U.S. patent application number 13/736704 was filed with the patent office on 2013-05-16 for anti-counterfeiting system and method.
This patent application is currently assigned to NIKE, INC.. The applicant listed for this patent is NIKE, Inc.. Invention is credited to Kevin R. Brown, Virginia M. Hanks, Herbert C. Hedges.
Application Number | 20130124359 13/736704 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 42542595 |
Filed Date | 2013-05-16 |
United States Patent
Application |
20130124359 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Hedges; Herbert C. ; et
al. |
May 16, 2013 |
ANTI-COUNTERFEITING SYSTEM AND METHOD
Abstract
An online auction website has anti-counterfeiting measures. The
website requires a seller of an item to input information about the
product for sale, including at least a brand of the product and a
product identification code. If the brand code and product
identification code are not entered, the website does not allow the
seller to post the item for sale. If entered, the brand and the
product identification code are included in the listing on the
online auction webpage that advertises the product for sale during
the auction period. Verification may be performed on the item to
determine its authenticity. The verification process includes
comparing the listed brand and product identification codes with a
plurality of authentic brand and product identification codes. When
the brand and product identification codes are determined to be
counterfeit, the listing is terminated and the sale of counterfeit
items is prevented.
Inventors: |
Hedges; Herbert C.;
(Portland, OR) ; Brown; Kevin R.; (Tigard, OR)
; Hanks; Virginia M.; (Portland, OR) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
NIKE, Inc.; |
Portland |
OR |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
NIKE, INC.
Portland
OR
|
Family ID: |
42542595 |
Appl. No.: |
13/736704 |
Filed: |
January 8, 2013 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
12690857 |
Jan 20, 2010 |
8374920 |
|
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13736704 |
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61146259 |
Jan 21, 2009 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
705/26.3 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04L 9/32 20130101; G06Q
30/0185 20130101; G06Q 30/08 20130101; G06Q 30/0601 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
705/26.3 |
International
Class: |
G06Q 30/00 20060101
G06Q030/00; G06Q 30/08 20060101 G06Q030/08 |
Claims
1. An apparatus, comprising: a processor; and a memory having
stored therein machine executable instructions, that when executed,
cause the apparatus at least to: process a manufacturer and product
code indicated to be associated with an item for sale in an online
auction; compare the product code to a listing of product codes
associated with the manufacturer; determine that the item is
potentially counterfeit due to the product code not matching at
least one product code included in the listing of product codes;
and in response to the determining, permit a listing for the item
to identify the manufacturer as a producer of the item and to
remain on a website for the online auction even though the item is
potentially counterfeit, identify a second item that is associated
with a seller of the item, and track a sale or an attempted sale of
the item and a sale or an attempted sale of the second item via the
online auction website.
2. The apparatus recited in claim 1, wherein the memory having
stored therein machine executable instructions, that when executed,
cause the apparatus to query for entry of a product code
corresponding to a manufacturer of the item.
3. The apparatus recited in claim 1, wherein the memory having
stored therein machine executable instructions, that when executed,
cause the apparatus to identify the second item as potentially
being counterfeit.
4. The apparatus recited in claim 1, wherein the memory having
stored therein machine executable instructions, that when executed,
cause the apparatus to verify whether the product code matches a
format for authentic product codes for the manufacturer.
5. The apparatus recited in claim 1, wherein the memory having
stored therein machine executable instructions, that when executed,
cause the apparatus to verify whether at least one of a color,
style, year of manufacture, and material of the item corresponds to
at least one of a color, style, year of manufacture, and material
associated with the product code.
6. The apparatus recited in claim 5, wherein the memory having
stored therein machine executable instructions, that when executed,
cause the apparatus to verify whether the product code matches the
item in the listing.
7. The apparatus recited in claim 5, wherein the memory having
stored therein machine executable instructions, that when executed,
cause the apparatus to process information about the item, the
information including at least one of the manufacturer of the item
and a sub-brand of the item.
8. The apparatus recited in claim 7, wherein the memory having
stored therein machine executable instructions, that when executed,
cause the apparatus to compare the product code to known authentic
product codes for the manufacturer of the item and the
sub-brand.
9. The apparatus recited in claim 7, wherein the memory having
stored therein machine executable instructions, that when executed,
cause the apparatus to identify at least one characteristic of
products sold by the manufacturer and compare the at least one
characteristic with the item.
10. An apparatus, comprising: a processor; and a memory having
stored therein machine executable instructions, that when executed,
cause the apparatus at least to: query for entry of a product code
corresponding to a manufacturer of an item for sale in an online
auction; determine that the item is potentially counterfeit due to
the product code not being provided or not being authentic; and in
response to the determining, permit a listing for the item to
identify the manufacturer as a producer of the item and to remain
on a website for the online auction, identify a second item that is
associated with a seller of the item, and track a sale or an
attempted sale of the item and a sale or an attempted sale of the
second item via the online auction.
11. The apparatus recited in claim 10, wherein the apparatus
determines that the product code is not authentic if the product
code does not match a format for authentic product codes for the
manufacturer.
12. The apparatus recited in claim 11, wherein the apparatus
determines that the product code is not authentic by verifying that
at least one of a color, style, year of manufacture, and material
of the item does not correspond to at least one of a color, style,
year of manufacture, and material associated with the product
code.
13. The apparatus recited in claim 10, wherein the memory having
stored therein machine executable instructions, that when executed,
further cause the apparatus to present a query requiring inclusion
of the manufacturer in the listing.
14. The apparatus recited in claim 10, wherein the memory having
stored therein machine executable instructions, that when executed,
further cause the apparatus to place the listing on hold until the
product code for the item is provided.
15. The apparatus recited in 10, wherein the memory having stored
therein machine executable instructions, that when executed,
further cause the apparatus to compare the product code to
authentic product codes for the manufacturer.
16. The apparatus recited in claim 15, wherein the memory having
stored therein machine executable instructions, that when executed,
further cause the apparatus to verify whether the product code
matches the item in the listing.
