System and Apparatus for Facilitating Transactions Between Two or More Parties

Abstract

The present invention provides a system and apparatus for facilitating a transaction between two or more parties. A server computer is used to determine whether a contact information and an identity validation information of a second party are accurate. Whenever the contact information and the identity validation information of the second party are accurate, one or more documents are modified by attaching and identity validation from a first party and the identity validation from the second party to the one or more documents.

1 - 29 . (canceled) 
     
     
         30 . An apparatus for facilitating a transaction between two or more parties comprising:
 a network interface;   one or more data storage devices;   one or more processors communicably coupled to the network interface and the data storage devices; and   a non-transitory computer readable medium encoded with a computer program communicably coupled to the one or more processors to provide one or more electronic documents from a first party to the transaction, make the one or more documents accessible by a client communications device of a second party via a web page on a network, receive a contact information and an identity validation information for the second party via the network from the client communications device of the second party, determine whether the contact information and the identity validation information of a second party are accurate, and whenever the contact information and the identity validation information of the second party are accurate, modifying the one or more electronic documents by attaching an identity validation from the first party and the identity validation from the second party to the one or more electronic documents.   
     
     
         31 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 30 , wherein the one or more electronic documents contain one or more contractual terms and conditions and a contact information of the first party. 
     
     
         32 . The apparatus as recited in claim  2 , wherein all the one or more contractual terms and conditions have been agreed to by the first party and are locked against future changes. 
     
     
         33 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 30 , wherein the one or more processors further provide the modified one or more electronic documents to each party. 
     
     
         34 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 30 , wherein the one or more processors further make the one or more documents accessible by a client communications device of the second party via a web page on a network, wherein the client communications device comprises a computer, a workstation, a personal data assistant, an Internet-enabled phone or a wireless communications device. 
     
     
         35 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 30 , wherein the identity validation comprises an electronic signature. 
     
     
         36 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 30 , wherein the one or more processors further modify the one or more electronic documents by adding the contact information of the second party to the one or more electronic documents. 
     
     
         37 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 36 , wherein the one or more processors further transmit the modified one or more electronic documents to a client communications device of the second party via a network. 
     
     
         38 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 37 , wherein the one or more processors further receive an acceptance of the modified one or more electronic documents from the client communications device of the second party. 
     
     
         39 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 38 , wherein the one or more processors further provide the accepted one or more electronic documents to each party. 
     
     
         40 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 30 , wherein the transaction involves goods or services. 
     
     
         41 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 30 , wherein the transaction involves intellectual property comprising copyrightable material, ideas, patents, patent applications, trademarks, licenses or technology. 
     
     
         42 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 30 , wherein the one or more electronic documents are selected by the first party from a list of standard agreements made available to the first party. 
     
     
         43 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 30 , wherein the one or more electronic documents are stored in a user profile assigned to the first party. 
     
     
         44 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 30 , wherein the transaction involves a business opportunity in which the first party and the second party desire to enter into a binding relationship. 
     
     
         45 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 30 , wherein the one or more electronic documents contain two or more contractual terms and conditions and at least one of the contractual terms and conditions can be changed, chosen, modified or substituted as determined by the first party. 
     
     
         46 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 45 , wherein the first party determined changes, choices, modifications or substitutions comprise one or more opt in or opt out provisions. 
     
     
         47 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 45 , wherein all of the remaining contractual terms and conditions of the one or more electronic documents have been agreed to by the first party and are locked against future changes. 
     
     
         48 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 45 , wherein the one or more processors further track one or more changes, choices, modifications, substitutions or combinations thereof to the one or more electronic documents made by the second party. 
     
     
         49 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 48 , wherein the one or more processors track the one or more changes, choices, modifications, substitutions or combinations thereof to the one or more electronic documents made by the second party by:
 receiving one or more commands relating to a portion of the electronic documents from the second party, wherein the one or more commands include an acceptance of the portion of the one or more electronic documents, a change of the portion of the one or more electronic documents by the second party, a choice of the portion of the one or more electronic documents by the second party, a modification of the portion of the one or more electronic documents by the second party, or a substitution of the portion of the one or more electronic documents by the second party; and   displaying the acceptances, the changes, the choices, the modifications, the substitutions or the combinations thereof in a different visual format.   
     
     
         50 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 45 , wherein the one or more processors further modify the one or more electronic documents by making one or more changes, choices, modifications, substitutions or combinations thereof requested by the second party to the one or more electronic documents. 
     
     
         51 . An apparatus for facilitating a transaction between two or more parties comprising:
 a network interface;   one or more data storage devices;   one or more processors communicably coupled to the network interface and the data storage devices; and   a non-transitory computer readable medium encoded with a computer program communicably coupled to the one or more processors to provide one or more electronic documents from a first party to the transaction, wherein the one or more electronic documents contain one or more contractual terms and conditions that have been agreed to by the first party and a contact information of the first party, receive a contact information and an identity validation information for a second party, determine whether the contact information and the identity validation information of the second party are accurate, and whenever the contact information and the identity validation information of the second party are accurate, modifying the one or more electronic documents by attaching an identity validation from the first party and the identity validation from the second party to the one or more electronic documents, and make the one or more documents accessible to the second party.   
     
