HK1175013A - Systems and methods for authorizing use of validly sold merchandise - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention is generally directed to a method of managing the activation and use of a specific merchandise, facilitated between at least a retailer that sells the specific merchandise, a customer that purchases the specific merchandise, and a central processor that authorizes activation and use of the specific merchandise. The method includes the steps of receiving an indicia that uniquely identifies the specific merchandise, and an activation code associated with the merchandise that will allow the merchandise to properly function, storing the indicia of the specific merchandise and the activation code, receiving a confirmation of a valid purchase transaction of the specific merchandise, the confirmation of valid sale comprising the indicia of the specific merchandise, determining the activation code associated with the specific merchandise, and providing the activation code associated with the specific merchandise to the customer.

Description

System and method for authorizing the use of legally sold goods

Technical Field

The present invention relates generally to the sale, authorization and use of various goods sold from a point of sale. Specifically, the present invention relates to: confirming that the goods are legitimately sold at the point of sale, and providing the buyer with the indicia (indicia) required to authorize the use of the goods.

This application is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety in U.S. patent application No.11/672,204 (which is now approved as U.S. patent No.7,437,328), filed on 7/2/2007, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application No.10/739,301 (which is now approved as U.S. patent No.7,328,190), filed on 19/12/2003.

Background

Merchandise theft is a typical problem in the retail industry. Various people, including employees of retailers, may steal merchandise. The losses suffered by the retailer due to theft must not be severe: in 2007, retailers lost approximately 150 billion dollars due to store theft. (see survey by Jackheyes International, Inc. 2008.) the U.S. Commission estimates: employee theft causes us companies to cost 200 to 400 billion dollars per year. Theft is therefore a serious problem for which a large number of solutions have been proposed.

The mainstream solution to prevent and deter theft involves preventing merchandise from leaving the retailer's building. These methods include: monitoring (i.e., closed-circuit cameras, security employees) and physical control (i.e., electronic tags, magnetic devices, and ink packs).

However, these methods suffer from at least two (2) disadvantages. First, neither monitoring nor physical control is tied to the point-of-sale terminal. In other words, both of these solutions still require trust that the employee observe or remove physical control only when the item is purchased. Furthermore, neither method prevents the use of the product once it has been stolen. In other words, once a thief bypasses the retailer's security system, the merchandise may be used as if it were obtained through a legitimate and legitimate route.

Furthermore, the only association between the security and sale of goods is an employee (often an untrusted association). Neither monitoring nor physical control prevents theft strategies such as "lost" inventory, low-charge at the point of sale, no charge for stolen products at the point of sale (if any product is to be charged), or improper removal from storage or shipment.

Second, the monitoring and physical control typically only restricts the use of the merchandise until it leaves the retailer's building. Although ink labels can theoretically prevent theft due to the risk of damage to stolen goods, clever thieves or dishonest employees can remove ink labels.

Therefore, a direct connection between the use and the legal sale of the goods is required. Means for preventing the unfair obtained goods from being used by dishonest employees or thieves are required.

Disclosure of Invention

Aspects of the present invention include a method of facilitating management of activation and use of a particular item between at least a retailer selling the particular item and a customer purchasing the particular item, and a central processor authorizing the activation and use of the particular item. The method comprises the following steps: receiving an indicia uniquely identifying the particular merchandise, and an activation code associated with the merchandise that will allow the merchandise to function properly; storing the indicia and activation code for the particular merchandise; receiving confirmation of a legitimate purchase transaction for the particular item, wherein the confirmation of a legitimate sale includes an indicia of the particular item; determining an activation code associated with the particular merchandise; and providing the activation code associated with the particular merchandise to the customer.

It should be understood that: the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention, as claimed. The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate certain embodiments of the invention and together with the detailed description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

Drawings

To assist in understanding the invention, reference will now be made to the drawings, in which like numerals represent like elements. The drawings are exemplary only, and should not be construed as limiting the invention.

FIG. 1A illustrates a system for authorizing validly sold goods for transaction between a manufacturer/provider of goods or services, a retailer, and a customer according to some embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 1B shows a flow diagram illustrating a method of authorizing a validly sold good for a transaction between a manufacturer/provider of goods or services, a retailer, and a customer, according to some embodiments of the invention.

Figure 2A illustrates a system for authorizing validly sold goods for transaction between a manufacturer/provider of goods or services, a central processor, a retailer, and a customer according to some embodiments of the invention.