17. A computer readable medium storing executable instructions,
that when executed, cause an apparatus at least to: process a
manufacturer and a product code indicated to be associated with an
item for sale in an online auction; compare the product code to
product codes associated with the manufacturer; determine that the
item is potentially counterfeit due to the product code not
matching at least one product code of the product codes associated
with the manufacturer; and in response to the determining, identify
the item as potentially being counterfeit, permit a listing for the
item to identify the manufacturer as a producer of the item and to
remain on a website for the online auction, identify a second item
that is associated with a seller of the item, and track a sale or
an attempted sale of the item and a sale or an attempted sale of
the second item via the online auction.
18. The computer readable medium recited in claim 17, wherein the
instructions, when executed, cause the apparatus to determine that
the product code is not authentic if the product code does not
match a format for authentic product codes for the
manufacturer.
19. The computer readable medium recited in claim 17, wherein the
instructions, when executed, cause the apparatus to determine that
the product code is not authentic by verifying that at least one of
a color, style, year of manufacture, and material of the item does
not correspond to at least one of a color, style, year of
manufacture, and material associated with the product code.
20. The computer readable medium recited in claim 17, wherein the
executable instructions, when executed, further cause the apparatus
to place the listing on hold until the product code for the item is
provided.
Description
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 12/690,857 filed Jan. 20, 2010 and claims the
benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/146,259,
filed on Jan. 21, 2009, which applications are incorporated by
reference and made a part hereof.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Aspects of the disclosure relate to online auction of items.
More specifically, aspects of the disclosure describe methods and
systems of combating sales of counterfeit items on an online
auction website.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Sellers of quality goods have long been plagued by the sale
of counterfeit goods. Counterfeit goods are an imitation of the
quality goods and are usually made with a malicious intent to
deceive buyers into believing that they are purchasing the quality
goods. Counterfeit goods benefit from the reputation of the quality
goods that they imitate. Counterfeit goods sellers oftentimes
manufacture the counterfeit goods from components of lower quality
than those components used to manufacture the quality goods. The
presence of counterfeiters continues to expand. Oftentimes, the
counterfeiters dedicate significant factory space to the
manufacture of counterfeit goods and can produce high volumes of
counterfeit goods in these factories. The counterfeiters sell their
counterfeit goods at a cost that is lower than (and sometimes
significantly lower than) the cost of the authentic goods. In this
way, the sale of counterfeit goods has become a very profitable,
albeit illegal, business.
[0004] Manufacturers of authentic goods must defend the integrity
of their quality goods. Many research and development resources are
invested by such manufacturers in developing and selling authentic
goods. One way to help maintain the integrity of these goods is to
help prevent counterfeiters from selling counterfeit goods. Some
consumers unknowingly purchase counterfeit goods believing that
they are authentic goods. The counterfeit sellers may lie to these
consumers and allege that the counterfeit goods are the authentic
goods. Some consumers purchase counterfeit goods (most often made
from lower quality materials and manufacturing processes than the
authentic goods) and mistake the counterfeit goods for the
authentic goods. Other consumers knowingly purchase counterfeit
goods. In any case, the reputation of the manufactures of authentic
goods suffers because their brand name (or other commercial
association with the authentic goods) becomes associated with lower
quality counterfeit goods. Brand names are used to identify the
source of the goods and are a very valuable marketing and business
tool for the authentic manufacturers. Sellers of authentic goods
lose profits when consumers knowingly or unknowingly purchase
counterfeit goods rather than the quality good.
[0005] Certain anti-counterfeit methods have been developed that
help to identify counterfeit goods during a sale. For example, the
quality goods may exhibit a distinguishing feature or mark that
clearly identifies its origin. The counterfeit goods may be
manufactured by a method that is different that the manufacturing
method employed to create the quality goods and thus has different
physical qualities in the final product. Oftentimes, the
manufacturers and/or sellers of quality goods place a
distinguishing code or other identifying mark upon the quality good
before it is available for sale. Such distinguishing codes and
marks help a seller of quality goods to identify the counterfeit
goods.
[0006] In recent years, many countries have developed bodies of law
that protect the rights of the manufacturers of quality goods. Such
laws declare that the manufacture and sale of counterfeit goods is
an illegal act of a civil and/or a criminal nature. The government
may reserve the right to force a seller and/or manufacturer of
counterfeit goods to cease the sale and manufacture of such goods
in that particular country. Many of these sellers and manufacturers
of counterfeit goods are physically located in another country and
may be difficult to find and thus difficult to bring into a
criminal or civil lawsuit. In view of this difficulty, sellers of
the quality goods may try to take action against the sellers of the
counterfeit goods at the point of sale of the counterfeit goods,
i.e., preventing the sale from occurring.
[0007] The relatively recent development of the Internet has
encouraged many consumers to buy and sell goods over the Internet.
Counterfeit goods sellers have also grown savvy in selling their
counterfeit goods over the Internet. Verifying the authenticity of
goods being purchased over the Internet is difficult until the
goods are inspected by the buyer, which is often too late to
resolve an authenticity problem. The seller has already been paid
by the buyer by the time the buyer receives the goods and the
seller can easily shield its true identity and/or otherwise avoid
being caught. Selling of counterfeit goods on the Internet is a
significant problem for sellers and manufacturers of authentic
goods. Many consumers are suspicious of Internet purchases for
these reasons. Any consumer who has experienced a scam in which the
consumer believed that they were purchasing an authentic product,
but received a counterfeit product may be discouraged from
purchasing any products over the Internet in the future. These
problems stifle sales of authentic products over the Internet.
[0008] One method of selling goods over the Internet is through
online auction websites. Such online auction websites provide
Internet users with access to various listings of items for sale,
typically in one location (at a central website). Consumers may
browse through the listings or "shop" at their leisure for items of
interest in this manner anywhere they can connect to the Internet.
Consumers can compare various items sold by many different sellers
and/or manufactured by one or more different sources. Consumers are
able to place bids on the items for purchase in an "auction" style
arrangement and/or may choose to purchase the items on the spot.
The auction may continue for a fixed or an indefinite period of
time.
