An astute reader found this at the bottom of a Quixtar (Amway) website:
“This site is protected by U.S. Patent 6,980,962”
Protected by a patent? A business scam like Amway, Quixtar, whatever it’s called this week? Surely the United States government is not giving patents on pyramid schemes and business opportunity schemes?
Yes, indeed. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office documents state:
Electronic commerce transactions within a marketing system that may contain a membership buying opportunityAbstract
The present invention is directed to a system and method for providing complete electronic commerce (“E-Commerce”) transactions and solutions for a marketing company’s products via the World Wide Web, including facilities for signing up new customers and recruiting, training and supporting new Independent Business Owners through an interactive online process. In another aspect, the present invention relates to the combination of a marketing business with a membership buying opportunity using both electronic commerce and face-to-face transactions. The present invention is also directed to a system and method for combining a marketing business with a membership buying opportunity, so that Independent Business Owners participating in the marketing plan can introduce customers to a membership buying opportunity and earn bonuses or commissions based on the purchases by those members, while Members in the buying opportunity can consume products or, at their option, qualify to become Independent Business Owners.
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Inventors: Arganbright; Daniel A. (Grand Rapids, MI), Bamborough; Dave (Kentwood, MI), Bancino; Randy S. (Rockford, MI), Blodgett; James G. (Kentwood, MI), Carlson; Bruce H. (Rockford, MI), Dangl; William (Grand Rapids, MI), Hazard; William (Grand Haven, MI), Horder-Koop; Robin (Ada, MI), Hunking; Jim (London, CA), Kamphuis; Aaron M. (Jenison, MI), Lang; Gregory J. (Grand Rapids, MI), Mahieu; Gary A. (Grand Rapids, MI), McCormick; Kathryn E. (Hastings, MI), McDonald; Kenneth J. (Ada, MI), Parker; John P. (Belmont, MI), Popp; Andrew J. (Rockford, MI), Savage; Kelly K. (Byron Center, MI), Visser; Steven R. (Grand Rapids, MI), Zevalkink; Claire (Grand Rapids, MI)
Assignee: Quixtar Investments, Inc. (Bingham Farms, MI)
Appl. No.: 09/515,860
Filed: February 29, 2000
So yes, indeed, our government is even allowing companies to patent these scams.