Figure 2B shows a flow diagram illustrating a method of authorizing validly sold goods for transaction between a manufacturer/provider of goods or services, a central processor, a retailer, and a customer according to some embodiments of the invention.

Figure 3A illustrates a system for authorizing validly sold goods for transaction between a manufacturer/provider of goods or services, a central processor, a retailer, and a customer according to some embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 4 shows a flow chart illustrating a method of authorizing the use of an item from the perspective of a central processor according to some embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 5 shows a flow diagram illustrating a method of authorizing the use of merchandise from the perspective of a retailer in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 6 shows a flow chart illustrating a method of authorizing the use of merchandise from the perspective of a customer according to some embodiments of the invention.

Detailed Description

Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

The present invention relates generally to systems and methods for preventing unauthorized use of non-legally sold goods. In particular, the merchandise may be disabled until the correct authorization code is entered, which is provided to the customer only after confirmation of a legitimate purchase transaction.

Referring to FIG. 1, a system 10 according to some embodiments of the present invention will now be described. The system shown in fig. 1 utilizes a customer 100, a manufacturer/provider ("manufacturer/provider") 110 of goods or services, and a retailer 120.

The manufacturer/provider 110 may provide various goods or services to the retailer 120, including (but not limited to): electronic devices, household items, software, digital media, telecommunication services, television services, internet services, and the like. For ease of discussion, the merchandise sold by the manufacturer/provider may be referred to herein as a television. However, the merchandise may take any form, and may be merchandise with communication properties (e.g., mobile devices, televisions, computers, etc.), merchandise with a user interface (e.g., televisions, coffee machines, global positioning systems, etc.), and merchandise without a user interface but with a utility input (e.g., an electric oven with an on/off switch, timer, and temperature control).

The retailer 120 may be any type of retailer, such as a retailer operating a traditional brick-and-mortar store (such as walmart), a retailer operating an online retail service (such as www.Amazon.com), a retailer operating through a physical or digital directory (such as l.l.bean), or any combination of these. Further, a distributor distributing goods for resale may also be considered a retailer. In general, the term "retailer" is intended to refer to any party that sells or distributes goods to another party.

The customer 100 may be an individual, a company, an entity that plans to resell any goods or services obtained, or any combination thereof.

Referring to fig. 1B, a method according to some embodiments of the invention will now be described. At step S130, the customer 100 may offer an item to purchase at a retailer' S point of sale (POS). At step S140, a legitimate purchase of the item may be transacted at the POS. For a conventional brick and mortar store, the POS may be a checkout counter. For an online retailer, the POS may be the customer's computer. For a catalog order, the POS may be the customer's phone. In general, the retailer's POS may be any device or tool that facilitates a purchase transaction between a customer and the retailer that results in the transfer of the entitlement of the merchandise from the retailer to the customer.

At step S150, a confirmation of the legitimate purchase transaction may be sent to the manufacturer/provider, which may return the activation code at step S160. The activation code may be provided to the customer. Before the merchandise is used for the first time, the customer must enter an activation code (step S170). At step S180, the merchandise will be available for use when the activation code is received.

An example of this would be the purchase of television from a retailer. The manufacturer/provider may disable the television shipped to the retailer. Each television may be associated with a specific activation code that will be used to enable the television to function properly. The customer selects a television at the store and brings the television to the checkout counter. Once the customer has provided the appropriate price (including any applicable fees, taxes, surcharges, etc.), the point-of-sale device may communicate with the manufacturer/provider and notify the manufacturer/provider that the particular television has been sold in a legitimate purchase transaction.

The manufacturer/provider may then determine (with reference to a database or list of activation codes and a particular merchandise) the appropriate activation code and may provide the activation code to the customer. The activation code may be provided to the customer via the POS device (e.g., by printing the code on a receipt) or by any other means. For example, the activation code may be sent to the customer's mobile device, email, or even mailed to the customer's address via traditional delivery mail.

When attempting to use the television, the television may ask the customer to enter an activation code. Once the customer enters the activation code, the television will function properly. The customer may only have a set number of opportunities to enter the proper activation code before the television's functionality is locked, and may need to call the manufacturer/provider.