[0009] Manufacturers and/or sellers of an item posted on an online
auction website may choose to or may be required to provide various
characteristics about any products sold on an online auction
website. Such characteristics may be included in the product
listing or advertisement for the item on the online auction
website. For example, a products' listing may be viewable through a
webpage hosted by an online auctioneer. In this example, consumers
are able to view the listings for various products that the
consumer is considering for purchase. The consumers may be able to
compare various products' listings and may be able to obtain some
characteristics about the products through the products' listings
before making a purchase.
[0010] In an attempt to prevent fraud or the sale of counterfeit
goods, some online auctioneers require sellers to sign agreements
that pledge that they will not engage in fraudulent or counterfeit
activities prior to being permitted to sell any items through the
online auction website. Many sellers that are willing to sell
counterfeit goods are willing to sign such agreements, but do not
obey the provisions of the user agreement regarding sale of
fraudulent and/or counterfeit goods. If and when a counterfeit item
is discovered on an online auctioneer's website, it may be removed
and the seller may be reprimanded or banned from using the auction
services. Significant efforts are necessary to monitor the listing
on the online auctioneer's websites for the sale of counterfeit
goods. Oftentimes, this monitoring process includes meticulous
analysis of the listings on an individual basis by a person (i.e.,
a person is tasked to check individual products' listings and
perform an analysis to determine whether the product is deemed
counterfeit or fraudulent). The monitoring process is
time-consuming, expensive, and subject to error.
[0011] Thus, while anti-counterfeiting measures according to the
prior art provide a number of advantageous features, they
nevertheless have certain limitations. Since many products are sold
over the Internet and many counterfeit goods are sold on online
auction websites, the art would greatly benefit from an
anti-counterfeiting system and method that can be used with online
auction websites that is capable of identifying counterfeit goods
faster and more accurately. The present invention seeks to provide
such a system to overcome certain limitations and drawbacks of the
prior art, and to provide new features not heretofore
available.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] A more complete understanding of the present invention and
certain advantages thereof may be acquired by referring to the
following description along with the accompanying drawings,
wherein:
[0013] FIG. 1 is a flowchart of a process for posting an item for
sale on an online auction website.
[0014] FIG. 2 is a flowchart of a process for creating a listing
for the sale of an item having a unique product identifier on an
online auction website.
[0015] FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a process of posting a listing of
the sale of an article of footwear on an online auction
website.
[0016] FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a process of receiving a request to
sell an article of footwear on an online auction website.
[0017] FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a process of identifying
counterfeit articles of footwear for sale on an online auction
website.
[0018] FIG. 6 illustrates a screenshot for creating a listing of an
article of footwear to be sold on an online auction website.
[0019] FIGS. 7A and 7B illustrate example labels for an article of
footwear for assisting a seller to locate the product
identification code.
[0020] FIG. 8 illustrates a screenshot of the listing of an article
of footwear for sale on an online auction website.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0021] In the following description of various example embodiments
of the invention, reference is made to the accompanying drawings,
which form a part hereof, and in which are shown by way of
illustration various example devices, systems, and environments in
which aspects of the invention may be practiced. Other specific
arrangements of parts, example devices, systems, and environments
may be utilized and structural and functional modifications may be
made without departing from the scope of the present invention.
GENERAL COMPUTING SYSTEM FOR AN ONLINE AUCTION WEBSITE
[0022] An online auction may operate over a computer network, such
as the Internet. An auctioneer may implement one or more servers
(e.g., web-based servers) for hosting auctions of items between
buyers and sellers. The auctioneer's server computer may permit a
seller to create a listing of an item for sale. It may also allow a
buyer to search among various posted listings for a particular item
and to place a bid to purchase an item in an auction-style sale.
The online auction website may also include a feature for
purchasing the product outright (i.e., a "buy it now" option).
Additionally, the auctioneers' server computers may facilitate an
exchange of payment for an item after the auction has been
completed. Both buyers and sellers may have user profiles that
include general personal and contact information, user preferences,
payment information, and the like. Any suitable information may be
stored on the computing system for access over the Internet by its
users (i.e., buyers, sellers, browsers, etc.).
[0023] Software may be stored on the auctioneer's computing system
that may facilitate a user's access to the online auction website
(i.e., through a web-based server). For example, a software program
stored on the auctioneer's computing system memory (or in any other
location) may comprise a set of instructions that cause the
computing system to query a user for information relating to the
user's profile, payment information, search terms for products
being sold, product listing criteria for creating a listing for
sale of an item, and the like. Such software may cause the
computing system to perform any aspect relating to the online
auction of items.
[0024] A general description of the computing system that may
facilitate an online auction is described herein, as examples of
one or more computing systems that may be used according to one or
more embodiments of the invention. The computing system is only one
example of a suitable computing environment and is not intended to
suggest any limitation as to the scope of use or functionality of
the invention. The computing system should not be interpreted as
having any dependency or requirement relating to any one or
combination of the illustrated components.
[0025] The invention is operational with numerous other general
purpose or special purpose computing system(s) or configurations.
Examples of well known computing systems, environments, and/or
configurations that may be suitable for use with the invention
include, but are not limited to, personal computers, server
computers, hand-held or laptop devices, multiprocessor systems,
microprocessor-based systems, set top boxes, programmable consumer
electronics, smart phones, network PCs, minicomputers, mainframe
computers, distributed computing environments that include any of
the above systems or devices, and the like.
[0026] The invention may be described in the general context of
computer-executable instructions, such as program modules, being
executed by a computer. Generally, program modules include
routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, etc. that
cause the computing system to perform particular tasks or implement
particular abstract data types. The invention may also be practiced
in distributed computing environments where tasks are performed by
remote processing devices that are linked through a communications
network. In a distributed computing environment, program modules
may be located in both local and remote computer storage media
including memory storage devices.
[0027] The computing system may include a computer having a
processor for controlling overall operation of the computer and its
associated components, including RAM, ROM, an input/output module
or BIOS, and a memory. The computer typically includes a variety of
computer readable media. The computer readable media may be any
available media that may be accessed by the computer. By way of
example, and not limitation, computer readable media may comprise
computer storage media and communication media.
