Title of Invention | "BUSINESS PRIVACY IN THE ELECTRONIC MARKETPLACE" |
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Abstract | A method for controlling an exchange of information between a first party and a second party includes receiving from the first party a set of one or more privacy preferences, indicating restrictions to be placed on use of specified items of the information to be disclosed by the first party, and receiving from the second party a description of a privacy policy, indicating undertakings by the second party with regard to restricting the use of the specified items of the information. The compatibility of the privacy preferences with the privacy policy is assessed. If the privacy preferences and the privacy policy are found to be incompatible, a negotiation is brokered with at least one of the first and the second parties so as to bring the privacy preferences and the privacy policy into mutual compatibility. The information is provided from the first party to the second party only when the privacy preferences and the privacy policy are found to be compatible. |
Full Text | A method for controlling an exchange of information between a first party and a second party includes receiving from the first party a set of one or more privacy preferences, indicating restrictions to be placed on use of specified items of the information to be disclosed by the first party, and receiving from the second party a description of a privacy policy, indicating undertakings by the second party with regard to restricting the use of the specified items of the information. The compatibility of the privacy preferences with the privacy policy is assessed. If the privacy preferences and the privacy policy are found to be incompatible, a negotiation is brokered with at least one of the first and the second parties so as to bring the privacy preferences and the privacy policy into mutual compatibility. The information is provided from the first party to the second party only when the privacy preferences and the privacy policy are found to be compatible. CLAIMS 1. A. method for controlling an exchange of information between a first party and a second party, comprising: receiving from the first party a set of one or more privacy preferences, indicating restrictions to be placed on use of specified items of the information to be disclosed by the first party; receiving from the second party a description of a privacy policy, indicating undertakings by the second party with regard to restricting the use of the specified items of the information; assessing compatibility of the privacy preferences with the privacy policy; if the privacy preferences and the privacy policy are found to be incompatible, brokering a negotiation with at least one of the first and the second parties so as to bring the privacy preferences and the privacy policy into mutual compatibility; and providing the information from the first party to the second party only when the privacy preferences and the privacy policy are found to be compatible. 2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the restrictions indicated by the set of privacy preferences comprise restrictions on disclosure of the specified items of the information to third parties. 3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the restrictions indicated by the set of privacy preferences comprise restrictions on analysis of the information. 4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the set of privacy preferences comprises a description of a condition subject to which the first party will permit one of the specified items to be used by the second party. 5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the first and second parties exchange the information via a computer network, and wherein receiving the privacy preferences and the privacy policy comprises receiving the preferences and the policy via the network. 6. A method according to claim 1, wherein the second party is one of a plurality of parties eligible to receive the information, and wherein assessing the compatibility of the privacy preferences comprises selecting the second party from among the plurality of eligible parties responsive to the compatibility of the privacy preferences with the privacy policy of the second party. 7. A method according to claim 1, wherein providing the information comprises conducting a transaction between the first and second parties based on the information. 8. A method according to claim 7, wherein the transaction is conducted in a sequence of stages, and wherein providing the information comprises providing different ones of the specified items at each of two or more different stages of the transaction, in a manner specified by the set of privacy preferences. 9. A method according to claim 1, wherein providing the information comprises passing the information through an intermediary, which receives the privacy preferences and the privacy policy and brokers the negotiation if the privacy preferences and the privacy policy are found to be incompatible. 10.^ A method according to claim 9, wherein the intermediary comprises an electronic marketplace, which is accessed by the first and second parties via a computer network. 11. A method according to claim 9, wherein assessing the compatibility of the privacy preferences with the privacy policy comprises establishing an intermediary privacy policy, responsive to the privacy preferences, subject to which the first party is to communicate with the intermediary, and assessing the compatibility of the intermediary privacy policy with the privacy policy of the second party. 12. A method according to claim 11, wherein providing the information comprises conveying the information via the intermediary, wherein a portion of the information is provided in an encrypted form, in accordance with the privacy preferences, for decryption only by the second party and not by the intermediary. 13. A method for electronic commerce, comprising: establishing a privacy policy restricting use of information to be revealed by a buyer to an electronic marketplace in connection with a transaction to be carried out by the buyer through the marketplace; subject to the privacy policy, receiving the information from the buyer, including a description of an item desired to be procured for the buyer; locating a seller in communication with the marketplace offering the item; receiving from the seller an undertaking to restrict the use of the information in accordance with the privacy policy; and providing the information to the seller, subject to the undertaking, responsive to which information the seller conveys the item to the buyer. 14. A method according to claim 13, wherein establishing the privacy policy comprises receiving from the buyer a set of one or more privacy preferences with regard to specified items of the information to be provided by the buyer, and determining the privacy policy so as to accord with the received preferences. 15. A method according to claim 14, wherein determining the privacy policy comprises assessing compatibility of the privacy preferences with policy guidelines of the marketplace and, if the privacy preferences and the policy guidelines are found to be incompatible, negotiating with the buyer so as to bring the privacy preferences into compatibility with the guidelines. 16. A method according to claim 14, wherein receiving the undertaking from the seller comprises receiving privacy proposals from multiple sellers in communication with the marketplace, and selecting at least one of the sellers whose privacy proposal accords with the buyer's privacy preferences. 17. A method according to claim 13, wherein the transaction is carried out in a sequence of stages, and wherein providing the information to the seller comprises disclosing different portions of the information at different stages of the transaction, in accordance with the privacy policy. 