AN ELECTRONIC UNIT EXCHANGE MADE AVAILABLE VIA A WIDE AREA NETWORK ARRANGEMENT WHICH ENABLES CONSUMER(S) TO BUY AND/OR SELL UNITS WHICH ARE EXCHANGEABLE AND/OR NEGOTIABLE FOR A SPECIFIED QUANITY OF GASOLINE FROM A PRESCRIBED GASOLINE RETAILER(S)

摘要

The present invention is a method and system of commerce enabling consumers and/or investors and/or exchange participants (the "Consumer(s)" and/or "Unit Holder(s)") to buy and/or sell units (the "Units"), which Units are exchangeable and/or negotiable by a Unit Holder for a pre-determined physical quantity of gasoline (the "Gasoline") from a prescribed gasoline retailer(s) (the "Gasoline Retailer(s)"). And wherein the present invention comprises a system and/or procedure of buying and/or selling the said Units which procedure and/or process may/will be executed via an electronic Unit exchange made available via a wide area network arrangement. And further wherein the present invention comprises a method and system wherein a system controller (the "Exchange") shall oversee and manage a process and/or procedure for issuing Units, which said process and/or procedure of issuing Units may/shall comprise a plurality of methods and/or procedures including a process and/or procedure whereby a Gasoline Retailer(s) (on terms acceptable to and/ or agreed to by the said Gasoline Retailer(s) and the Exchange) shall provide a guarantee and/or acceptable form(s) of security thereby assuring or attempting to assu re that all Units issued by the Exchange on behalf of the said Gasoline Retailer(s) shall/will be exchangeable and/or negotiable for a specified quantity of gasoline for a predetermined period of time, from a predetermined number of Gasoline Retailer(s) locations(s). Following the establishment of an agreement between a Gasoline Retailer(s) and the Exchange, the Exchange then initiates a process by which they will offer and/or make available for purchase a determined number of Units via th e Exchange's exchange/database/website (the "Listing Process"). Following the Listing Process of the said Units a plurality of Consumer(s) are then capable of purchasing the said Unit(s) via a secured transaction from the Exchange's electronic exchange/database/website made available via a wide area network arrangement . Following the completion of the purchase of Units by a Consumer(s), all fun ds derived from the said purchase (following the deduction of any fees and/or commissions owed to the Exchange) are paid to the Gasoline Retailer(s) issui ng the said Unit(s). A second method and/or procedure of issuing Units (the "Trust Offering") may/shall comprise a process and/or procedure wherein the Exchan ge may/will initiate the sale of Units prior to the involvement of a Gasoline Retailer(s) in the process and/or procedure of issuing Units. A Trust Offering may/shall comprise a process and/or procedure wherein Unit(s) (on terms approved and/or accepted by the Exchange) shall be made available for purchase by Consumer(s) at a price determined by the Exchange through a secured transaction completed via the Exchange's electronic exchange/database/website. When the Exchange has determined that a sufficient number of Units of a Trust Offering have been purchased by Consumer(s), Gasoline Retailer(s) are then invited to view information and the conditions of acceptance for the said Trust Offering. The said information and conditions of acceptance shall include information outlining the number of Units sold, and the amount and/or value of funds the said Gasoline Retailer(s) will receive if they accept and/or assume responsibility for the said Trust Offering. A Gasoline Retaile r that chooses to accept and/or assume responsibility for a Trust Offering may bind the Exchange through a secured transaction through the exchanges exchange/database/website and made available via a wide area network arrangement. Following the said acceptance and/or assumption process by a Gasoline Retailer(s) of a Trust Offering, the Gasoline Retailer(s) will then receive from the Exchan ge any and/or all of the funds received by the Exchange from the sale of Units comprising the said Trust Offering (following the deduction of any fees and/or commissions owed to the Exchange). Under either method and/or procedure herein described for issuing and/or selling and/o