System and Method to Facilitate and Support Electronic Communication of Request for Proposals

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 a two-level information database created by inputs supplied by posting users, comprising the steps of:
 (a) receiving and storing in the database a plurality of two-part descriptions each supplied by a user, each two-part description including a first-level element in the form of a basic description of each user's unmet need or unsolved problem, and a second-level element in the form of a detailed description of each user's unmet need or unsolved problem;   (b) permitting originators to access and select without restriction only the first-level elements of the stored two-part descriptions;   (c) providing selecting originators with an option to access and respond to the user's unmet need or unsolved problem by agreeing to a license agreement specifying the terms of use for at least the second-level element; and   (d) restricting other originators from selecting and responding to said unmet need or unsolved problem for the duration of the term specified in the license agreement.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said other originators are prevented from viewing or accessing both the first- and second-level elements of the two-part description. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said other originators are prevented from viewing or accessing only the second-level element of the two-part description. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the two-part description includes a non-confidential first-level element and a confidential second-level element.