18. A method according to claim 13, wherein receiving the information comprises receiving a portion of the information in an encrypted form inaccessible to the marketplace, in accordance with the privacy policy, and wherein providing the information to the seller comprises providing the encrypted portion of the information to the seller, who is enabled to decrypt the information. 19. A method according to claim 13, wherein receiving the information comprises tracking and analyzing behavior of the buyer while the buyer is visiting the marketplace in order to derive purchase behavior data regarding the buyer, and comprising limiting use of the data in accordance with a restriction imposed by the privacy policy. 20. Apparatus for controlling an exchange of information between a first party and a second party, comprising an information exchange server to receive from the first party a set of one or more privacy preferences indicating restrictions to be placed on use of specified items of the information to be disclosed by the first party, to receive from the second party a description of a privacy policy, indicating undertakings by the second party with regard to restricting the use of the specified items of the information, and to assess compatibility of the privacy preferences with the privacy policy, such that if the privacy preferences and the privacy policy are found to be incompatible, the server brokers a negotiation with at least one of the first and the second parties so as to bring the privacy preferences and the privacy policy into mutual compatibility, and conveys the information from the first party to the second party only when the privacy preferences and the privacy policy are found to be compatible. 21. Apparatus for maintaining an electronic marketplace, comprising an electronic commerce server to establish a privacy policy restricting use of information to be revealed by a buyer to the server in connection with a transaction to be carried out by the buyer through the server and, subject to the privacy policy, to receive the information from the buyer, including a description of an item desired to be procured for the buyer, to locate a seller in communication with the marketplace offering the item, to receive from the seller an undertaking to restrict the use of the information in accordance with the privacy policy, and to provide the information to the seller, subject to the undertaking, responsive to which information the seller conveys the item to the buyer. 22. A system for controlling an exchange of information, comprising: a first computer, provided with a set of one or more privacy preferences, indicating restrictions to be placed on use of specified items of the information to be disclosed by the first party; a second computer, provided with a description of a privacy policy, indicating undertakings by the second party with regard to restricting the use of the specified items of the information; and an information exchange server, coupled to communicate with the first and second computers via a computer network, and to assess compatibility of the privacy preferences with the privacy policy, such that if the privacy preferences and the privacy policy are found to be incompatible, the server brokers a negotiation with at least one of the first and the second parties so as to bring the privacy preferences and the privacy policy into mutual compatibility, and further arranged to provide the information from the first party to the second party only when the privacy preferences and the privacy policy are found to be compatible. 23. A computer software product for controlling an exchange of information between a first party and a second party, the product comprising a computer-readable medium in which program instructions are stored, which instructions, when read by a computer, cause the computer to receive from the first party a set of one or more privacy preferences, indicating restrictions to be placed on use of specified items of the information to be disclosed by the first party, and to receive from the second party a description of a privacy policy, indicating undertakings by the second party with regard to restricting the use of the specified items of the information, and to assess compatibility of the privacy preferences with the privacy policy, and if the privacy preferences and the privacy policy are found to be incompatible, to broker a negotiation with at least one of the first and the second parties so as to bring the privacy preferences and the privacy policy into mutual compatibility, and to provide the information from the first party to the second party only when the privacy preferences and the privacy policy are found to be compatible. 24. A computer software product for electronic commerce, the product comprising a computer-readable medium in which program instructions are stored, which instructions, when read by a computer, cause the computer to establish a privacy policy restricting use of information to be revealed by a buyer to an electronic marketplace in connection with a transaction to be carried out by the buyer through the marketplace, and subject to the privacy policy, to receive the information from the buyer, including a description of an item desired to be procured from the buyer, and to locate a seller in communication with the marketplace offering the item, and to receive from the seller an undertaking to restrict the use of the information in accordance with the privacy policy, and to provide the information to the seller, subject to the undertaking, responsive to which information the seller conveys the item to the buyer. 25. A method for controlling an exchange of information between a first party and a second party substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings. 26. A method for electronic commerce substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings. 27. Apparatus for controlling an exchange of information between a first party and a second parts' substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings. 28. Apparatus for maintaining an electronic marketplace substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings. 29. A system for controlling an exchange of information substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings. 30. A computer software product for controlling an exchange of information between a first party and a second party substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings. 31. A computer software product for electronic commerce substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings. |
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in-pct-2002-00404-del-abstract.pdf
in-pct-2002-00404-del-claims.pdf
in-pct-2002-00404-del-correspondence-others.pdf
in-pct-2002-00404-del-correspondence-po.pdf
in-pct-2002-00404-del-description (complete).pdf
in-pct-2002-00404-del-drawings.pdf
in-pct-2002-00404-del-form-1.pdf
in-pct-2002-00404-del-form-19.pdf
in-pct-2002-00404-del-form-2.pdf
in-pct-2002-00404-del-form-3.pdf
in-pct-2002-00404-del-form-5.pdf
in-pct-2002-00404-del-pct-203.pdf
in-pct-2002-00404-del-pct-220.pdf
in-pct-2002-00404-del-pct-301.pdf
in-pct-2002-00404-del-pct-304.pdf
in-pct-2002-00404-del-pct-308.pdf
in-pct-2002-00404-del-petition-138.pdf
Patent Number | 197656 | ||||||||||||
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Indian Patent Application Number | IN/PCT/2002/00404/DEL | ||||||||||||
PG Journal Number | 40/2007 | ||||||||||||
Publication Date | 05-Oct-2007 | ||||||||||||
Grant Date | 28-Sep-2007 | ||||||||||||
Date of Filing | 17-Apr-2002 | ||||||||||||
Name of Patentee | INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION | ||||||||||||
Applicant Address | NEW ORCHARD ROAD, ARMONK, NEW YORK 10504, U.S.A. | ||||||||||||
Inventors:
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PCT International Classification Number | H04L 29/00 | ||||||||||||
PCT International Application Number | PCT/IB01/01577 | ||||||||||||
PCT International Filing date | 2001-08-30 | ||||||||||||
PCT Conventions:
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