  
 iii. providing the chosen award to the recipient.