     
         52 . A system for facilitating a transaction between two or more parties comprising:
 a network;   one or more client communications devices communicably coupled to the network;   one or more server computers communicably coupled to the network, the one or more server computers comprising:   one or more data storage devices,   one or more processors communicably coupled to the data storage devices, and   a non-transitory computer readable medium encoded with a computer program communicably coupled to the one or more processors to provide one or more electronic documents from a first party to the transaction, make the one or more documents accessible by a client communications device of a second party via a web page on a network, receive a contact information and an identity validation information for the second party via the network from the client communications device of the second party, determine whether the contact information and the identity validation information of a second party are accurate, and whenever the contact information and the identity validation information of the second party are accurate, modifying the one or more electronic documents by attaching an identity validation from the first party and the identity validation from the second party to the one or more electronic documents.   
     
     
         53 . The system as recited in  claim 52 , wherein the one or more electronic documents contain one or more contractual terms and conditions and a contact information of the first party. 
     
     
         54 . The system as recited in  claim 53 , wherein all the one or more contractual terms and conditions have been agreed to by the first party and are locked against future changes. 
     
     
         55 . The system as recited in  claim 52 , wherein the one or more processors further provide the modified one or more electronic documents to each party. 
     
     
         56 . The system as recited in  claim 52 , wherein the one or more processors further make the one or more documents accessible by the client communications device of the second party via a web page on the network, wherein the client communications device comprises a computer, a workstation, a personal data assistant, an Internet-enabled phone or a wireless communications device. 
     
     
         57 . The system as recited in  claim 52 , wherein the identity validation comprises an electronic signature. 
     
     
         58 . The system as recited in  claim 52 , wherein the one or more processors further modify the one or more electronic documents by adding the contact information of the second party to the one or more electronic documents. 
     
     
         59 . The system as recited in  claim 52 , wherein the one or more processors further transmit the modified one or more electronic documents to the client communications device of the second party via the network. 
     
     
         60 . The system as recited in  claim 59 , wherein the one or more processors further receive an acceptance of the modified one or more electronic documents from the client communications device of the second party. 
     
     
         61 . The system as recited in  claim 60 , wherein the one or more processors further provide the accepted one or more electronic documents to each party. 
     
     
         62 . The system as recited in  claim 52 , wherein the transaction involves goods or services. 
     
     
         63 . The system as recited in  claim 52 , wherein the transaction involves intellectual property comprising copyrightable material, ideas, patents, patent applications, trademarks, licenses or technology. 
     
     
         64 . The system as recited in  claim 52 , wherein the one or more electronic documents are selected by the first party from a list of standard agreements made available to the first party. 
     
     
         65 . The system as recited in  claim 52 , wherein the one or more electronic documents are stored in a user profile assigned to the first party. 
     
     
         66 . The system as recited in  claim 52 , wherein the transaction involves a business opportunity in which the first party and the second party desire to enter into a binding relationship. 
     
     
         67 . The system as recited in  claim 52 , wherein the one or more electronic documents contain two or more contractual terms and conditions and at least one of the contractual terms and conditions can be changed, chosen, modified or substituted as determined by the first party. 
     
     
         68 . The system as recited in  claim 67 , wherein the first party determined changes, choices, modifications or substitutions comprise one or more opt in or opt out provisions. 
     
     
         69 . The system as recited in  claim 67 , wherein all of the remaining contractual terms and conditions of the one or more electronic documents have been agreed to by the first party and are locked against future changes. 
     
     
         70 . The system as recited in  claim 67 , wherein the one or more processors further track one or more changes, choices, modifications, substitutions or combinations thereof to the one or more electronic documents made by the second party. 
     
     
         71 . The system as recited in  claim 70 , wherein the one or more processors track the one or more changes, choices, modifications, substitutions or combinations thereof to the one or more electronic documents made by the second party by:
 receiving one or more commands relating to a portion of the electronic documents from the second party, wherein the one or more commands include an acceptance of the portion of the one or more electronic documents, a change of the portion of the one or more electronic documents by the second party, a choice of the portion of the one or more electronic documents by the second party, a modification of the portion of the one or more electronic documents by the second party, or a substitution of the portion of the one or more electronic documents by the second party; and   displaying the acceptances, the changes, the choices, the modifications, the substitutions or the combinations thereof in a different visual format.   
     
     
         72 . The system as recited in  claim 67 , wherein the one or more processors further modify the one or more electronic documents by making one or more changes, choices, modifications, substitutions or combinations thereof requested by the second party to the one or more electronic documents. 
     
     
         73 . A system for facilitating a transaction between two or more parties comprising:
 a network;   one or more client communications devices communicably coupled to the network;   one or more server computers communicably coupled to the network, the one or more server computers comprising:   one or more data storage devices,   
       one or more processors communicably coupled to the data storage devices, and
 a non-transitory computer readable medium encoded with a computer program communicably coupled to the one or more processors to provide one or more electronic documents from a first party to the transaction, wherein the one or more electronic documents contain one or more contractual terms and conditions that have been agreed to by the first party and a contact information of the first party, receive a contact information and an identity validation information for a second party, determine whether the contact information and the identity validation information of the second party are accurate, and whenever the contact information and the identity validation information of the second party are accurate, modifying the one or more electronic documents by attaching an identity validation from the first party and the identity validation from the second party to the one or more electronic documents, and make the one or more documents accessible to the second party.