[0028] Computer storage media may be stored in the memory and may
include information such as computer readable instructions, data
structures, program modules, or other data. Computer storage media
includes, but is not limited to, random access memory (RAM), read
only memory (ROM), electronically erasable programmable read only
memory (EEPROM), flash memory or other memory technology, CD-ROM,
digital versatile disks (DVDs) or other optical disk storage,
magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or other
magnetic storage devices, and any other medium that can be used to
store the desired information and that can be accessed by the
computer.
[0029] Communication media may embody computer readable
instructions, data structures, program modules, and/or other data
in a modulated data signal such as a carrier wave or other
transport mechanism. It may also include any information delivery
media. Modulated data signals are signals that have one or more of
its characteristics set or changed in such a manner as to encode
information in the signal and allow for the exchange of information
between users of the computing system, such as a buyer searching
for an item on an online auction website and a seller that is
posting a listing of an item for sale on an online auction website.
By way of example, and not limitation, communication media includes
wired media such as a wired network or direct-wired connection, and
wireless media such as acoustic, RF, infrared and other wireless
media. Combinations of any of the above should also be included
within the scope of computer readable media. Although not shown,
RAM may include one or more applications representing the
application data stored in RAM while the computer is on and
corresponding software applications (e.g., software tasks) are
being executed.
[0030] The input/output module or BIOS may include a microphone,
keypad, touch screen, and/or stylus through which a user of the
computer may provide input. The input/output module or BIOS may
also include one or more of a speaker for providing audio output
and a video display device for providing textual, audiovisual,
and/or graphical output.
[0031] Software may be stored within the computer system's memory
and may provide instructions to the processor for enabling the
computer system to perform various functions. For example, the
memory may store software used by the computer system, such as an
operating system, application software, middleware, hardware, or
firmware.
[0032] The computer system may operate in a networked environment
that supports connections to one or more remote computers. Remote
computers may be personal computers or servers that include some or
all of the elements described above in the description of the
computer system. The network connections between the computer
system and the remote computers may include a local area network
(LAN), a wide area network (WAN), and any other network connection.
The computer system is connected to the LAN through a network
interface or adapter. The computer system may be a server and may
include a modem or other means for establishing communications over
the WAN and for accessing web pages stored on the computing
system's web-based servers. For example, the remote computer may
connect to a WAN such as the Internet through a modem connection to
access the web pages of an online auction website. The network
connections may include any communications link between
computers.
[0033] The existence of any of various well-known protocols such as
TCP/IP, Ethernet, FTP, HTTP and the like is presumed, and the
system can be operated in a client-server configuration to permit a
user to retrieve web pages from a web-based server. Any of various
conventional web browsers can be used to display and manipulate
data on web pages.
[0034] Additionally, an application program may be used by the
computer system according to an embodiment of the invention. The
application program may include computer executable instructions
for invoking user functionality related to communication, such as
email, short message service (SMS), and voice input and speech
recognition applications.
[0035] The remote computers may also be mobile terminals including
various other components, such as a battery, speaker, and antennas.
The input/output module or BIOS may include a user interface
including such physical components as a voice interface, one or
more arrow keys, joystick, data glove, mouse, roller ball, touch
screen, keypads or the like.
[0036] Each of the plurality of remote computers may contain
software applications for creating a data file that is stored
locally on the remote computer's memory. The software may be a set
of detailed computer-executable instructions that allow a user to
create data files that include text, images, and the like. The data
files that may be stored on the remote computers may contain
multiple individual files of data that may be uploaded to the
computing system over the computer network. For example, a user
operating a remote computer may create or upload one or more images
of an item to be sold on an online auction website. Through the
remote computer, the user may access the web page of the online
auction by sending a request over the Internet to the web-based
server to view a web page that permits the user to upload
(electronically transfer the data file) the image of the item for
sale to a web page that includes a listing of the item. The listing
may become the webpage that other users may access during the
auction process to view the item that is for sale.
[0037] The computer system may include memory for storing
computer-readable instructions and a processor for executing the
computer-executable instructions. The computer-executable
instructions may be data in the form of program source code that
may be capable of modifying data. The computer-executable
instructions may be a series or sequence of instructions for a
computing device that is typically in the form of a programming
language such as C++, Java, SQL, or the like. Various computer
programming languages may be used to create the computer-executable
instructions, and the invention is not limited to the programming
languages listed above.
[0038] The memory may be a portion of the computer system that
stores data or other instructions. The memory may be retained or
lost when power is lost to the system. The memory may provide
access to data for a user or remote computers to edit and manage
data files.
[0039] The processor may be capable of executing the
computer-executable instructions stored in the memory of the
computer system. The processor may be a centralized element within
a computing system that is capable of performing computations and
instructing various computing components to function in a
particular manner. The computer-executable instructions may include
data describing changes to the data requested by one or more remote
computers over a computer network, such as the Internet.
[0040] Security precautions may be implemented to prevent
unauthorized access or to limit access to data, such as a user name
and password associated with a particular user profile. Any
desirable security precautions may be implemented.
[0041] Computer-executable instructions may be located (e.g.,
physically or logically) in modules in the memory. The computer
network may be any network that interconnects users and/or remote
computers. According to at least one aspect of the invention, the
computer network may provide shared access by two computing devices
to at least a portion of the data in the plurality of modules.
[0042] For example, a computer network, such as the Internet, may
provide access to the computing system of the online auctioneer to
a plurality of users. Such a configuration may permit users to buy
items, sell items, browse the website, upload data, and the like,
of the online auctioneer. The computer network may be public or
private and may be wired or wireless.
GENERAL ONLINE AUCTION ANTI-COUNTERFEITING METHODS AND SYSTEMS
[0043] An online auction website may be a host or "auctioneer" for
buyers and sellers (or generally "users") to bid on various
products and services over the Internet. A user may be any person
or entity that is capable of accessing the online auction website.
