Facilitating and Supporting Electronic Communication of Ideas

Abstract

A method and apparatus effectuates bilateral commerce in ideas. An originator and user-driven on-line commercial network system is designed to facilitate idea submission, purchase, and licensing, and is easily adapted to business-to-business transfers of innovation as well as consumer-to-business transfers of innovation. The invention allows originators of ideas to communicate nondisclosing synopses of ideas globally to potential users, for users conveniently to search for relevant ideas and for users potentially to bind an originator to a limited duration license granting user the exclusive right to access and consider confidentially the originator's fully disclosed idea. The invention also allows users to communicate confidentially or nonconfidentially unsolved problems or needs globally to potential originators, for originators conveniently to search for relevant unsolved problems or needs, and for originators to submit and communicate confidentially proposed solutions to the soliciting user.

The invention claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for using a computer to facilitate and control access to an information database created by inputs supplied by posting originators, comprising:
 (a) receiving and storing in the database a plurality of ideas;   (b) providing users with an option to access the stored ideas by agreeing to a license agreement which includes a confidentiality provision; and   (c) providing license accepting users with access to the stored ideas.   
     
     
         2 . A method for using a computer to facilitate and control access to an information database created by inputs supplied by posting originators, comprising:
 (a) receiving and storing in the database a plurality of ideas;   (b) providing users with an option to access the stored ideas by agreeing to an industry-specific, standardized license agreement; and   (c) providing license accepting users with access to the stored ideas.   
     
     
         3 . A method for using a computer to facilitate and control access to an information database created by inputs supplied by posting originators, comprising the steps of:
 (a) providing originators with an option to submit ideas to an identified user by agreeing to an user-specific submission agreement;   (b) receiving and storing in the database ideas submitted by originators pursuant to the terms of the submission agreement; and   (c) providing the user with an option to access the stored ideas pursuant to the terms of the submission agreement.   
     
     
         4 . A method for using a computer to facilitate and control access to an information database created by inputs supplied by posting originators, comprising:
 (a) receiving and storing in the database a plurality of ideas;   (b) providing users with an option to access all or a portion of the stored ideas;   (c) providing users with the further option to select for further consideration one or more of the stored ideas;   (d) providing selecting users with a limited period of time to consider and respond to the selected idea or ideas; and   (e) restricting other users from selecting and responding to said idea or said ideas during the exclusivity period.