Program for promoting migration from older technology to newer technology

Abstract

A program by which retailers offer customers an exchange of older technology for newer technology. The older technology and newer technology have a common characteristic. In certain cases, the common characteristic is the same for each of the older and newer technologies, wherein the characteristic is copyrighted material. The customer's possession of the older technology facilitates the retailer to give the customer the newer technology for a reduced cost.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A technology migration system, comprising:
 a customer computer comprising an online exchange platform configured to remotely transmit unique data related to on older technology via a network to at least one of a retailer and a provider of a newer technology or intermediary thereof, the older technology and the newer technology each using a different media type, at least one of which is readable by the customer computer, the customer computer being located at a different geographic location than the retailer and/or provider of the newer technology; and   a secure authentication system in communication with the online exchange platform while performing a technology exchange, the secure authentication system being configured to remotely authenticate the older technology and complete the technology exchange, whereby at the end of the technology exchange, the newer technology is made available to a customer.   
     
     
         2 . The technology migration system of  claim 1 , wherein the newer technology and an older technology each have a portion that is the same, and wherein the portion comprises copyrighted material. 
     
     
         3 . The technology migration system of  claim 2 , wherein the copyrighted material comprises a movie, the newer technology and the older technology comprising different storage media for the movie. 
     
     
         4 . The technology migration system of  claim 3 , wherein the different storage media are different storage formats. 
     
     
         5 . The technology migration system of  claim 4 , wherein the storage format for the older technology comprises VHS tape, and the storage format for the newer technology comprises a DVD. 
     
     
         6 . The technology migration system of  claim 1 , wherein the online exchange platform is further configured to permit the customer to pay a technology migration fee while securely entering customer information into a dedicated page on the retailer's website, the technology migration fee comprising a reduced cost of the newer technology. 
     
     
         7 . The technology migration system of  claim 6 , wherein payment of the technology migration fee occurs after the customer has possessed the older technology for a period of time, and wherein payment of the technology migration fee triggers release of the newer technology to the customer. 
     
     
         8 . A technology migration system, comprising:
 a customer computer having an online exchange platform, the online exchange platform configured to access a dedicated webpage of a retailer, the online exchange platform adapted to remotely transmit data related to a technology exchange via a network to at least one of the retailer and a provider of the newer technology or intermediary thereof, the older technology and the newer technology each using different media type, at least one of which is readable by the customer computer; and   a secure authentication system in communication with the online exchange platform and the dedicated webpage of the retailer while performing a technology exchange, the secure authentication system configured to
 remotely authenticate the older technology, 
 generate a customer a credit to be applied toward or a rebate on the price of the newer technology in consideration of customer's possession of the older technology and payment of a technology migration fee from the customer comprising a reduced cost of the newer technology, and 
 complete the technology exchange upon remote authentication of older technology, whereby at the end of the technology exchange, the newer technology is made available to a customer. 
   
     
     
         9 . The technology migration system of  claim 8 , wherein the customer computer is located at a geographic location different from the retailer and/or provider of the newer technology or intermediary thereof. 
     
     
         10 . The technology migration system of  claim 9 , wherein the newer technology and the older technology each have a portion that is the same, wherein the portion comprises copyrighted material. 
     
     
         11 . The technology migration system of  claim 10 , wherein the copyrighted material comprises a movie, the newer technology and the older technology comprising different storage media for the movie. 
     
     
         12 . The technology migration system of  claim 11 , wherein the different storage media are different storage formats. 
     
     
         13 . The technology migration system of  claim 12 , wherein the storage format for the older technology comprises VHS tape, and the storage format for the newer technology comprises a DVD.