Patent ID: 8452659

Claim:
A method performed by a consumer/product or service provider matching server for providing product or service providers with an ability to search for consumers having requirements in a particular subject matter area, comprising: establishing one or more profiles from one or more product or service providers, wherein the established product or service provider profiles are one of received and created; establishing one or more profiles from one or more consumers, wherein the established consumers profiles are one of received and created; receiving a request from one of a product provider and a service provider relating to the particular subject matter area; searching for consumers having requirements in the particular subject matter area in a geographic area of interest, the geographic area of interest being derived based on at least one of the consumer's subject matter request, network address, and the consumer's profile; providing the one of a product provider and service provider with at least one consumers' information not including contact information based on at least one of the consumer's profile, the subject matter request, and the derived geographic area; and providing the one of a product provider and a service provider with the at least one consumers' contact information based on payment of a fee for access to the consumer's contact information, the fee depending on general and specific criteria estimating the market value of the consumer's contact information and whether or not the one of a product provider and a service provider is permitted exclusive access to the consumer's contact information.