System and method for facilitating transactions between two or more parties

Abstract

The present invention provides a system and method for facilitating a transaction between two or more parties. Electronic documents are received from a party and are posted to the secured account such that each party can retrieve and modify the electronic documents. Changes are made to the electronic documents and all or part of the electronic documents are locked against future changes as they are agreed upon by the parties. Upon agreement, the electronically signed documents are provided to the parties. The present invention also provides a method for facilitating a proposed transaction between an originating party and a potential buying party using various levels of unrestricted and restricted descriptions of the proposed transaction tied to conditions of release. The requested restricted description is provided to the potential buying party whenever the potential buying party agrees to the one or more conditions of release for the requested restricted description.

1 - 29 . (canceled) 
     
     
         30 . A method for facilitating a transaction between two or more parties comprising the steps of:
 receiving one or more electronic documents and an identity validation at a server computer via a network from a client communications device of a first party to the transaction;   wherein all of the one or more electronic documents are locked against future changes, and the identity validation of the first party indicates that the first party has agreed to the one or more electronic documents;   receiving registration information at the server computer via the network from the client communications device of a second party to the transaction wherein the registration information comprises the identity validation of the second party;   posting the received documents such that the client communications device of the second party can access the posted electronic documents via the network;   providing the second party with access to the received electronic documents; and   whenever an acceptance of any of the one or more electronic documents is received by the server computer from the client communications device of the second party, attaching the identity validation from the first party and the second party to the accepted one or more electronic documents.   
     
     
         31 . The method as recited in  claim 30 , wherein the identity validation comprises an electronic signature. 
     
     
         32 . The method as recited in  claim 30 , wherein the identity validation information of the second party comprises a user name for the second party, a password for the second party and an electronic signature for the second party. 
     
     
         33 . The method as recited in  claim 30 , further comprising the step of assigning the transaction to an account that is accessible via the network. 
     
     
         34 . The method as recited in  claim 33 , wherein the account comprises a secured account and the second party is provided with a login information for the secured account. 
     
     
         35 . The method as recited in  claim 30 , further comprising the step of providing the accepted one or more electronic documents to each party. 
     
     
         36 . The method as recited in  claim 30 , wherein:
 the transaction involves goods or services; or   the transaction involves intellectual property comprising copyrightable material, ideas, patents, patent applications, trademarks, licenses or technology.   
     
     
         37 . The method as recited in  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. 
     
     
         38 . The method as recited in  claim 30 , wherein the one or more electronic documents are stored in a user profile assigned to the first party. 
     
     
         39 . The method as recited in  claim 30 , further comprising the step of providing a dialog session that is: (a) public to all the parties for recording comments relating to the one or more electronic documents, or (b) private between at least two of the parties for recording comments to the one or more electronic documents. 
     
     
         40 . The method 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; or   the client communications device comprises a computer, a workstation, a personal data assistant, an Internet-enabled phone or a wireless communications device.   
     
     
         41 . A method for facilitating a transaction between two or more parties comprising the steps of:
 receiving one or more electronic documents and an electronic signature at a server computer via a network from a client communications device of a first party to the transaction;   wherein all of the one or more electronic documents are locked against future changes, and the electronic signature of the first party indicates that the first party has agreed to the one or more electronic documents;   receiving an electronic signature of the second party at the server computer via the network from the client communications device of a second party to the transaction;   posting the received documents such that the client communications device of the second party can access the posted electronic documents via the network;   providing the second party with access to the received electronic documents; and   whenever an acceptance of any of the one or more electronic documents is received by the server computer from the client communications device of the second party, attaching the electronic signature from the first party and the second party to the accepted one or more electronic documents.   
     
     
         42 . The method as recited in  claim 41 , further comprising the step of:
 receiving a user name for the second party and a password for the second party; or   providing the second party with a login information for the posted electronic documents; or   providing the accepted one or more electronic documents to each party; or   providing a dialog session that is: (a) public to all the parties for recording comments relating to the one or more electronic documents, or (b) private between at least two of the parties for recording comments to the one or more electronic documents.   
     
     
         43 . The method as recited in  41 , 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; or   the one or more electronic documents are stored in a user profile assigned to the first party; or.   the client communications device comprises a computer, a workstation, a personal data assistant, an Internet-enabled phone or a wireless communications device.   
     
