1-Click
Encyclopedia
1-Click, also called one-click or one-click buying, is the technique of allowing customers to make online
purchases with a single click
, with the payment information needed to complete the purchase already entered by the user previously. More particularly, it allows an online shop
per using an internet marketplace to purchase an item without having to use shopping cart software
. Instead of manually inputting billing and shipping information for a purchase, a user can use one-click buying to use a predefined address and credit card
number to purchase one or more items.
(USPTO) issued for this technique to Amazon.com
in September 1999.
On May 12, 2006, the USPTO ordered a reexamination
of the "One-Click" patent, based on a request filed by Peter Calveley. Calveley cited as prior art
an earlier e-commerce patent and the Digicash electronic cash
system.
On October 9, 2007, the USPTO issued an office action
in the reexamination which confirmed the patentability of claims 6 to 10 of the patent. The patent examiner, however, rejected claims 1 to 5 and 11 to 26. In November 2007, Amazon responded by amending the broadest claims (1 and 11) to restrict them to a shopping cart model of commerce. They have also submitted several hundred references for the examiner to consider. In March 2010, the revised patent was confirmed.
In Europe, a patent application on the 1-Click ordering was filed with the European Patent Office
, but was never granted.
In Canada, the Federal Court of Canada held that the One click patent could not be rejected as a pure business method since it had a physical effect. The Court remanded the application to the Canadian patent office for a reexamination.
and iPhoto
.
offering a 1-Click ordering option called "Express Lane." After reviewing the evidence, a judge issued a preliminary injunction
ordering Barnes & Noble to stop offering Express Lane until the case was settled. Barnes & Noble had developed a way to design around
the patent by requiring shoppers to make a second click to confirm their purchase. The lawsuit was settled in 2002. The terms of the settlement, including whether or not Barnes & Noble took a license to the patent or paid any money to Amazon, were not disclosed.
In response to the lawsuit, the Free Software Foundation
urged a boycott of Amazon.com. The boycott was lifted in September 2002.
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
purchases with a single click
Point-and-click
Point-and-click is the action of a computer user moving a cursor to a certain location on a screen and then pressing a mouse button, usually the left button , or other pointing device...
, with the payment information needed to complete the purchase already entered by the user previously. More particularly, it allows an online shop
Online shop
Online shopping is the process whereby consumers directly buy goods or services from a seller in real-time, without an intermediary service, over the Internet. It is a form of electronic commerce...
per using an internet marketplace to purchase an item without having to use shopping cart software
Shopping cart software
Shopping cart software is software used in e-commerce to assist people making purchases online, analogous to the American English term 'shopping cart'...
. Instead of manually inputting billing and shipping information for a purchase, a user can use one-click buying to use a predefined address and credit card
Credit card
A credit card is a small plastic card issued to users as a system of payment. It allows its holder to buy goods and services based on the holder's promise to pay for these goods and services...
number to purchase one or more items.
Patent
The United States Patent and Trademark OfficeUnited States Patent and Trademark Office
The United States Patent and Trademark Office is an agency in the United States Department of Commerce that issues patents to inventors and businesses for their inventions, and trademark registration for product and intellectual property identification.The USPTO is based in Alexandria, Virginia,...
(USPTO) issued for this technique to Amazon.com
Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
in September 1999.
On May 12, 2006, the USPTO ordered a reexamination
Reexamination
In United States patent law, a reexamination is a process whereby a third party or inventor can have a patent reexamined by a patent examiner to verify that the subject matter it claims is patentable...
of the "One-Click" patent, based on a request filed by Peter Calveley. Calveley cited as prior art
Prior art
Prior art , in most systems of patent law, constitutes all information that has been made available to the public in any form before a given date that might be relevant to a patent's claims of originality...
an earlier e-commerce patent and the Digicash electronic cash
Electronic cash
Electronic cash is the debit card system of the German Central Credit Committee, the association which represents the top German financial interest groups. Usually paired with a checking account, cards with an Electronic Cash logo are only handed out by proper credit institutions...
system.
On October 9, 2007, the USPTO issued an office action
Office action
An office action is a document written by an examiner in a patent or trademark examination procedure and mailed to an applicant for a patent or trademark...
in the reexamination which confirmed the patentability of claims 6 to 10 of the patent. The patent examiner, however, rejected claims 1 to 5 and 11 to 26. In November 2007, Amazon responded by amending the broadest claims (1 and 11) to restrict them to a shopping cart model of commerce. They have also submitted several hundred references for the examiner to consider. In March 2010, the revised patent was confirmed.
In Europe, a patent application on the 1-Click ordering was filed with the European Patent Office
European Patent Office
The European Patent Office is one of the two organs of the European Patent Organisation , the other being the Administrative Council. The EPO acts as executive body for the Organisation while the Administrative Council acts as its supervisory body as well as, to a limited extent, its legislative...
, but was never granted.
In Canada, the Federal Court of Canada held that the One click patent could not be rejected as a pure business method since it had a physical effect. The Court remanded the application to the Canadian patent office for a reexamination.
Apple Inc.
Amazon.com in 2000 licensed 1-Click ordering to Apple Computer (now Apple Inc.) for use on its online store. Apple subsequently added 1-Click ordering to the iTunes StoreITunes Store
The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
and iPhoto
IPhoto
iPhoto is a digital photograph manipulation software application developed by Apple Inc. and released with every Macintosh personal computer as part of the iLife suite of digital life management applications...
.
Barnes & Noble
Amazon filed a patent infringement lawsuit in October 1999 in response to Barnes & NobleBarnes & Noble
Barnes & Noble, Inc. is the largest book retailer in the United States, operating mainly through its Barnes & Noble Booksellers chain of bookstores headquartered at 122 Fifth Avenue in the Flatiron District in Manhattan in New York City. Barnes & Noble also operated the chain of small B. Dalton...
offering a 1-Click ordering option called "Express Lane." After reviewing the evidence, a judge issued a preliminary injunction
Preliminary injunction
A preliminary injunction, in equity, is an injunction entered by a court prior to a final determination of the merits of a legal case, in order to restrain a party from going forward with a course of conduct or compelling a party to continue with a course of conduct until the case has been decided...
ordering Barnes & Noble to stop offering Express Lane until the case was settled. Barnes & Noble had developed a way to design around
Design around
In the field of patents, the phrase "to design around" means to invent an alternative to a patented invention that does not infringe the patent’s claims. The phrase can also refer to the invention itself....
the patent by requiring shoppers to make a second click to confirm their purchase. The lawsuit was settled in 2002. The terms of the settlement, including whether or not Barnes & Noble took a license to the patent or paid any money to Amazon, were not disclosed.
In response to the lawsuit, the Free Software Foundation
Free Software Foundation
The Free Software Foundation is a non-profit corporation founded by Richard Stallman on 4 October 1985 to support the free software movement, a copyleft-based movement which aims to promote the universal freedom to create, distribute and modify computer software...
urged a boycott of Amazon.com. The boycott was lifted in September 2002.