For example, a user may be a buyer, a seller, a browser, a
manufacturer, a monitoring service, or anyone or any computing
system that wishes to access the online auction's website. Sellers
may post a product listing that describes a product being offered
for sale, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. The listing may be an
advertisement that buyers or potential buyers may view. The buyers
may place bids on the items and when a winning bid is accepted by
the seller, the item is exchanged for the agreed upon price. This
transaction is facilitated by the online auctioneer's website. This
website provides users with the ability to create user profiles,
create web listings, conduct the auction of the item, search for
items, and facilitate the exchange of money. Any suitable service
may be provided by the online auctioneer.
[0044] As illustrated in FIG. 1, in order for a user to buy and/or
sell an item, an online auctioneer may require the user to create a
user profile 100. The user profile may include such user
information as the user's name, date of birth, physical address,
electronic mail address, telephone number, and the like. The user
may select a username and password that is to be associated with
the user's profile. The online auctioneer may request that the user
enter the username and password before the user is permitted to buy
and sell items through the online auction website (or any other
security precaution such as a security code or secret question).
Such user profile information may be stored in the memory of the
auctioneer's computing system. The user profile information may be
used to identify and contact the users.
[0045] Also illustrated in FIG. 1, a user may decide to sell an
item through the online auction website 102. Once the user has
decided to sell an item, the online auction website may require
that the user proceed through a plurality of steps that solicit
information from the seller about the item to be sold to create a
listing for the item 104, 200, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. For
example, the seller may be required to or optionally choose to
enter descriptive text about the item 202, upload photographs or
other images of the item 204, and enter the product's unique
identifier 206. In another example, the online auction website may
require that the user select a category that accurately describes
the type of item being sold. Each category may be associated with a
particular group of additional questions about the items. The
questions may be a request for information about the physical
characteristics of the item for sale. In some examples, the
category will generate a request for information about specific
characteristics of the item based on the chosen category. For
example, a user that wishes to sell an article of apparel may be
requested or required to enter information such as color, size, and
style. In another example, a user that wishes to sell a car may be
requested or required to enter information such as the make and
model and color of the car. Additionally, unique identifying
information may be requested or required by the auctioneer, such as
a product identification number for the article of apparel example
described above or the vehicle identification number for the car
example that is described above.
[0046] The information gathered by the auctioneer about the item
for sale may be used to create the listing for the item 104, 200,
which is illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. The listing of the item is
posted on the website of the online auctioneer as a webpage for the
buyers or other users to view 106. As illustrated in FIG. 2, if a
product's unique identifier is entered, the item listing may be
posted to the online auctioneer's website 208. The product's unique
identifier is required to appear in this listing 210. If the
product's unique identifier is not entered, the item listing is
prohibited from being posted to the online auctioneer's website 212
and thus is not available to be sold. The listing of the item
oftentimes includes an option to place a bid to purchase the item
or to buy the item immediately. When the seller agrees to a buyer's
offer to purchase the item, the online auctioneer may facilitate
the exchange of money between the buyer and the seller. The online
auctioneer may provide the buyers and sellers of online auctioned
items with the contact information of the other party to facilitate
the transaction.
[0047] As further shown in FIG. 1, an analysis of the listings of
the items for sale may be performed by any entity, person, or
computing system to verify the authenticity of the item 108. If the
item is verified to be an authentic item, no further action is
taken and the transaction proceeds to completion 110. Sometimes
items for sale in an online auction are identified as counterfeit
items or a may be identified as potentially counterfeit items 112.
When a counterfeit item is identified or an item is identified as a
potentially counterfeit item, the item listing may be removed from
the online auction website 114. The identity of the user that is
responsible for selling the counterfeit item also may be discovered
116. The auctioneer may identify the seller's identity and may
impose any suitable consequences for the seller's actions
(including doing nothing). The sellers of the counterfeit goods may
be tracked 118 and the history of the sale of a particular
counterfeit item also may be tracked 120. This tracking may be
performed by any entity, including, but not limited to the
auctioneer and/or the manufacturer and/or seller of the authentic
goods that are being damaged by the counterfeit goods. Third party
monitoring entities could also perform the tracking operation on
behalf of others.
[0048] For example, attempts to sell counterfeit items from a
particular designer may be popular (e.g., NIKE.RTM. footwear,
located in Beaverton, Oreg.) and the history of the sale of such
counterfeit goods may be tracked. Creating a history of the sale of
counterfeit items 118 and tracking the identities of the sellers of
the counterfeit items 120 helps to assist the auctioneer and the
manufacturer in discovering future listings that contain
counterfeit goods. The history of a user that attempts to sell
counterfeit items may also be documented. The historical
information compiled can include multiple categories of information
such as types of goods, overall quantities, quantities within a
given period of time, prices at which the goods are offered for
sale, and/or identities of buyers.
[0049] A resolution may be reached for the sale of the counterfeit
goods 122, as shown in FIG. 1. A resolution may include any one or
more of the following actions: removing the listing, holding the
listing, denying the seller future access to the online auction
website, pursuing legal action against the seller, and any other
suitable resolution. In some examples, the resolution will be to do
nothing in that particular instance and continue to track the sale
of counterfeit goods for that particular item and/or to track the
behavior of the seller of counterfeit goods. Such tracking and
monitoring will increase the likelihood that the seller will be
caught at a future time or that additional information may be
learned about a group of sellers or a particular type of
counterfeit goods.
[0050] When a listing is created for an item to be sold, the seller
may be asked or required to enter information about the item. For
example, an auctioneer may require that the seller enter
information for various fields associated with characteristics of
the item for sale. In some examples, the seller may enter
descriptive text about the item 202, be permitted to upload
photographs or other images of the item 204, and enter the
product's unique identifier 206, as illustrated in FIG. 2. The
product's unique identifier may be alphanumeric text or an image
that is unique only to the specific item or a group of items. Such
a product identifier may verify the authenticity of the item. Some
or all of a plurality of fields may be required by the auctioneer
before the listing is created and posted for the online
auction.
[0051] For example, an online auctioneer may require that a seller
enter the product's unique identifier before the listing is created
and posted to the online auction website, as shown in FIG. 2. In
this example, if the unique identifier is not entered, the listing
is not created and therefore, the item is not posted for sale 212.
