Method and apparatus for managing ownership of virtual property

Abstract

A method and apparatus for managing ownership of virtual property accessible to users is provided by a computer-implemented system connected to a network. This method and apparatus further comprises maintaining an inventory of virtual properties, managing ownership of virtual properties, and allowing use of virtual properties by corresponding property owners within corresponding network spaces. In particular, virtual properties are purchased from a system by user computers, wherein virtual properties may be accessed by a user and/or sold or traded to other users which may include auction websites

1 . A method comprising:
 maintaining on one or more storage devices a software application that is configured for use by remote computing devices via networked communications with the one or more storage devices;   maintaining a data structure indicating one or more users that are owners of the software application;   receiving, by a computing system having one or more processors, a first request for access to the software application by a first user;   accessing, by the computing system, the data structure in order to determine if the first user is one of the one or more users that are owners of the software application; and   in response to determining that the first user is one of the one or more users that are owners of the software application, allowing the first user to access the software application.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the software application is not available for download. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving a software ownership transfer indication indicating that ownership of the software application should be transferred from the first user to a second user; and   in response to receiving the software ownership transfer indication, updating the data structure to indicate that the second user is one of the one or more users that are owners of the software application and that the first user is not one of the one or more owners of the software application so that the second user is allowed to access the software application via one or more networked connections and the first user is not allowed to access the software application.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the software application comprises a word processing software application. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the software application is accessed via a web browser. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the software application is only functional when the first user is in communication with the one or more storage devices. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising receiving a second software ownership transfer indication indicating that ownership of a second software application should be transferred from the second user to the first user such that the first user and the second user trade ownership in the software application and the second software application. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the software ownership transfer indication is transmitted to the computing system in response to verifying a payment from the second user to the first user for transfer of ownership of the software application to the second user. 
     
     
         9 . A computing system comprising:
 one or more storage devices storing a data structure indicating ownership of respective software applications;   a network interface configured to receive an ownership transfer indication indicating one or more software applications for which ownership is to be transferred from a transferring party to a receiving party; and   one or more processors configured to cause the computing system to access the ownership transfer indication and to update the data structure to indicate that the receiving party is an owner of the one or more software applications and that the transferring party is not the owner of the one or more software applications so that the receiving party is allowed to access the one or more software applications via one or more networked connections and the transferring party is not allowed to access the one or more software applications.   
     
     
         10 . The computing system of  claim 9 , wherein access to at least one of the one or more software applications comprises accessing features of the at least one of the one or more software applications via a web browser without downloading the at least one of the one or more software applications to a computing device on which the features are accessed. 
     
     
         11 . The computing system of  claim 9 , wherein the ownership transfer indication indicates that ownership of one of the one or more software applications has been sold from the transferring party to the receiving party. 
     
     
         12 . The computing system of  claim 9 , wherein the ownership transfer indication indicates that ownership of one of the one or more software applications has been traded in exchange for transfer of ownership of one or more other assets from the receiving party to the transferring party. 
     
     
         13 . The computing system of  claim 9 , wherein at least some of the one or more software applications are stored on another computing system and are accessible by entities based on respective ownership rights indicated in the data structure. 
     
     
         14 . A tangible computer readable medium having software instructions stored thereon that are readable by a computing system, wherein the software instructions are executable by the computing system in order to cause the computing system to perform operations comprising:
 maintaining on one or more storage devices a software application that is configured for use by remote computing devices via networked communications with the one or more storage devices;   maintaining a data structure indicating one or more users that are owners of the software application;   receiving a first request for access to the software application by a first user;   accessing the data structure in order to determine if the first user is one of the one or more users that are owners of the software application; and   in response to determining that the first user is one of the one or more users that are owners of the software application, allowing the first user to access the software application.   
     
     
         15 . The tangible computer readable medium of  claim 14 , wherein the software application is not available for download. 
     
     
         16 . The tangible computer readable medium of  claim 14 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 receiving a software ownership transfer indication indicating that ownership of the software application should be transferred from the first user to a second user; and   in response to receiving the software ownership transfer indication, updating the data structure to indicate that the second user is one of the one or more users that are owners of the software application and that the first user is not one of the one or more owners of the software application so that the second user is allowed to access the software application via one or more networked connections and the first user is not allowed to access the software application.   
     
     
         17 . The tangible computer readable medium of  claim 14 , wherein the software application comprises a word processing software application. 
     
     
         18 . The tangible computer readable medium of  claim 14 , wherein the software application is accessed via a web browser. 
     
     
         19 . The tangible computer readable medium of  claim 14 , wherein the software application is only functional when the first user is in communication with the one or more storage devices. 
     
     
         20 . The tangible computer readable medium of  claim 16 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 receiving a second software ownership transfer indication indicating that ownership of a second software application should be transferred from the second user to the first user such that the first user and the second user trade ownership in the software application and the second software application.