I'm looking for specific information on sweepstakes and/or product
promotion campaigns. The general question relates to the idea of
placing a unique code in a product package or on a product label
which, directs the purchaser to a website where, the unique code is
entered and immediately informs the purchaser if they are an instant
winner.
Your answer will need to include the following elements to be
considered answered.
1. The reference, article, webpage, patent, etc. that you locate must
have been published prior to 2/24/1998.
2. The following patents are already known to us and should not be
included in your answer:
US 6173267 (and all patents it references), 5467269, 6278980, 5727693,
6061660, 6014635, 4817949, 4669730, 4815741, 6185541,6527175, 6454647,
6532448 and 6251017
3. A unique number or code or password must be included in a product
package or on a product label.
4. The purchaser is instructed to go to a specific webpage.
5. The purchaser enters the unique number or code or password into the
website and is informed immediately if they are an instant winner. (It
is possible that they may be directed to an 800 or 900 number but the
website version is preferred)
I welcome your questions, input and, hopefully, the correct reference.
Thank you. |
Request for Question Clarification by
pafalafa-ga
on
17 Oct 2003 16:36 PDT
I may have something of interest, but to tell you the truth, these
patents are so convoluted, it's hard to wade through it and be sure it
meets your needs.
Anyway, have a look at this one:
http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect2=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2Fsearch-bool.html&r=1&f=G&l=50&d=PALL&RefSrch=yes&Query=PN%2F5537314
United States Patent 5,537,314
Kanter July 16, 1996
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Referral recognition system for an incentive award program
7. The system of claim 1 wherein said individual program participants
do not need to carry more than one number to participate in varied
sponsoring company programs as their one number, when entered into the
entry device having a unique number stored in its memory, form a code
by way of an entry device software program, thus determining said
identifier, thereby allowing access to the appropriate storage areas
which may include separate sponsoring company rules.
Let me know how close or far off target this is. Thanks.
pafalafa-ga
|
Clarification of Question by
the_answers_are_here-ga
on
20 Oct 2003 10:09 PDT
Hello and thank you for the clarification request. Convoluted is an
understatement, I feel your pain. Re. the patent you reference, US
5,537,314, I can see why you point it out, although, it does not have
the key elements we are looking for. It appears that Kanter's process
utilizes a what might be called a loyalty card or account and the
purchaser is not required to call any number or go to a website to
enter a unique code, which is what we are looking for.
I think the answer will ultimately be found in the nonpatent
literature, i.e., an ad or article or promotion, or the like. Think
bottle cap with a special code or Cracker Jacks with a special code
you have to enter.
Hope this helped and thanks.
|
Request for Question Clarification by
bobbie7-ga
on
20 Oct 2003 10:46 PDT
Please take a look at the Yahoo’s Holiday Extravaganza.
This was a 1996 promotion .You could be an instant winner a password
had to be entered to verify eligibility for instant winners.
Here are a few excerpts:
“Enter by 12/19 to win a grand prize ski vacation to Aspen, CO or too
many smaller prizes to list. Enter only once per sponsor site.
There is also an opportunity to be an "instant winner" at most of the
sites.”
1.Entry: No Purchase/Online Entry Necessary. Limit one entry
per person per Yahoo! Holiday Sponsor section. All subsequent
entries will be disqualified. The Sweepstakes begins November 29,
1996 andends December 19, 1996.
“To enter online, complete an official entry form which is displayed
on the various sponsor pages located on the Yahoo.com web site. You
will be asked to provide your first and last name, address, telephone
number, date of birth, email address, and a password to verify
eligibility for instant winners. All online entries must be received
by 11:59PM ET on December 19, 1996.”
(..)
2. Instant winners will be randomly selected from all eligible online
and mail in entries that have specified in those particular Instant
Win drawings by an independent panel of judges.
Decisions are final. Winners will be notified via telephone and/or
U.S. mail.
Instant winners will be posted on the Holiday site and verified via
e-mail by submitting a correct password from original entry to verify
eligibility. Instant winners have one week to claim prizes and forfeit
all rights to prizes after given time period. Equal consideration
will be given to both on-line and mail-in Instant drawing entries.
