CARGOSPHERE.COM RECEIVES PATENT FOR FREIGHT MARKETPLACE

CARGOSPHERE.COM RECEIVES PATENT FOR FREIGHT MARKETPLACE    CargoSphere.com, a Mahopac, N.Y.-based Internet start-up, has officially launched its international online transportation marketplace with a U.S. patented business model.
   The patent grants CargoSphere the right to exclude or license other companies in the online transportation industry that have the same business model, the company said.
   It is too early to tell which of the numerous other transportation dot-coms the patent will affect. Much will depend on how lawyers and courts interpret the language of the patent.
   Neil A. Barni and Daniel M. Miller, co-founders of CargoSphere, said they are aware that there are other online transportation exchanges in the market, but that they have not begun to identify any specific instances of patent infringement.
   “It is premature,” Miller said. “We will have to discuss how we are going to approach that with our lawyers.”
   Barni and Miller applied for their business model patent last year. It covers their “bilateral rate negotiation model,” in which buyers and sellers of transportation services can negotiate and agree to service contracts online.
   CargoSphere’s “interactive marketplace” allows shippers, forwarders and carriers to buy, sell and negotiate transportation services across all modes. The company also offers a management tool that allows users to monitor their negotiations and shipping activities.