US Patent 10248991 Linking image items to an electronic catalog

Methods and systems for linking items found in images to an electronic catalog are usable to create and display hyperlinks in images stored on the Web. Additionally, these links are usable to direct customers to a merchant's on-line store where they can potentially purchase the items found in the images. Further, the linking of items may be usable to provide incentives to users who identify items within images or who provide linked images. Tokens or other monetary rewards may be presented to these users based on purchases made after the purchaser follows such links.