Odds on winning depend on total number of on-line and mail-in
entries and number of prizes. Limit one entry per person and e-mail
address.”
You may read additional details at this link
http://groups.google.com/groups?q=instant+win+enter+code+1996&hl=es&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&selm=32AAF838.2A22%40ozsome.com&rnum=1
Would the above information be a suitable reference?
Thanks,
Bobbie7
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Clarification of Question by
the_answers_are_here-ga
on
20 Oct 2003 10:56 PDT
Hello and Thanks for the question.
I believe it is getting closer but still not a match for what we want.
Yahoo's holiday extravaganza seems to more of a traditional
sweepstakes/raffle and entering online is simply one way to enter.
Also, the purchaser is not notified immediately if they are an instant
winner.
If the entry form was on a bottle of coke and they then went to
Coke.com and entered a special code, and the website said, "You Won"
or "You Lost", that would be great!
Thanks again.
|
Request for Question Clarification by
pafalafa-ga
on
20 Oct 2003 13:32 PDT
Closest I'm coming (so far) are instant win "scratch off" contests
that began appearing in 1996, like this one, dated December 1996:
This innovative sweepstakes...features the latest Microsoft Internet
technology and shows off the unique capabilities of Internet Explorer
3. Players can win more than $ 1 million in prizes by "scratching off"
an online game piece to reveal an instant winner or match three of a
kind....
"The site really pushes the Internet technology envelope...We have
incorporated many of the latest features available through Internet
Explorer 3 including Active X controls, Java, Java scripting, Visual
Basic scripting and the latest extensions of HTML."
The sweepstakes is driven by a SQL database...that maintains
sweepstakes registration information, randomly selects from 10 million
game cards and keeps track of entries, winners and winner prize
selections.
--------------
Let me know if that's of use to you.
pafalafa-ga
|
Clarification of Question by
the_answers_are_here-ga
on
20 Oct 2003 13:51 PDT
Thanks again for the incredible effort. I've seen that reference, or
one like it, but it doesn't have that connection with a physical
product on the store shelf. No package insert or special label on the
box of Tide providing a code and directing the customer to the
website.
Believe me I know this is tough, that's why I posted on Google
Answers.
Thanks.
|
Request for Question Clarification by
pafalafa-ga
on
20 Oct 2003 17:34 PDT
Having struck out so far with a web search, I've turned back to
patents for another go.
I believe there may be patents for systems that fit most of your
criteria. The main stumbling block is the specific link to a product.
Even if this was precisely what the patent was intended for, they
still are deliberatley written to cover as much territory as possible
in order to encompass unanticipated future uses. The result...no
specific products (e.g. bottle caps, boxes of Tide) are mentioned.
Nevertheless, there may be useful information out there. Try this
one:
http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1&u=/netahtml/search-bool.html&r=1&f=G&l=50&co1=AND&d=ptxt&s1='remote+award'&OS=
Patent 5,915,244
Computerized incentive program with plateau pricing and remote award
redemption
"...the system includes a certificate component, which permits a
program participant to remotely redeem a certificate having a value at
least a portion of the award balance by identifying a serial number
unique to the certificate, upon conclusion of the incentive program."
The example of a process to "remotely redeem" that is given in the
patent is a telephone number to call. But it seems to my
non-patent-lawyer way of thinking that this term could also easily be
interpreted to include the internet as well.
Let me know if this fits the bill for you.
pafalafa-ga
|
Clarification of Question by
the_answers_are_here-ga
on
21 Oct 2003 05:09 PDT
The link with a product is a stumbling block. That is one of the key
elements in what we are looking for.
"...The main stumbling block is the specific link to a product.
Even if this was precisely what the patent was intended for, they
still are deliberatley written to cover as much territory as possible
in order to encompass unanticipated future uses. The result...no
specific products (e.g. bottle caps, boxes of Tide) are mentioned."
I understand how broad patents are typically written and I trust you
understand that I'm not looking for a patent or reference to mention
Tide or Coke. These are examples of the process. What we are looking
for is an insert into a product package or on a product label.
Again, I beleive the best references may exist in the nonpatent
literature.
Look forward to your questions and thank you for the effort.
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