Information Processing System and Information Processing Method

Abstract

An information processing system according to an embodiment includes: a first receiving means for receiving, from a merchant terminal which is a terminal of a merchant related to the manufacture or transfer of physical goods, product information indicating the attributes of the physical goods and a registration instruction to register the physical goods in a marketplace; a writing means for writing, in a distributed ledger network having a smart contract related to the e-commerce of the physical goods in response to the registration instruction, a) product identification information for individually identifying the physical goods, and b) storage location information indicating the product information or the storage location of the product information; a second receiving means for receiving, from a seller terminal which is a terminal of a seller selling the physical goods, a posting instruction to post information related to the physical goods on a page for product sales; a starting means for starting the smart contract when a predetermined operation is performed on the product identification information of the physical goods on the page, from a buyer terminal which is a terminal of a buyer who intends to purchase the physical goods; and an output means for outputting data for causing information related to the delivery of the physical goods to the buyer to be displayed on the buyer terminal, according to the processing of the smart contract.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to electronic commerce.

Background Art

[0002] Techniques for simplifying electronic commerce are known. For example, Patent Document 1 relates to so-called one-click patents.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] According to the technique described in Patent Document 1, although a buyer can place an order for a product with minimal effort, it does not reduce the effort of a seller who sells the product.

[0005] In contrast, the present invention provides a technique for reducing the effort of a seller in electronic commerce.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] One aspect of the present disclosure is a first receiving means for receiving, from a merchant terminal which is a terminal of a merchant related to the manufacture or transfer of a physical product, product information indicating the attributes of the physical product and a registration instruction to the marketplace of the physical product; a writing means for writing, in response to the registration instruction, a) product identification information for individually identifying the physical product and b) storage location information indicating the product information or the storage location of the product information into a distributed ledger network having a smart contract related to the e-commerce of the physical product; a second receiving means for receiving, from a seller terminal which is a terminal of a seller selling the physical product, a posting instruction for posting information related to the physical product on a page for product sales; an activation means for activating the smart contract when a predetermined operation is performed on the product identification information of the physical product on the page, from a buyer terminal which is a terminal of a buyer who intends to purchase the physical product; and an output means for outputting data for causing information related to the delivery of the physical product to the buyer to be displayed on the buyer terminal, in response to the processing of the smart contract.

[0007] The product information includes an original image of the physical product, and the writing means may write identification information of the original image into the distributed ledger network.

[0008] The product identification information includes an image of the physical product, and when the predetermined operation is performed on the image, the activation means may activate the smart contract according to the collation result between the identification information of the image and the identification information of the original image.

[0009] When the collation result indicates that the identification information of the image and the identification information of the original image do not match, a process for stopping the publication or deleting the page may be performed.

[0010] The identification information may be a hash.

[0011] The product identification information may include an image of the physical product, and the predetermined operation may be an operation of causing the buyer terminal to display a page including the image.

[0012] The product information may include information regarding the tax of the physical product, the smart contract may include a process of extracting information regarding the tax of the physical product from the product information, and the output means may output data for displaying the information regarding the tax as information related to the delivery.

[0013] The information regarding the tax may include information regarding customs duties, the smart contract may include a process of extracting information regarding customs duties related to the import and export between the country to which the origin or the exporting country of the physical product belongs and the importing country of the physical product, and the output means may output data for displaying the information regarding the customs duties as information related to the delivery.

[0014] The product information may include information regarding the price of the physical product, the smart contract may include a process of extracting information regarding the price of the physical product from the product information, and the output means may output information regarding the profit obtained from the sale of the physical product to the seller.

[0015] The output means may output data for displaying the product information of the physical product on the buyer terminal.

[0016] Another aspect of the present disclosure includes steps of receiving, from a merchant terminal which is a terminal of a merchant related to manufacturing or transferring of a physical product, product information indicating attributes of the physical product and a registration instruction to register the physical product to a marketplace; writing, in response to the registration instruction, a) product identification information for individually identifying the physical product, and b) storage location information indicating the product information or a storage location of the product information, to a distributed ledger network having a smart contract related to the e-commerce of the physical product; receiving, from a seller terminal which is a terminal of a seller selling the physical product, a posting instruction to post information related to the physical product on a page for product sales; activating the smart contract when a predetermined operation is performed on the product identification information of the physical product on the page, from a buyer terminal which is a terminal of a buyer attempting to purchase the physical product; and outputting data for displaying, to the buyer terminal, information related to delivery of the physical product to the buyer, in response to processing of the smart contract.

