When I started work for Corporate Express's Electronic Commerce Team in Feb 1998 they already had an established internet ordering system in Australia and New Zealand for business customers.
The site was capable of storing multiple incomplete orders per login which could be completed in any sequence. (See here http://www.ce.com.au - click on internet ordering).
If you go back a few years further, they had electronic ordering by direct modem connection using a 'shopping cart' too.
These patent people wouldn't have a hope in Australia. Part of the system was the automatic establishment of demonstration accounts to see if you like the ordering system. I think that almost qualifies as public access. Feel free to point them at http://www.ce.com.au then click on 'Ordering by internet' (excuse the crap home page, not the same dev team).
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When I started work for Corporate Express's Electronic Commerce Team in Feb 1998 they already had an established internet ordering system in Australia and New Zealand for business customers. The site was capable of storing multiple incomplete orders per login which could be completed in any sequence. (See here http://www.ce.com.au - click on internet ordering). If you go back a few years further, they had electronic ordering by direct modem connection using a 'shopping cart' too. These patent people wouldn't have a hope in Australia. Part of the system was the automatic establishment of demonstration accounts to see if you like the ordering system. I think that almost qualifies as public access. Feel free to point them at http://www.ce.com.au then click on 'Ordering by internet' (excuse the crap home page, not the same dev team).