Consequently, the user is prevented from selling the counterfeit
item through the online auction website. If the unique identifier
is entered, then the item is posted for sale in the online auction
208. In some examples, the product's unique identifier may appear
in the item's listing during the online auction 210. In other
examples, the product's unique identifier may be automatically
inserted into the listing in locations such as the title and the
description. A user viewing the listing may review and analyze the
product's unique identifier before placing a bid on the item or
purchasing the item. Further, the product's unique identifier may
be used to verify the authenticity of the item during the online
auction process.
[0052] The product's unique identifier may be authenticated. This
may include comparing the entered product identifier to one or more
valid product identifier's for the manufacturer of the item being
sold. For example, if Company A allegedly manufactures the product
being sold, then the unique product identifier input by the seller
would be compared to a listing of unique product identifiers
provided by Company A. Further, the format of the product
identifier may be authenticated. For example, Company A may use
unique product identifiers with eight alphanumeric digits. If the
seller of the counterfeit goods does not enter a unique product
identifier with eight alphanumeric digits, then the seller may be
identified as a potentially counterfeit product and may be
prevented from selling that item. The online auctioneer may provide
assistance to the sellers to locate the product's unique product
identifier.
[0053] In some examples, a list of authentic product code
identifiers is compiled. This task may be performed by any entity.
The entity may be the manufacturer, the online auctioneer, and/or a
third party. The entity may also be a computing device that tracks
authentic product identifiers. For example, the online auctioneer
may have a software program that tracks and stores data relating to
authentic product code identifiers for one or more manufacturers
and/or sellers. The entity may use this list to authenticate new
listing for products being sold. For example, an entity may view a
new listing that is required to provide the product code. The
entity may: (1) verify that the product code exists on the compiled
list of authenticate product codes; and (2) verify that the product
code matches the product being sold.
[0054] If the product code appearing on the listing appears to be
an authentic product code (i.e., it appears on the authentic
product code listing and/or is in the proper format for typical
product codes for that particular manufacturer), then the entity
may verify that the product code matches the product being sold.
For example, if an authentic product code is provided and that
product code matches a blue pair of shoes, then the entity will
verify that the product being sold on the online auctioneer's
website is a blue pair of shoes. In some examples, the listing on
the auction website will have an authentic product code, but the
listing will identify a product that does not match the authentic
code.
[0055] In the example described above, the listing may include the
authentic product code for the blue pair of shoes, but the listing
advertises a brown pair of sandals for sale. This matching process
may "match" any features of an authentic product code with the
product being sold, including but not limited to: color, materials,
year of manufacture, appearance, style, fit, etc. In another
example, the manufacturer of an item being sold by a seller on an
online auction website may have made articles of footwear under
product code A in black and blue. In this example, the product
listing may have for sale the article of footwear in white. When an
entity (e.g., the online auctioneer or manufacturer) analyzes a
listing to determine whether the product is authentic, the product
code will appear authentic, but the entity will discover that the
manufacturer did not manufacture articles of footwear in white
under the listed product code. As discussed above, any information
about the product, including but not limited to the product code,
may be used to identify counterfeit items and/or to authenticate
the product being sold.
FOOTWEAR EXAMPLE OF ONLINE AUCTION ANTI-COUNTERFEITING METHODS AND
SYSTEMS
[0056] FIGS. 3-8 illustrate an example system and method of
anti-counterfeiting for an online auction website. The item for
sale in these examples is an article of footwear. A seller may
decide to sell an article of footwear in an online auction 300, as
illustrated in FIG. 3. The auctioneer may require that the seller
select one or more categories that correspond to the item to be
sold in the online auction 302. In this example, the seller may
select footwear and/or athletic apparel as the category. To create
the listing for the article of footwear 304, the seller may be
required to enter a title for the listing 306, a size 308, width
310, style 312, color 314, and condition of the footwear 316. Any
other descriptive fields may be entered. Some of these description
characteristics may be required and others may be optional. In one
exemplary embodiment, the brand of the footwear 318 and the
footwear's product code 320 from the brand manufacturer may also be
entered by the seller during the creation of the listing.
[0057] As shown in FIG. 4, during this process, the auctioneer may
receive a request from a seller to sell an article of footwear 400.
The auctioneer may query the user for the product information
described above relating to the footwear that is being sold 402. In
some examples, the auctioneer may require that the seller enter the
brand of the footwear and/or the footwear's product code (unique
identifier) 406. The listing of the footwear may be posted with the
footwear's brand and product code 408. Sometimes, the brand and
product code of the footwear is automatically included in various
portions of the listing, as shown in FIG. 4. For example, the brand
and product code may be automatically inserted into the title
and/or description of the listing. In an exemplary embodiment, if
the user does not enter the brand code or the product code, the
system does not allow the user to finish creating a listing for the
item and therefore, the item is not posted for sale.
[0058] The listings that include the footwear's brand and product
code may be accessed by other users 500 (or a software
application). The term "users," as defined herein, may include
humans and/or computing devices. The term also may include software
applications. Any one or more users may perform any function on or
manipulate the listings, either automatically or manually. Another
user may search for the footwear by various characteristics of the
footwear. As illustrated in FIG. 5, a user may search the product
listings by category 502 to view all of the footwear that is
available for sale in the online auction. A user may also search
the product listings by the seller's name to view all items that
are being sold by a particular seller 504. A user may search the
product listings by brand 506 to view all of the items of a
particular brand that are being sold in the online auction. A user
also may search the product listings by product code 508 to view
all of the items for sale that have a particular product code. Any
suitable search criteria may be implemented, including but not
limited to color, size, style, images, shipping methods, payment
methods, and the like.