Advantages of the Invention

[0017] According to the present invention, the present invention can reduce the labor of the seller in e-commerce.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0018]

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Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0019] 1. Configuration FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an overview of an information processing system 1 according to an embodiment. The information processing system 1 provides a platform for selling physical goods and a service for buying and selling physical goods (hereinafter referred to as the "buying and selling service"). Physical goods refer to goods that have a physical entity. Physical goods include, for example, food, furniture, electrical products, clothes, shoes, sports equipment, musical instruments, and books. Digital assets such as digital currency or digital art are not included in physical goods. The platform refers to a computer system. Here, an example of implementation using Web 2.0 will be described first.

[0020] The information processing system 1 includes a blockchain network 20, a server 10, a relay server 30, a manufacturer terminal 40, a seller terminal 50, and a buyer terminal 60. The blockchain network 20 is a distributed ledger network that records information regarding physical goods. The blockchain network 20 is composed of computer devices (not shown), such as a plurality of nodes. The server 10 is a server in a trading service and provides a marketplace for trading physical goods. Here, the marketplace refers to a platform that provides a place on the Internet where various sellers can open their own stores, list products, and sell them. The "own store" refers to, for example, a page on an Internet site. In one example, when a user registers as a member, the marketplace assigns a posting page to that user. A user who becomes a seller can sell products on this posting page.

[0021] The relay server 30 relays communication between an application (more specifically, a Web 2.0 application. For example, a web browser or a mobile app) and the blockchain network 20. Since requests from the application do not directly reach the blockchain network 20, the relay server 30 mediates this communication to perform transaction transmission and smart contract execution. The relay server 30 is used to support an API gateway or blockchain request processing.

[0022] The manufacturer terminal 40 is one of the clients in the trading service and is used by the manufacturer Um (i.e., the producer) who manufactures physical products. The manufacturer Um is an example of an operator related to the manufacture or transfer of physical products. The transfer may include both paid and unpaid cases. The operator includes a person who manufactures or transfers physical products individually. The operator may also include a person who operates a platform for transferring physical products between individuals. That is, the manufacturer terminal 40 is an example of an operator terminal related to the manufacture or transfer of physical products. The seller terminal 50 is one of the clients in the trading service and is used by the seller Us, who is a user who sells physical products on a web page. The buyer terminal 60 is one of the clients in the trading service and is used by the buyer Ub, who is a user who purchases physical products from a web page. These devices communicate via the network 9. The network 9 is a computer network such as the Internet.

[0023] In this figure, two seller terminals 50 and two buyer terminals 60 are shown, and two sellers Us and two buyers Ub are shown, but the number of terminals and the number of users are not limited to this example. The manufacturer Um, the seller Us, and the buyer Ub are all users of the information processing system 1, and in this sense, they are collectively referred to as the user U. When distinguishing multiple users U, the subscript U[k] is used. For the manufacturer Um, the seller Us, and the buyer Ub, when referring to individual users, they are denoted as the seller Us[2]. The same applies to other categories of users. For user terminals such as the manufacturer terminal 40, the seller terminal 50, and the buyer terminal 60, when referring to individual terminals, the same subscript as the corresponding user is used.

[0024] Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating the functional configuration of the information processing system 1. The information processing system 1 includes a storage means 11, a reception means 12 (first reception means), a writing means 13, a reception means 14 (second reception means), an activation means 15, and a control means 19. In this example, these functional elements are implemented in the server 10.

