Patent ID: 8417616

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for establishing a contractual relationship between two parties based on a segregated contract unit, comprising: accepting a registration of a plurality of participation agreements on an electronic exchange; accepting on the electronic exchange from a first party of a first set of parties data characterizing an offer by the first party to form a first plurality of contract units according to a first participation agreement of the plurality of participation agreements in a first role associated with said agreement, each participation agreement specifying a plurality of roles for parties forming contractual relationships according to said agreement; accepting on the electronic exchange from a second party of a second set of parties data characterizing an offer by the second party to form a second plurality of contract units according to a first participation agreement of the plurality of participation agreements in a second role associated with said agreement; matching offers by parties to form contact units according to the first participating agreement in corresponding roles, including determining whether the data characterizing said offers by said parties represent compatible offers, including determining whether the offer by the first party is compatible with the offer by the second party; and upon matching compatible offers between parties in respective roles associated with the first participation agreement establishing direct contractual relationships between said parties, including establishing a contractual relationship between the first party and the second party that binds the said parties to execute a set of obligations according to terms specified in the first participation agreement.