The inventors contemplate that there are various variations of this process. For example, a good that does not have communication properties may have an activation code pre-loaded into the good. The merchandise with the communication attribute may be disabled, but the merchandise may rely on validation using the manufacturer/provider's database and then allowed to be used. Further, the activation code may be numeric, alphanumeric, or other such code entered into the user interface of the merchandise. Alternatively, the activation code may be a series of commands or prompts. For example, if the item of merchandise is an oven, the activation code may be something that follows a downlink: turning the oven knob to bake to full black; the timer is turned to 12 minutes; setting the temperature to 300 ℃; power on ". Further, the activation code may be provided to the merchandise via a variety of methods, including: user input, connection (e.g., via a USB port) to a computer, RFID communication with an activation card provided at the POS, reading of a bar code or magnetic stripe, or insertion of a memory card or chip.

Referring to fig. 2, a system according to some embodiments of the invention will be discussed. The system 20 in fig. 2 shows a slightly modified process that includes a central processor 230 in addition to the customer 200, manufacturer/provider 210 and retailer 220. Central processor 230 may be an unrelated third party or may be a processor maintained by retailer 220 or manufacturer/provider 210. The central processor 230 may be used to process the activation code process by a separate entity or unit.

FIG. 2A illustrates a particular item 235 and its distribution channel 236, and illustrates a particular activation code 240 associated with the particular item 235 and a distribution channel 241 for the particular activation code. Note that fig. 2A shows the following system: in this system, the item 235 is associated with the activation code 240 at the manufacturer/provider 210. It is contemplated that the association may be created and maintained by any other party, such as central processor 230 or retailer 220. For example, when receiving an inventory of a large number of merchandise, the retailer 220 may assign a specific activation code required for use of each piece of merchandise. Alternatively, the manufacturer/provider 210 or retailer 220 may provide information identifying a particular item (e.g., a serial number or any other predetermined identifier) to the central processor 230, and the central processor 230 may assign an activation code to each particular item.

One of the relevant parts of the invention is the fact that: the activation code 240 will not be received by the customer 200 until after the legitimate purchase transaction is confirmed. In the example embodiment shown in FIG. 2A, the manufacturer/provider 210 may provide a specific merchandise 235 to the retailer 220 and an activation code 240 associated with the specific merchandise to the central processor 230. During a purchase transaction of a particular merchandise 235, the central processor 230 may provide the activation code 240 to the retailer 220, and the retailer 220 may in turn provide the activation code 240 to the customer 200. Likewise, the retailer 220 in this step may be omitted and the activation code 240 may be communicated from the central processor 230 directly to the customer 200, such as by communication to the customer's mobile device. At this point, the customer 200 has both the specific merchandise 235 and the activation code 240 needed to use the merchandise 235.

FIG. 2B illustrates a flow diagram of a method of activating an item of merchandise, according to some embodiments of the invention. In step S245, the use of the article is prevented. Such disabling of the merchandise may occur at the manufacturer/provider, retailer, or central processor. This step S245 may occur before the manufacturer/provider distributes the goods to the retailer (as shown in fig. 2B), or may occur at the retailer or central processor after such distribution.

At step S250, the manufacturer/provider may provide the retailer with a particular merchandise, and at step S255, the manufacturer/provider may provide the central processor with an activation code for the particular merchandise. At step S260, the customer may bring the particular item to the point of sale, and at step S265, a legitimate purchase transaction may be conducted. A legitimate purchase transaction is a transaction in which the customer pays the correct price for the goods. In such a purchase transaction, ownership of the goods is transferred to the customer in return for the correct price.

At step S270, confirmation of a legitimate purchase transaction is provided to the central processor. In response, the central processor may pass the activation code for the particular merchandise to the customer at step S275. This information may be delivered to the customer via the retailer or point of sale device (e.g., by printing the code on a receipt, or by storing the code in a machine-readable indicia), or may be delivered directly to the customer from the central processor (e.g., by communication with the customer's mobile device, email account, postal mail, etc.). Alternatively, the retailer may provide indicia of the activation code-e.g., a unique or semi-unique identifier. The customer may use the identifier to obtain the activation code (e.g., by entering the identifier into a particular website, interacting with an IVR system, or interacting with a customer service representative), or the identifier may include the activation code embedded therein (e.g., the activation code may be a number of digits embedded in a larger number, or may be a specific checksum, or a number obtained by applying a specific algorithm to the identifier, or may be mathematically determined using a predetermined identifier).

The customer is now ready to use the particular merchandise. Upon initial use of a particular merchandise, the customer may provide an activation code at step S280. As described above, the activation code may be provided to the article of merchandise in a variety of ways (non-limiting examples include via a user interface, various prompts, commands, controls, entry of a memory card, having the article of merchandise read machine-readable information, connecting to any type of computer or network, and so forth).