[0025] The storage means 11 stores various types of data and programs. Although details will be described later, the storage means 11 stores various databases. The reception means 12 receives product information indicating the attributes of a physical product and a registration instruction for the physical product to the marketplace from the manufacturer terminal 40. The writing means 13 writes into the blockchain network 20: a) product identification information for individually identifying the physical product, and b) storage location information (e.g., URL) indicating the storage location of the product information. The blockchain network 20 is an example of a distributed ledger network having a smart contract related to the e-commerce transaction of physical products, as will be described later. The reception means 14 receives a posting instruction from the seller terminal 50 to post the physical product on a page for selling the product (hereinafter referred to as the "sales page"). Here, the sales page refers to a visual representation of a group of information related to the sale of a physical product, and is, for example, a concept that includes a web page and a display screen of an application program.

[0026] The activation means 15 activates the smart contract when a predetermined operation is performed on the product identification information of the physical product at the buyer terminal 60. The output means 16 outputs data for causing the buyer terminal 60 to display information related to the delivery of the physical product to the buyer according to the processing of the smart contract. In addition to the information related to the delivery, the output means 16 may output product information indicating the attributes of the physical product to the buyer terminal 60. The control means 19 performs various controls. The information related to the delivery may include, for example, at least one of information related to the delivery destination, delivery means, scheduled delivery date, and delivery fee.

[0027] In the blockchain network 20, smart contracts are deployed. A smart contract is a self-executing program that runs on the blockchain. Smart contracts are designed to automatically execute transactions or operations when specific conditions are met. In this example, the smart contract is triggered via the server 10 by an event that a predetermined action has been performed at the buyer terminal 60. Multiple types of smart contracts are deployed in the blockchain network 20, and the smart contract corresponding to the action performed at the buyer terminal 60 is triggered via the server 10.

[0028] When the smart contract is executed, various transactions are executed, and these transactions are recorded in the blockchain network 20.

[0029] Figure 3 is a diagram illustrating the hardware configuration of the server 10. The server 10 is a computer device having a processor 101, a memory 102, a storage 103, and a communication IF 104. The processor 101 is a processing device that executes various operations according to a program and includes, for example, a CPU. The memory 102 is a main storage device that functions as a work area when the processor 101 executes a program and includes, for example, a RAM. The storage 103 is an auxiliary storage device that stores various data and programs and includes, for example, an HDD or an SSD. The communication IF 104 is a communication device that communicates with other devices according to a predetermined communication standard (e.g., Ethernet (registered trademark)) and includes, for example, a NIC.

[0030] In this example, the program stored in storage 103 includes a program (hereinafter referred to as the "server program") for causing the computer to function as server 10 in information processing system 1. In a state where processor 101 is executing the server program, storage 103 is an example of storage means 11, processor 101 is an example of reception means 12, writing means 13, activation means 15, and control means 19, and communication IF 104 is an example of output means 16.

[0031] 2. Operations 2-1. Overview of Operations FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an overview of the operations of information processing system 1. Information processing system 1 has marketplace 200 as a platform for conducting e-commerce. Marketplace 200 is a virtual exchange on a computer system. Marketplace 200 has showroom 210 and shop 220. Showroom 210 is a virtual display shelf for displaying physical goods traded in marketplace 200. Shop 220 is a virtual store for selling physical goods on marketplace 200. In one example, shop 220 is provided in the form of a web page that displays posts from users and is an example of a sales page.

[0032] Manufacturer Um registers physical products in showroom 210 (systematically, product information is registered in product database 901). When seller Us[2] registers as a user (or member) in information processing system 1 (or the buying and selling service), a page for selling products (or a store page or my page) is automatically assigned to seller Us[2]. Shop 220 in FIG. 4 refers to this page. When collectively referring to the sales pages of multiple sellers Us, it is called shop 220, and when referring to the sales page of an individual seller U[k], it is denoted as shop 220[k]. Seller Us[2] selects physical products to display in shop 220[2] from within showroom 210. The selected physical products are displayed in shop 220[2]. Buyer Ub[4] browses shop 220[2] and purchases a desired product from among the displayed physical products.

[0033] On the Internet, Internet media 300 is provided. Internet media 300 is media on the Internet and includes, for example, social media 310 and homepage 320. Social media 310 refers to a platform where users communicate and exchange information with each other through the Internet. Social media 310 is sometimes referred to as a social networking system (SNS). Homepage 320 refers, in a broad sense, to a web page published on the Internet. When collectively referring to the Internet media 300 of multiple users U, it is denoted as social media 310 and homepage 320, and when referring to an individual user U[k], it is called Internet media 300[k], social media 310[k], or homepage 320[k]. Seller Us[3] can select favorite physical products from within showroom 210 or shop 220 and post them on their own Internet media 300[3].