[0059] Some of the listings may be required to include the article
of footwear's brand and product code. An analysis of the
authenticity of the footwear may be performed by performing a
search for the footwear's brand and/or product code and determining
whether the footwear is authentic based on the information
contained in the listing. When the footwear description does not
match the brand and/or the product code, the footwear may be
identified as counterfeit footwear. In another example, if the
product code is either invalid (does not match a list of known
product codes for a manufacturer or brand) or the product code
provided by the seller does not match the item being sold, then the
footwear may be identified as a counterfeit item. Other data could
also be used to identify a mismatch of data indicating a
counterfeit item. This data could be used separately from, or in
conjunction with the brand code and product code. This information
is also used to help identify counterfeit footwear 510. The
attempted sale or the sale of the counterfeit footwear may be
resolved 512. The resolution may be in various forms, such as, but
not limited to, submitting a request to the auctioneer that the
listing is removed from the online auction. It is further
understood that if a mismatch occurs as described above, the system
may prompt the seller/user with additional information to be
entered that could be used to further identify the seller or
associated parties.
[0060] Various people and entities may be responsible for verifying
the authenticity of the footwear or other items that a seller
wishes to sell on the online auction's website. For example, the
auctioneer, the manufacturer of the item, a buyer, a monitoring
agency, the government, or any combination thereof may analyze a
listing to verify the authenticity of the item being sold. This
analysis may be performed by a human being or a computing system.
The human being may perform the verification process by manually
analyzing each listing or a selected group of listings. The
computing system may perform the verification process by
implementing software that identifies possible counterfeit items
based on the contents of the listings. The human and the computing
system may perform these methods either manually or automatically
and the criteria may be based on any characteristics of the
listing, including but not limited to the brand and the product
code of the item for sale. The computing system may also
automatically provide a report of the analysis that includes a
listing of the auctions containing counterfeit (and/or potentially
counterfeit/suspicious) items.
[0061] FIG. 6 illustrates an example screenshot of a webpage 600 in
which a seller may create a listing for selling an article of
footwear on an online auction website. In this example, the seller
has selected the category of "Men's Shoes" 602 as the category of
the item for sale. The seller may enter a title 604 for the listing
and may enter the size 606, width 608, style 610, and color 612 of
the article of footwear. In this example, the seller is required to
enter the brand of the article of footwear 614 and the product code
616 for the article of footwear.
[0062] In FIG. 6, the seller is creating a listing for grey
basketball shoes, in a size 9 medium width. The basketball shoes
are manufactured by the "XYZ Corp." and have a product code of
1234567890. The XYZ Corp. may be manually entered by the user or
may be selected by the user from a list of possible manufacturers.
Each manufacturer may have different product codes for its goods.
Therefore, the seller may be prompted to enter the product code
only after the brand of the footwear or other item has been
entered. In this example, the auctioneer provided the seller with
the option to seek help in identifying the product code for an
item. FIG. 6 illustrates an encircled question mark 618 that
provides a link to an example label containing a product code for
the XYZ Corp. The auctioneer may provide the seller with any form
of assistance to identify or locate the product code for an
item.
[0063] In some examples, the seller may choose a brand from a list
of available brands, such as in the form of a drop down menu
provided by the auctioneer. The list may include the most popular
brands available for the category of item that is being sold.
However, it is unlikely, although not impossible, to list every
brand of the item being sold. For example, thousands of
manufacturers may manufacture apparel and footwear, although only
ten may be the leading brands that are most frequently sold on the
online auction website. The drop down menu in this example may
include the names of the ten leading brands and an option to select
"other" as the brand. If the XYZ Corp. is selected as the
manufacturer of the article of footwear, then the seller will be
required to enter the product code before the listing will be
posted in the auction.
[0064] Some sellers may create a listing that includes a brand
described as "other" or may enter a sub-brand (i.e., a line of
products manufactured by the brand) within the brands available in
the drop down menu of the available brands. For example, if XYZ
Corp. manufactures a line of athletic shoes called "Basketball
Star," then the seller may choose to enter "other" or "Basketball
Star" in the brand field rather than XYZ Corp. in an attempt to
avoid the requirement to enter the product code for the article of
footwear. Such a listing may then be posted for online auction
without any reference to the brand or the product code associated
with the footwear. When such a listing is discovered, the
auctioneer may place the listing on hold until the seller enters
the necessary information. If and when the seller is able to
provide the necessary authenticating information, then the listing
may become active again in the online auction. Authenticating
information may include the proper brand name and product code, the
store receipt for purchase of the footwear, an image of the label
containing the product code, and/or any other authenticating
information. If the seller is unable to produce the authenticating
information, then the listing may be canceled or other consequences
enforced.
[0065] In another example, "Basketball Star" may be identified as a
line of athletic shoes sold by XYZ Corp. When the seller attempts
to enter "Basketball Star" to describe the item without including
the manufacturer's name, the listing may automatically require that
the seller enter the product code for the shoes before permitting
the listing to post on the online auction website. Manufacturers
may be able to identify their most popular or most commonly
purchased sub-brands of an item and provide this compilation to the
online auctioneer. Anytime a seller wished to seller an item and
described it with the sub-brand title, then the online auctioneer
would require that the seller provide the authentic product code
prior to permitting the seller to post the listing for sale on the
website. Identifying all sub-brands for every manufacturer of items
sold on an online auction website may impractical, although not
impossible. However, the online auction website could combat this
problem by requiring that a known brand is selected prior to
permitting the posting of a listing that includes a sub-brand
(e.g., if only a sub-brand is included in the listing, the online
auctioneer will not post the listing on the auction website, but
rather will require additional information from the seller prior to
posting the listing). In another example, the online auctioneer may
maintain a list of the most popular or most often counterfeited
sub-brands. When one of those sub-brands appears in a listing
without the corresponding manufacturer listed, then the online
auctioneer may require additional information from the seller, such
as the product code.
[0066] FIGS. 7A and 7B illustrate example labels for footwear that
may appear when the seller selects the encircled question mark
"help" button described in FIG. 6. Such labels may appear on all
authentic footwear that is manufactured by the XYZ Corp. The labels
may identify the possible locations in which the product code may
be found in order to provide assistance to sellers creating
listings of authentic items. For example, the product code may be
in the form of a style number that corresponds to the style of the
footwear and a color code that corresponding to the color of the
footwear. In FIG. 7A, the example style number is a 6-digit number
comprising "123456" 700 and the color code is a 3-digit number
comprising "789" 702. In FIG. 7B, the example style number is also
a 6-digit number comprising "123456" 704 and the color code is a
3-digit number comprising "789" 706. Additional information may be
included in the help function that may assist a user in identifying
the product code or any other authenticating feature or features of
the item to be sold.
