This Amazon patent lists Jeff Bezos as an inventor and is directed towards network based user-to-user payment service. Mr. Bezos was awarded U.S. Patent 7356507 entitled “Network based user-to-user payment service” on April 8, 2008. The utility patent has been cited 44 times by other U.S. patents in the field of it methods for management and in other fields.

A network-based payment service provides various features for facilitating online, user-to-user payments. One feature involves the ability for users to define customized pay pages for receiving payments from other users. The pay pages are preferably hosted by a service provider site that handles the collection process, and may be created using pay page templates that specify the layouts and behaviors of the pay pages. In one embodiment, a pay page owner can also define one or more “pay boxes” to allow payments to be initiated from other web sites, which may include the web sites of associates who receive commissions on resulting payments. Another feature involves the ability for users to make single-action payments from web sites external to the service provider site. Also disclosed are various features for controlling access to content and services based on whether, or an extent to which, a visitor has made voluntary or mandatory payments. Link: U.S. Patent 7356507

Amazon filed this utility patent on August 13, 2001 giving it a processing time of 2430 days (compared to an average processing time of 2656 in the field). They have a total number of 158 patents. The first named inventor is Jeffrey P. Bezos of Seattle, WA. The patent was allowed by assistant examiner Jason Borlinghaus and primary examiner James A. Kramer.

Select Patents researches top it methods for management patents and electrical engineering patents which have been allowed and granted worldwide.  Click here for more information about filing a design patent. If you would like legal advice regarding a patent or would like to file a patent go to https://selectpatents.wpengine.com/contact/

Select Patents provides a variety of services. We want you to develop an effective and efficient patent protection strategy. These services include:

• Patentability Searches – Determine the patentability of your inventions.
• Freedom to Operate Searches & Opinions – Identify patents may give you potential infringement issues (including in the it methods for management field).
• Non-Infringement Opinions – Determine if your product infringes a competitor’s patent.
• Patent Invalidity Searches & Opinions – Find prior art to invalidate a competitor’s patent.
•  U.S. Provisional Patent Applications – Receive cost-effective “patent pending” status for your invention.
• U.S. Non-Provisional Patent Applications (Utility) – Apply for patent protection on the structural and functional aspects of your invention.
• U.S. Design Patent Applications – Apply for patent protection on the ornamental appearance of your invention.