Patent Portfolio
SOURCE has secured loyalty-related patent rights in order to securely position itself as the premier provider of rebate related, electronically based reward programs. The specific patents acquired are as follows:
Centralized Consumer Cash Value Accumulation System For Multiple Merchants Patents
SOURCE has an exclusive license to certain United States methodology patents and maintains continuing development and exclusive marketing rights for US Patent Numbers: 4,941,090 issued July 10, 1990; 5,117,355 issued May 26, 1992; 5,202,826 issued April 13, 1993; and Re. 36,116 issued February 23, 1999; all of which, among other claims, pertaining to an electronically tracked, centralized consumer cash-value accumulation system for multiple merchants.
Customer Loyalty Investment Program Patent
SOURCE has a license to U.S. Patent No: 6,345,261 U.S. Filing Date: February 5, 2002, which covers customer loyalty programs dealing which use rewards for investment purposes.
Multifunction Card System Patents
SOURCE has been granted a license to make, use, issue, distribute and/or sell Licensed Products and practice the Licensed Methods related to U.S. Patent No. 6,000,608, issued on December 14, 1999, and U.S. Patent No. 6,189,787, issued on February 20, 2001. This license broadens the scope of SOURCE's patent coverage to include the tracking of loyalty transactions by a multi-functional credit or debit card captured through a merchant's credit card reader at the point of sale. A multi-functional financial card is one that may include a loyalty component or another benefit such as pre-paid phone minutes.
Patent Update
In addition to expanding its patent portfolio, SOURCE is also committed to managing the enforcement of its patent rights. The success of SOURCE's patent strategy to date has been very encouraging and therefore SOURCE intends to continue its enforcement campaign in 2010.