Web sales channel conflict resolution system

Data processing: financial – business practice – management – or co – Automated electrical financial or business practice or... – Electronic shopping

Reexamination Certificate

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Reexamination Certificate

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06263317

ABSTRACT:

CROSS-REFERENCE TO MICROFICHE APPENDIX
A portion of the present disclosure is contained on a microfiche appendix. The microfiche appendix includes sections labeled “Appendix A” and “Appendix B”. Appendices A and B, contain a listing of segments of a computer program and related data, according to an embodiment of the invention. These listings of computer program contain material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the present disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent files or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related generally to computer system and, particularly, to computer systems for selling goods over a computer network.
2. Related Art
Due to the increasing popularity of the Internet, e-commerce (i.e., the sale goods and services over the Internet) has become one of the fastest growing sectors of the economy. Typical systems used to support e-commerce employ websites to attract on-line customers. The around-the-clock accessibility of these websites, in addition to the ability to directly access a large number of products, affords customers of e-commerce websites a more convenient and less time consuming shopping experience.
However, when a customer places an order through a current e-commerce website, the order is directly filled by the owner of the website, which is typically a manufacturer or a distributor of the products sold through the website. This may be undesirable for both manufacturers and distributors of brand-name products, as it creates internal competition between the manufacturer and distributors at various levels in the distribution chain. As a result, manufacturers and mass distributors of a brand product may be prevented from taking advantage of the e-commerce marketplace to avoid undermining existing distribution agreements with downstream distributors and retailers.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a computer system and method of operation thereof that allow manufacturers and distributors of brand-name products to participate in the e-commerce marketplace without violating existing distribution channels and creating channel conflict. This is accomplished by providing a web based system where customers can place orders for brand-name products and then allocate orders to manufacturers, distributors and retailers according to distribution channel protocols defined by the manufacturer. This ensures that sales of brand-name goods and services via the Internet do not violate existing distribution agreements between the manufacturers and their respective distributors and retailers.


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