Patent ID: 7711798

Claim:
A computer-method, comprising: processing or storing information regarding a purchase or an acquisition of a first product or a first service by a user, wherein the information regarding the purchase or the acquisition is processed by or stored by a first processor associated with a first web site, and wherein the purchase or the acquisition of the first product or the first service is made in response to an offer associated with the first web site, and further wherein the purchase or the acquisition of the first product or the first service is performed by the user via a computer associated with or used by the user; placing a cookie on the computer, wherein the cookie is placed on the computer by the first web site or by the first processor, and further wherein the cookie contains information regarding the first web site and information indicating that the user has purchased or acquired the first product or the first service from or via the first web site; providing a uniform resource locator (URL) offering a second product or a second service, wherein the URL is provided by a second web site or by a second processor associated with the second web site, and further wherein the URL specifies a program on or associated with the second web site; receiving a signal indicative of an activation of the URL; reading or processing information contained in the cookie in response to the activation of the URL, wherein the information contained in the cookie is read or processed using the program; determining whether or not the user has previously purchased or acquired the first product or the first service and determining whether or not the user has previously purchased or acquired the second product or the second service; and redirecting the user from the second web site to the first web site if it is determined that the user has previously purchased or acquired the first product or the first service and providing an offer from the second web site to sell the second product or the second service to the user if it is determined that the user has not previously purchased or acquired the first product or the first service and that the user has not previously purchased or acquired the second product or the second service, wherein the first product is a same product as the second product or the first service is a same service as the second service.