If the correct activation code is entered, the particular merchandise will be available for use at step S285. It is contemplated that the correct code may be confirmed in a number of ways. For example, a particular merchandise may be pre-loaded with a particular activation code. Alternatively, if a particular merchandise has communication capabilities, it may reach a remote database (maintained by either party, e.g., the manufacturer/provider, retailer, or central processor) to confirm receipt of the correct activation code.

If an incorrect activation is received, the particular item will remain disabled. It is contemplated that if an incorrect activation code is entered more than a certain number of times, the particular item may be permanently disabled until the customer contacts a party (e.g., a manufacturer/provider, retailer, or central processor) that disabled the particular item, and an override (over-ride) instruction may be received.

FIG. 3 illustrates a system 30 according to some embodiments of the inventions. Fig. 3 shows a system 30 similar to that of fig. 2A, except that: once the manufacturer/provider 305 sends the specific merchandise 320 to the retailer 310 and the activation code 330 to the central processor 315, no involvement of the manufacturer/provider 305 in the activation process is necessary. Instead, the activation code 330 follows a path 335 from the manufacturer/retailer 305 to the central processor 315; from the central processor 315 to the customer 300 through the retailer 310. The customer 300 then provides the activation code 330 to the specific merchandise itself 320 for activation and use. The particular item 320 may follow a path 325 from the manufacturer/provider 305 to the retailer 310 to the customer 300.

Likewise, variations on the particular systems and methods illustrated in example FIG. 3 are contemplated. The merchandise may be disabled at any point during its progression along the chain of commerce. The activation code may be predetermined by the manufacturer/retailer 305 or may be created and determined by the entity that disabled the merchandise. The activation code may be provided to the customer from the manufacturer/provider 305, the retailer 310, the central processor 315, or any combination thereof (e.g., from the central processor 315 through a point-of-sale device at the retailer 310).

Further, the customer 300 may never receive the activation code. Alternatively, the activation code may be provided by the retailer at the point of sale. This may occur via input from the retailer or input from the retailer's point of sale device. For example, a particular merchandise may be disabled until it receives a particular activation code, which may be received directly into the merchandise via Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) communication. The retailer may receive the activation code at the point of sale and may pass the activation code directly to the merchandise via RFID transmission. Alternatively, the activation code (or another indicator of legitimate sale) may be sent to the manufacturer/provider (or retailer, or central processor) along with the identification of the particular merchandise. When a particular item is first opened, the particular item may automatically communicate with the manufacturer/provider (or retailer or central processor), a legitimate purchase may be determined, and the particular item may be made available for use.

Referring to fig. 4, a method of authorizing the use of a particular merchandise from the perspective of a central processor in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention will now be discussed. At step S410, the central processor receives at least one activation code from the manufacturer/provider and information indicating which activation code is associated with which particular merchandise. For example, the central processor may receive a file for use in a relational database that identifies a particular merchandise (e.g., by serial number or another predetermined identifier) and identifies an activation code that is pre-associated with the particular merchandise. The particular item may be disabled at the manufacturer/provider.

At step S420, the central processor stores the information received from the manufacturer/provider in some type of record or database.

At step S430, the central processor may receive a confirmation of a legitimate purchase transaction. The confirmation may contain information sufficient to identify the particular item purchased at the point of sale.

At step S440, the central processor may determine an activation code associated with the particular merchandise. The central processor may make this determination by consulting a lookup table, a relational database, or by any other means well known in the art.

At step S450, the central processor may provide the customer with an activation code associated with the particular merchandise. The activation code may be provided to the customer by the retailer or may be provided directly to the customer.

Referring to fig. 5, a method of authorizing the use of a particular merchandise from the perspective of a retailer according to some embodiments of the present invention will now be discussed.

At step S510, the retailer may receive the goods from the manufacturer/provider. The goods may be provided by a distributor or affiliate of the manufacturer/provider. The product may be disabled at the manufacturer/provider or the retailer may disable the merchandise upon receipt.

At step S520, the retailer may conduct a purchase transaction with the customer for a particular item. The purchase transaction may include information sufficient to identify the particular item.

At step S530, the retailer may send a confirmation of the legitimate purchase transaction to the central processor. The confirmation of a legitimate purchase transaction may include information sufficient to identify the particular item legitimately sold at the point-of-sale.

