G06Q 30/00 - Definition 
Definition statement
This subclass covers:
Data processing systems or processes specially adapted for the marketing, promoting, buying or selling of goods or services, billing models.
The following subjects are therefore covered, the list being non-exhaustive:
- on-line catalogues; advertising on web-pages;
- matching systems, both applicable to goods or persons;
- referrals from other web-sites, e.g. portals, to shops and fees associated therewith;
- marketing, e.g. marketing research, or promotion, e.g. based on coupons, purchase history, or purchases of competitive brands;
- loyalty programs like air-miles, saving for pension or education etc., insofar as they do not cover payment aspects;
- price determination, e.g. as a function of time of day, shelf life, weather etc. and electronic price labels;
- auctions and, in particular, on-line auctions, insofar as they do not cover payment aspects;
- systems to match buyers and sellers, e.g. group purchasing, collaborative buying;
- renting/leasing;
- collaborative browsing, where e.g. a sales representative pushes web pages to a prospect;
- billing or invoicing for bought goods, content or services: it concerns the preparation and sending of the bill, either by mail or on-line, including shipping costs, tax etc.
References relevant to classification in this subclass
This subclass does not cover:
Delivery of the goods bought in an electronic shopping environment, e.g. logistic | G06Q 10/08, G06Q 50/12 |
Electronic payment | G06Q 20/00 |
Electronic finance, e.g. buying, selling or trading of financial instruments like stocks, options or futures per se | G06Q 40/00 |
Billing or payment related to telephone services | H04M 15/00 |
Billing or payment related to wireless services | H04W 4/24 |
Informative references
Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:
Advertising in general | G09F |
Secure communication, e.g. by cryptography | H04L 9/00 |
Protocols for controlled communication | H04L 29/06 |
Special rules of classification
When classifying in groups G06Q 10/00-G06Q 40/00, systems or methods that are specially adapted for a specific business sector must also be classified in group G06Q 50/00, when the special adaptation is determined to be novel and non-obvious. By way of example, a method for billing which involves significant data processing and is specially adapted in a non-obvious way to the electricity-supply sector, should be classified in both G06Q 30/00 and G06Q 50/00.
Glossary of terms
In this subclass, the following terms or expressions are used with the meaning indicated:
| Electronic commerce or e-commerce | Any of buying, selling, marketing or servicing of products or services over computer networks |