Prior art

Here is an analysis of the most relevant prior art for US Patent 8579710, based on the citations listed within the patent itself and a search of the USPTO database (accessed via Google Patents). The priority date for US8579710 is January 20, 2011.

The primary innovation of US8579710, as articulated in its independent claims (Claims 1 and 15), centers on a system and method for trading virtual goods where:

1. Player ratings are used to automatically and dynamically increase or decrease the value of a virtual good.
2. The virtual good is then made available for purchase at this new, adjusted value.
3. Crucially, before allowing a purchase, the system checks whether the requesting player previously rated the virtual good (to prevent fraud/collusion).

While some of the cited prior art touches upon aspects of virtual goods, dynamic pricing, or user ratings, none appear to fully anticipate the specific combination of these features, particularly the dynamic value adjustment based on player ratings for trading combined with the anti-collusion check.

Here are the cited prior art documents:

1. US6009458A

• Full Citation: US6009458A - Networked computer game system with persistent playing objects.
• Publication Date: December 28, 1999.
• Filing Date: May 9, 1996.
• Brief Description: This patent describes a networked computer game system that manages virtual "playing objects" which can persist across different game sessions and even be used in multiple games. It focuses on the technical aspects of managing and reusing these persistent virtual objects within a networked environment.
• Potential Anticipation: This patent broadly relates to virtual objects within a game system (element of claims 1 and 15 related to "virtual good" in a "game environment"). However, it does not describe mechanisms for players to rate these virtual goods, nor for those ratings to dynamically adjust the good's value for trade, nor the anti-fraud checking of a requesting player's prior rating history. Therefore, it does not anticipate the core inventive features of US8579710's claims 1 or 15 under 35 U.S.C. § 102.

2. US20080059384A1

• Full Citation: US20080059384A1 - Digital online exchange for pricing items to exhaust inventory by an expiration time.
• Publication Date: March 6, 2008.
• Filing Date: February 28, 2001.
• Brief Description: This patent discloses a method and system for dynamically pricing items in an online exchange. The pricing model is designed to manage inventory and ensure items are sold by a certain expiration time, potentially by automatically decreasing prices over time or based on inventory levels.
• Potential Anticipation: This patent relates to dynamic pricing in an online context (relevant to "increasing or decreasing...the starting value" in claims 1 and 15). However, its pricing mechanism is driven by inventory and time-based goals, not by user ratings of the items themselves. It does not teach the specific interaction of player ratings affecting virtual good value for trading within a game, nor the anti-fraud check. Thus, it does not anticipate the key elements of claims 1 or 15 under 35 U.S.C. § 102.

3. US20080154798A1

• Full Citation: US20080154798A1 - Dynamic Pricing Models for Digital Content.
• Publication Date: June 26, 2008.
• Filing Date: December 22, 2006.
• Brief Description: This patent describes systems and methods for dynamically pricing digital content based on various factors, including demand, popularity, user profiles, or other market conditions. It mentions "popularity" as a potential factor influencing price.
• Potential Anticipation: This patent discusses dynamic pricing and the use of factors like "popularity" (which could be indirectly derived from ratings), aligning with the general concept of value adjustment in claims 1 and 15. However, it does not explicitly detail a system where explicit player ratings of a virtual good directly and automatically increase or decrease its value for trade within a game environment. Furthermore, it lacks the specific anti-fraud check based on the requesting player's rating history. Therefore, it does not fully anticipate claims 1 or 15 under 35 U.S.C. § 102.

4. US20090265636A1

• Full Citation: US20090265636A1 - System and Method for Selling Preference-Based Virtual Objects.
• Publication Date: October 22, 2009.
• Filing Date: April 22, 2008.
• Brief Description: This patent describes a system and method for selling virtual objects based on user preferences. It involves receiving user preferences for virtual objects and then providing those objects for sale, possibly tailoring recommendations or offerings based on these preferences.
• Potential Anticipation: This patent involves virtual objects and user preferences (related to "rating" and "virtual good" elements in claims 1 and 15). However, it focuses on using preferences for sales or recommendations, not for dynamically adjusting the inherent value of the virtual good itself for general trading based on received ratings. It also lacks the specific anti-fraud checks. Thus, it does not anticipate claims 1 or 15 under 35 U.S.C. § 102.

5. US20100042577A1

• Full Citation: US20100042577A1 - Systems and methods for calibrating user ratings.
• Publication Date: February 18, 2010.
• Filing Date: August 12, 2008.
• Brief Description: This patent describes systems and methods for improving the accuracy and trustworthiness of user ratings by calibrating them, for instance, by detecting fraudulent ratings or weighting ratings based on user behavior.
• Potential Anticipation: This patent directly addresses "user ratings" (relevant to "receiving...at least one rating" in claims 1 and 15) and methods to ensure their integrity, which is an underlying concern also present in US8579710's anti-fraud check. However, this patent focuses on the calibration of ratings and does not describe using these ratings to dynamically adjust the trading value of virtual goods within a game environment, nor the specific pre-sale check. Therefore, it does not anticipate claims 1 or 15 under 35 U.S.C. § 102.

6. US20100114739A1

• Full Citation: US20100114739A1 - Systems and methods for a comprehensive integrated and universal content selling and buying platform.
• Publication Date: May 6, 2010.
• Filing Date: September 3, 2008.
• Brief Description: This patent describes a broad platform for facilitating the buying and selling of digital content, aiming for integration across various content types and a universal marketplace.
• Potential Anticipation: This patent broadly covers buying and selling digital content (relevant to "trading virtual goods" in claims 1 and 15). However, it lacks any specific teaching of dynamically adjusting the value of virtual goods based on player ratings within a game, or the anti-fraud mechanism of checking a requesting player's previous ratings before a sale. Therefore, it does not anticipate claims 1 or 15 under 35 U.S.C. § 102.

7. US20100175002A1

• Full Citation: US20100175002A1 - Method and system for rating exchangeable gestures via communications in virtual world applications.
• Publication Date: July 8, 2010.
• Filing Date: January 7, 2009.
• Brief Description: This patent describes a method and system where users can rate "exchangeable gestures" (e.g., animations, actions) within virtual world applications. These ratings can be used for various purposes such as displaying popularity or influencing recommendations.
• Potential Anticipation: This patent is the most conceptually similar, dealing with "ratings" within "virtual world applications" (elements in claims 1 and 15). However, it specifically focuses on rating "gestures" rather than virtual goods that have a tradable value, and critically, it does not explicitly teach the dynamic adjustment of the market value for trading based on these ratings. Most significantly, it does not include the pre-sale anti-fraud check of a requesting player's prior rating history, which is a distinguishing feature of US8579710. Therefore, it does not fully anticipate claims 1 or 15 under 35 U.S.C. § 102.

8. US20110302052A1

• Full Citation: US20110302052A1 - Protecting Game Related Content In A Centralized Marketplace.
• Publication Date: December 8, 2011.
• Filing Date: June 8, 2010.
• Brief Description: This patent describes systems and methods aimed at protecting game-related content within a centralized marketplace, including ensuring proper licensing and preventing unauthorized distribution or use.
• Potential Anticipation: This patent concerns the security and management of game content in a marketplace (relevant to the "game environment" and "trading" aspects of claims 1 and 15). However, it does not involve player ratings as a mechanism for dynamic value adjustment of virtual goods, nor the specific anti-fraud check based on rating history prior to sale. Therefore, it does not anticipate claims 1 or 15 under 35 U.S.C. § 102.