At step S540, the retailer may receive an activation code associated with the particular merchandise from the central processor.

At step S550, the retailer may communicate the activation code to the customer. The retailer may communicate the activation code to the customer in any number of ways, including (but not limited to): orally notifying the customer, printing the activation code on a receipt, printing the activation code in a machine-readable medium (e.g., a bar code, magnetic stripe, or memory device), and so forth.

Referring to fig. 6, a method of authorizing the use of a particular item from the perspective of a customer according to some embodiments of the present invention will now be discussed. At step S610, the customer may select a particular item from the retailer and request a purchase transaction for the particular item.

At step S620, the customer may provide payment (plus any applicable fees or taxes) to the retailer to purchase the particular item.

At step S630, the customer may receive an activation code for the particular merchandise. The customer may receive the activation code directly from the central processor, manufacturer/provider, or by or through the retailer.

The customer may then enter the activation code in a variety of ways depending on the attributes of the particular merchandise. At step S640, the customer may enter the activation code into the user interface for the particular merchandise. Alternatively, at step S650, the customer may enter the activation code into a service webpage or other interface associated with the particular merchandise. Alternatively, at step S660, the customer may perform an activation routine required to activate a particular item that does not include a typical user interface (e.g., an electric oven that does not include a user interface keypad or the like).

At step S670, if the specific merchandise has received the correct activation code, the customer may use the specific merchandise.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that: various modifications and variations may be made in the method, manufacture, arrangement and/or use of the invention without departing from the scope or spirit thereof. For example, although the goods discussed herein are physical goods, the systems and methods disclosed herein are equally applicable to digital goods, such as software or digital media, and services.

Further, the customer may not pass the activation code to the particular merchandise itself, but to another service or entity that works with the particular merchandise. For example, if the particular merchandise is a television, after connecting the television to a particular network (e.g., a satellite television network), the customer may provide an activation code to the satellite television network (e.g., by calling a telephone number, email, a particular web page or internet interface, etc.). The satellite television network may then transmit the code to the television, thereby enabling use. This particular approach is particularly useful for targeted promotional programs; if only the television is used for a particular service, such as DirectV, the television may be sold to customers at a reduced rate.

Furthermore, to improve security, it may be desirable to exchange the activation code received by the customer for a separate activation code. For example, at a point of sale, a customer may receive a legitimate sales token instead of an activation code. The activation code for a particular merchandise may be obtained by exchanging legitimate sales tokens using a telephone call, an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) unit, a web page, or any other such communication technique.

In some embodiments, there may be predetermined criteria that are compared to the price paid by the customer. For example, a 42 inch plasma television may have a predetermined standard with a minimum price of $ 500. If the purchase transaction is at least $500, the activation code may be provided to the customer. Additional criteria may exist, including (but not limited to): requesting the customer to sign for a particular service, requesting the customer to purchase additional items or goods, requesting the customer to hold the goods or services for a set period of time, and so forth.

Claims (40)

1. A method of facilitating management of activation and use of a particular merchandise between a manufacturer that manufactures the particular merchandise, a retailer that sells the particular merchandise, a customer that purchases the particular merchandise, and a central processor that authorizes activation and use of the particular merchandise, the method comprising:

receiving, at the central processor:

an indicia of the particular item sufficient to uniquely identify the particular item; to be provided with

And

an activation code associated with the particular merchandise, the activation code required to allow

The specific commodity works correctly;

storing, at the central processor, the indicia of the particular merchandise and the activation code;

receiving confirmation from the retailer of a legitimate purchase transaction for the particular merchandise, the confirmation of legitimate sale comprising an indicia of the particular merchandise;

determining, at the central processor, an activation code associated with the particular merchandise;

