The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jul. 23, 2013
Filed:
Dec. 20, 2007
Jeffrey P. Bezos, Seattle, WA (US);
Sheldon J. Kaphan, Seattle, WA (US);
Ellen L. Ratajak, Seattle, WA (US);
Thomas K. Schonhoff, Seattle, WA (US);
Jeffrey P. Bezos, Seattle, WA (US);
Sheldon J. Kaphan, Seattle, WA (US);
Ellen L. Ratajak, Seattle, WA (US);
Thomas K. Schonhoff, Seattle, WA (US);
Amazon.com, Inc., Seattle, WA (US);
Abstract
An Internet-based customer referral system enables individuals and other business entities ('associates') to market products sold on a merchant web site in return for commissions. Following registration, the associate sets up a web site (or other information dissemination system) to distribute hypertextual catalog documents that include marketing information (product reviews, recommendations, etc.) about selected products of the merchant. In association with each such product, the catalog document includes a hypertextual 'referral link' that allows a user/customer to access the merchant web site and purchase the product. When a customer selects a referral link, the customer's computer transmits unique IDs of the selected product and of the associate to the merchant's site, allowing the merchant to identify the product and the referring associate. If the customer subsequently purchases a product from the merchant's site, a commission is automatically credited to an account of the referring associate.