Patent ID: 7783719

Claim:
A method of crediting an online publisher when a user uses the online publisher to access an online advertiser using a web browser, the online publisher displaying a tracked advertisement on the user's web browser, the tracked advertisement being identifiable by a publisher tracked advertisement identifier, the online advertiser being associated with an advertising network that is hosted on an advertising network server, with the online advertiser being identifiable by an advertising network identifier and an associated advertising network tracking integration code, the method comprising: receiving a request from the user to access the advertising network server associated with the online advertiser; directing the user to the advertising network server, either directly or through an intermediate relaying server; setting a tracking cookie on the user's web browser, the tracking cookie including the publisher tracked advertisement identifier and a timestamp; redirecting the user's web browser to a controlling server; setting a master cookie on the user's web browser, the master cookie including the advertising network identifier and a timestamp on the user's web browser; redirecting the user's web browser to the online advertiser; allowing the user to conclude a transaction with the online advertiser; launching a confirmation page comprising a master pixel tracking integration code, the master pixel tracking integration code comprising at least one variable for the concluded transaction; sending the master pixel tracking integration code to the controlling server; checking the user's web browser for a previously set master cookie; and if the master cookie is found, writing the transaction into the controlling server, crediting the advertising network specified in the master cookie, and triggering the display of the advertising network tracking integration code; wherein the master cookie is separate from the tracking cookie; and wherein the master cookie that is set on the user's web browser includes the publisher's tracked advertisement identifier.