[0067] FIG. 8 is a screenshot of the posted listing for the
footwear that is being sold in the online auction. The title and
the description of the listing include the brand, "XYZ Corp." and
the product code "1234567890." In this example, the brand and the
product code were automatically entered into the title and the
description of the listing upon creation of the listing. The seller
had no control over whether the brand and the product code were
included in the posted listing in the title and description. The
auctioneer required that the brand and product code were
automatically included in the title and the description. The
auctioneer's computing system may be programmed to require the
brand and product code before the listing may be created or posted
for sale.
[0068] FIG. 8 also identifies the seller of the footwear that is
for sale. The listing includes a section entitled, "Meet the
Seller," which identifies the seller responsible for posting the
listing and the feedback that the seller has earned. A buyer may
submit a review of the seller and/or may contact the seller via the
identifying information provided in this section of the listing.
This section of the listing also may be automatically included in
the listing by the auctioneer.
[0069] In some examples, the auctioneer or any other party/entity
may have access to a list of authentic product codes and may
compare the product code entered by the seller with the list of the
authentic product codes. If the product code is not found on the
list, then the listing is not created and the seller may not
proceed to post the item for sale in the online auction. An alert
may be sent to the manufacturer of the counterfeit item or the
information may be compiled and stored for use in the resolution
process.
[0070] In other examples, the manufacturer or a representative
thereof may search the online auction listings for counterfeit
items. This search may be based on any identifying information,
such as the images, the brand, the product code, the color, the
seller's reputation, or any other identifying information. In some
examples, the manufacturer may search by sub-brands or lines of
product (e.g., the "Basketball Star" line of product described
above). In these example systems and methods, the manufacturer may
search by brand to identify potential counterfeit items for sale
and by sub-brand to identify listings that do not follow the proper
procedure for creating a listing (i.e., the seller failed to enter
the brand and product code).
[0071] Once a listing or group of listings is found in a particular
search, the manufacturer may analyze each listing to determine
whether the items being sold are counterfeit items. For example,
the manufacturer may first verify that the product code is
authentic, e.g., that the entered code is a code actually used by
the manufacturer or that the code is indeed associated with the
particular kind of item being offered for sale. If the code is
authentic, further analysis of the listing may be performed, such
as verifying that the photographs or images of the footwear match
the style number (and/or the product code) for that article of
footwear. Additionally, the color code may also be matched to the
seller's image or photograph of the footwear and/or the descriptive
text of the color entered by the seller. Any method may be employed
by the manufacturer to verify the authenticity of the footwear or
other item for sale on the online auction website.
[0072] Sometimes, a seller may enter an invalid product code. In
the example where the monitoring for counterfeit goods is performed
by the manufacturer, the invalid product code may be documented.
The manufacturer has the ability to compare entered codes with
actual valid codes. The manufacturer may search for other listings
that include the invalid product code and/or the seller of the
counterfeit items and may quickly identify additional counterfeit
items for sale. The manufacturer may also be able to identify the
seller of the counterfeit goods and search by the seller's identity
for additional listings that this seller is posting in the online
auction that may have a risk of being counterfeit items. The
manufacturer can identify such listings to the auctioneer. The
auctioneer may terminate a listing if it includes counterfeit goods
and may also prohibit a seller from posting listings if the seller
is known to sell counterfeit goods.
[0073] Regardless of the source of the identification of the
counterfeit goods, such information may be used to assist in
resolving the sale or attempted sale of counterfeit goods, such as
footwear. The information may be used to track a seller's history
of selling counterfeit goods and identify the new invalid product
codes that are being used by the sellers of counterfeit goods. The
information also may be used to investigate the entity or person
that is manufacturing the counterfeit goods (the source of the
counterfeit goods). The information may be compiled by any entity
such as the auctioneer, the manufacturer, a third party, a
monitoring service, law enforcement, and the like.
[0074] In some examples, the online auctioneer would provide a list
of possible brands that a seller may enter to describe the item for
sale. A seller may intentionally or unknowingly select the option
of "other" to describe the brand of the footwear. When such a brand
is selected, the seller is not required to provide the product code
in the listing and thus a listing is created for online auction
that avoids the safeguard of providing the brand and the product
code to verify authenticity. When these listings are identified,
the auctioneer may place them "on hold." A listing that is placed
on hold is not available in the online auction and users are not
able to view it (the listing is no longer "posted").
[0075] For example, a manufacturer may search the listings on the
online website by a sub-brand sold by the manufacturer, such as the
"Basketball Star" example described above. The manufacturer may
find a listing for product(s) described with the brand "Basketball
Star." In this case, the listing does not include the brand and the
product code. The seller that created this example listing may have
inadvertently or intentionally avoided the step of entering the
proper brand and product code. In this case, the manufacturer may
wish to send a request to the online auctioneer to place the
listing on hold until the seller enters the brand and product code.
If the seller provides the online auctioneer with the brand and
product code or provides other satisfactory authenticating
information, then the listing will be posted. However, if the
seller is unable to provide the brand and product code or
satisfactory authenticating information, then the listing may be
removed from the online auction website.
[0076] The above-described process of identifying counterfeit goods
may be applied to the sale of any item that is offered through an
online auction website. Any product identifier or authenticating
data may be used to verify the authenticity or source of the item
being sold.
[0077] Aspects of the invention have been described in terms of
illustrative embodiments thereof. Numerous other embodiments,
modifications, and variations are within the scope and spirit of
the appended claims. For example, the steps illustrated in the
figures may be performed in other than the recited order, and that
one or more steps illustrated may be optional in accordance with
aspects of the disclosure. Of course, the methods and systems of
the above-referenced embodiments may also include other additional
elements, steps, computer-executable instructions, or
computer-readable data structures. In this regard, other
embodiments are disclosed herein that can be partially or wholly
implemented on a computer-readable medium, for example, by storing
computer-executable instructions or modules, or by utilizing
computer-readable data structures.
* * * * *