Patent ID: 8239264

Claim:
An automated method of providing profiles of Internet-using entities, the method comprising: (a) with at least one computer server controlled by a proprietor operating a website, automatically sending, by URL redirection, a partial profile of an entity that uses a user computer coupled to the global computer network and accessing the website, which partial profile contains at least one profile attribute related to the entity, which URL redirection is from a portion of a page of the website that is accessed by the user computer; (b) wherein, as a result of the sending by URL redirection, the partial profile is electronically received by a programmed computer system coupled to a global computer network and controlled by an unaffiliated third party, which computer system is structured and programmed to automatically electronically: (i) store the received partial profile; (ii) add the received partial profile to a maintained profile believed to be related to the same entity, which maintained profile, including the added partial profile, comprises data used in targeting third-party advertisements to the user computer over the global computer network; (iii) generate and store an electronic record of which of a plurality of unaffiliated third parties including the proprietor contributed to the maintained profile particular profile attributes using the computer server or other computer servers operated by the unaffiliated third parties; and (iv) use the electronic record to create, in accordance with a predetermined arrangement, electronic data used to identify a payment amount due to the proprietor as a result of at least one of the profile attributes in the partial profile contributed by the proprietor being used in targeting the third-party advertisements to the entity's computer over the global computer network.