Patent attributes
The present invention advantageously provides an integrated rights management and licensing system for storing, researching, buying, and selling intellectual property rights. In one embodiment, the present invention utilizes a rights owner application, a central repository, and a licensing application to integrate the management, researching and licensing of intellectual property. Accordingly, the present invention optionally allows intellectual property owners and consumers to conduct real-time licensing transactions over a network. Furthermore, the data repository optionally determines availability of intellectual property rights through bi-directional hierarchical navigation and implied data relations.