     
         44 . A method for facilitating a transaction between two or more parties comprising the steps of:
 receiving one or more electronic documents and an identity validation at a server computer via a network from a client communications device of a first party to the transaction;   wherein one or more portions of the one or more electronic documents can be changed, chosen, modified or substituted as determined by the first party, the remaining portions of the one or more electronic documents are locked against future changes, and the identity validation of the first party indicates that the first party has agreed to the one or more electronic documents including the first party determined changes, choices, modifications or substitutions;   receiving registration information at the server computer via the network from the client communications device of a second party to the transaction wherein the registration information comprises the identity validation of the second party;   assigning the transaction to an account that is accessible via the network;   posting the received documents to the account such that the client communications device of the second party can access the posted electronic documents via the network;   providing the second party with access to the received electronic documents;   tracking one or more changes, choices, modifications, substitutions or combinations thereof to the one or more electronic documents made by the second party; and   whenever an acceptance of any of the one or more electronic documents including any of the one or more changes, choices, modifications or combinations thereof is received by the server computer from the client communications device of the second party, attaching the identity validation from the first party and the second party to the accepted one or more electronic documents.   
     
     
         45 . The method as recited in  claim 44 , wherein the identity validation comprises an electronic signature. 
     
     
         46 . The method as recited in  claim 44 , wherein the account comprises a secured account and the second party is provided with a login information for the secured account. 
     
     
         47 . The method as recited in  claim 44 , wherein the identity validation information of the second party comprises a user name for the second party, a password for the second party and an electronic signature for the second party. 
     
     
         48 . The method as recited in  claim 44 , further comprising the step of providing the signed electronic documents to each party. 
     
     
         49 . The method as recited in  claim 44 , wherein:
 the transaction involves goods or services; or   the transaction involves intellectual property comprising copyrightable material, ideas, patents, patent applications, trademarks, licenses or technology.   
     
     
         50 . The method as recited in  claim 44 , 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; or   the one or more electronic documents are stored in a user profile assigned to the first party.   
     
     
         51 . The method as recited in  claim 44 , further comprising the step of providing a dialog session that is: (a) public to all the parties for recording comments relating to the one or more electronic documents, or (b) private between at least two of the parties for recording comments to the one or more electronic documents. 
     
     
         52 . The method as recited in  claim 44 , wherein the step of tracking the one or more changes, choices, modifications, substitutions or combinations thereof to the one or more electronic documents made by the second party comprises:
 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.   
     
     
         53 . The method as recited in  claim 52 , wherein the first party determined changes, choices, modifications or substitutions comprise one or more opt in or opt out provisions. 
     
     
         54 . The method as recited in  claim 44 , wherein:
 the transaction involves a business opportunity in which the first party and the second party desire to enter into a binding relationship; or   the client communications device comprises a computer, a workstation, a personal data assistant, an Internet-enabled phone or a wireless communications device.   
     
     
         55 . A method for facilitating a transaction between two or more parties comprising the steps of:
 receiving one or more electronic documents and an electronic signature at a server computer via a network from a client communications device of a first party to the transaction;   wherein one or more portions of the one or more electronic documents can be changed, chosen, modified or substituted as determined by the first party, the remaining portions of the one or more electronic documents are locked against future changes, and the identity validation of the first party indicates that the first party has agreed to the one or more electronic documents including the first party determined changes, choices, modifications or substitutions;   receiving an electronic signature of the second party at the server computer via the network from the client communications device of a second party to the transaction;   posting the received documents such that the client communications device of the second party can access the posted electronic documents via the network;   providing the second party with access to the received electronic documents;   tracking one or more changes, choices, modifications, substitutions or combinations thereof to the one or more electronic documents made by the second party; and   whenever an acceptance of any of the one or more electronic documents including any of the one or more changes, choices, modifications or combinations thereof is received by the server computer from the client communications device of the second party, attaching the electronic signature from the first party and the second party to the accepted one or more electronic documents.   
     
     
         56 . The method as recited in  claim 55 , further comprising the step of:
 receiving a user name for the second party and a password for the second party; or   providing the second party with a login information for the posted electronic documents; or   providing the accepted one or more electronic documents to each party; or   providing a dialog session that is: (a) public to all the parties for recording comments relating to the one or more electronic documents, or (b) private between at least two of the parties for recording comments to the one or more electronic documents.   
     
     
         57 . The method as recited in  55 , 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; or   the one or more electronic documents are stored in a user profile assigned to the first party; or.   the client communications device comprises a computer, a workstation, a personal data assistant, an Internet-enabled phone or a wireless communications device.   
     
     
         58 . The method as recited in  claim 55 , wherein the step of tracking the one or more changes, choices, modifications, substitutions or combinations thereof to the one or more electronic documents made by the second party comprises:
 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.   
     
     
         59 . The method as recited in  claim 58 , wherein the first party determined changes, choices, modifications or substitutions comprise one or more opt in or opt out provisions.