providing an activation code associated with the particular merchandise to the customer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the customer with the activation code associated with the particular merchandise comprises: the activation code is sent to the retailer, and the retailer, in turn, provides the activation code to the customer.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the retailer provides the activation code to the customer by printing the activation code on a receipt.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the retailer provides the activation code to the customer on a printed document unrelated to a purchase transaction.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the customer with the activation code associated with the particular merchandise comprises: sending the activation code to a mobile device of the customer.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the customer with the activation code associated with the particular merchandise comprises: sending the activation code to an email account of the customer.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the customer with the activation code associated with the particular merchandise comprises: at the retailer, the activation code is entered into the particular merchandise.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein determining, at the central processor, an activation code associated with the particular merchandise comprises: the indicia of the particular merchandise is looked up in a database and the associated activation code is identified.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein determining, at the central processor, an activation code associated with the particular merchandise comprises: applying a mathematical function or algorithm to the marking of the specific merchandise.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the confirmation of the valid purchase transaction for the particular merchandise is received from a point of sale device of a retailer.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the activation code is provided by the central processor only after the retailer has received funds necessary for the purchase transaction.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the activation code is provided by the central processor only after the retailer confirms that funds necessary for the purchase transaction have cleared.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the confirmation of the legitimate purchase transaction further comprises: the price paid by the customer for the particular item.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the price paid by the customer for the particular item must meet a minimum criteria before the activation code is provided to the customer by the central processor.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the manufacturer disables the particular merchandise for sale before sending the particular merchandise to the retailer.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the retailer disables the particular item for sale prior to presenting the particular item for sale.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the retailer is an online retailer and the activation code is provided to the customer's computer.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the retailer is a catalog-based retailer and the activation code is provided to the customer over the customer's phone.

19. A method for facilitating management of activation and use of a specific merchandise purchased by a customer by a retailer selling the specific merchandise, the method comprising:

storing, at the retailer:

the specific merchandise marker sufficient to uniquely identify the specific merchandise; and

an activation code associated with the particular merchandise, the activation code required to allow

The specific commodity works correctly;

determining an activation code associated with the particular merchandise after a legitimate purchase transaction at a point of sale of the retailer;

providing an activation code associated with the particular merchandise to the customer.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the retailer provides the activation code to the customer by printing the activation code on a receipt.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the retailer provides the activation code to the customer on a printed document unrelated to a purchase transaction.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein providing the customer with the activation code associated with the particular merchandise includes: at the retailer, the activation code is entered into the particular merchandise.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein the activation code is provided to the customer only after the retailer has received funds necessary for the purchase transaction.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein the activation code is provided to the customer only after the retailer confirms that funds necessary for the purchase transaction have cleared.

25. The method of claim 19, wherein a price paid by the customer for the particular merchandise must meet a minimum criteria before the retailer provides the activation code to the customer.

26. The method of claim 19, wherein the manufacturer disables the particular merchandise for sale before sending the particular merchandise to the retailer.

27. The method of claim 19, wherein the retailer disables the particular item for sale prior to presenting the particular item for sale.

28. A method of facilitating management of activation and use of a particular merchandise between a retailer selling the particular merchandise, a customer purchasing the particular merchandise, and a central processor authorizing the activation and use of the particular merchandise, the method comprising:

selecting, by the customer, the particular item from the retailer;

conducting, by the customer, a legitimate purchase transaction for the particular item, wherein the customer provides payment for the particular item;

receiving, by the customer, an activation code associated with the particular merchandise;

entering, by the customer, the activation code into the particular merchandise;

the specific merchandise is used by the customer.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the retailer is an online retailer and the customer selects and conducts the legitimate purchase transaction via a web page.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein the legitimate purchase transaction comprises: confirmation that the retailer has actually received payment.

31. The method of claim 28, wherein the customer receives the activation code at a point of sale of the retailer.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the customer receives the activation code printed on a receipt associated with the legitimate purchase transaction.

33. The method of claim 31, wherein the point of sale of the retailer comprises a specific web page of the retailer where the customer conducts the legitimate purchase transaction.

34. The method of claim 28, wherein the customer receives the activation code on a mobile device of the customer.

35. The method of claim 28, wherein the customer receives the activation code in an email account of the customer.

36. The method of claim 28, wherein the legitimate purchase transaction requires payment for the particular good that meets predetermined criteria.

37. A method of facilitating management of activation and use of a particular merchandise between a manufacturer that manufactures the particular merchandise, a retailer that sells the particular merchandise, and a customer that purchases the particular merchandise, the method comprising:

identifying, at the manufacturer, the particular item with a marker;

providing the specific merchandise from the manufacturer to the retailer for sale to the customer;

receiving, at the manufacturer, an indication that a legitimate sales transaction has been made between the customer and the retailer, the indication comprising indicia of the particular merchandise;

providing an activation code from the manufacturer to the customer, the activation code enabling use of the particular merchandise.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the activation code is provided to the customer from the manufacturer by: providing the activation code to the retailer, which in turn provides the activation code to the customer.

39. The method of claim 37, wherein the indication of legitimate sales is received from a merchant.

40. The method of claim 37, wherein the indication of a legitimate sale is received from the customer.