Patent ID: 8015069

Claim:
A method for obtaining, maintaining and controlling an exchange for tangible assets over a global computer network, the method comprising the steps of: introducing at least one secure central control manager computer system in secure electronic communication with remote computer systems over the global computer network; programming the central control manager computer system to initially identify, create and store one or more art assets; allowing the central control manager computer system to create and store one or more art asset pools based upon each art asset, the central control manager computer system characterizing and storing pool information corresponding to each pool created; adapting the central control manager computer system to identify, obtain and store one or more approximate appraisal values, authenticity data and appraisal-related data for each art asset within each art asset pool, and based upon the approximate appraisal values, allowing the central control manager computer system to calculate, store and display a dynamic art asset appraisal value; programming the central control manager computer system to generate recommendations relating to buying, selling or maintaining ownership interests in each art asset pool; for each art asset pool created, allowing the central control manager computer system to create a pre-defined number of ownership units, and allowing the central control manager computer system to create an initial ownership price per unit corresponding to asset appraisal values; programming the central control manager computer system to create, manage and coordinate ownership interests of each art asset pool created; adapting the central control manager computer system to create and transmit an initial price offering communication to one or more potential art investors over the global computer network at a pre-defined time, the initial price offering communication including a description of the art asset pool and the initial ownership price per unit; allowing the central control manager computer system to securely receive and transact orders from the potential art investors; programming the central control manager computer system to continuously and dynamically identify and store art asset pool values to determine whether the art asset pool value is increasing, decreasing or maintaining an approximately constant value; and allowing the central control manager computer system to switch ownership units amongst art asset pools based upon a pre-defined triggering threshold event.