[0034] Buyer Ub[5] accesses the social media 310[3] or homepage 320[3] of Seller Us[3]. Buyer Ub[5] purchases a desired physical product from a page introducing the physical product on these Internet media 300[3].

[0035] In the information processing system 1, anyone who has been pre-approved in the information processing system 1 can become a manufacturer Um and register their own physical products in the showroom 210. Also, anyone in the world can become a seller Us and display any physical product in the showroom 210 in their own shop 220.

[0036] When purchasing a physical product, the smart contract 25 performs the processing and writes the information related to the smart contract into the blockchain network 20. The smart contract 25 can refer to various types of information, such as the tariff database 921. The information related to the smart contract is, for example, the transaction of that transaction. The necessary information is relayed via the server 10, and the payment gateway 80 or the EC engine 70 performs individual processing. The above is the outline of the operation of the information processing system 1.

[0037] In this embodiment, the responsibility for selling physical products (the responsibility for the authenticity of physical products) is basically borne by the product manufacturer and the platform. Here, the transparency of product information and transactions is protected by smart contracts and blockchain technology. As a result, the seller can sell the product by assuming a minimum sales responsibility.

[0038] In this embodiment, the product information and the information used in the transaction are prepared (i.e., registered in the system) by the product manufacturer and the platform. Both the seller and the buyer only need to register a minimum amount of personal information during membership registration. As a result, the threshold for membership registration is lowered, and as a result, the democratization of e-commerce can be promoted.

[0039] FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an overview of the processing in the information processing system 1. The processing in the information processing system 1 is roughly classified into registration of physical goods on the marketplace (step S1), registration of physical goods on the sales page (step S2), purchase of physical goods (step S3), and shipping of physical goods (step S4). Hereinafter, the details of each process will be described.

[0040] 2-2. Registration of Physical Goods on the Marketplace FIG. 6 is a sequence chart illustrating the registration process of physical goods on the marketplace.

[0041] In step S101, the manufacturer terminal 40 receives input of information regarding physical goods. This UI is provided, for example, by an application program dedicated to the information processing system 1 installed on the manufacturer terminal 40. In this example, in order to operate as the manufacturer Um in the information processing system 1, it is necessary to pass the review by the operator of the information processing system 1. Only users pre-approved for registration by the information processing system 1 can access the information processing system 1 as the manufacturer Um. The information processing system 1 performs user authentication, for example, in an application program. This application program may include the function of a wallet in NFT. Alternatively, this UI may be provided as a web page and provided by a general-purpose web browser installed on the manufacturer terminal 40. Note that the manufacturer terminal 40 is an example of a terminal of a business operator related to the manufacture or sale of physical goods.

[0042] In one example, this UI includes a UI object for receiving input of product information of a physical product and a UI object for inputting transaction conditions. The product information is information indicating the attributes of the product, i.e., so-called product information. The product information includes content related to the product. The content includes at least one of a product image (or product photo), video, illustration, text, audio, and GTIN. Here, consider the product image as an example. This is the original image of the product. The transaction conditions are conditions related to the transaction of the physical product and include, for example, information indicating price, available shipping date, minimum purchase quantity, end date of shipping, and target sales country. This UI further includes a UI object for receiving an instruction to register the physical product. The manufacturer inputs the product information via this UI. After finishing the input, the manufacturer instructs the registration of the physical product.

[0043] In step S102, the manufacturer terminal 40 requests the server 10 to register information related to the physical product according to an instruction input via the UI. The server 10 receives (i.e., accepts) this request, i.e., the product information and the registration instruction of the physical product. Upon receiving the registration request, the server 10 registers the product information in the product database 901 (step S103).

[0044] FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating the contents of product information, i.e., the product database 901. In this example, the product information includes information on multiple items such as product name information, overview, weight, price, size, location, multilingual information, memo, date information, and image information. The product information is an example of metadata related to the product. The information for each item is further subdivided. The product name information is information regarding the name or title of the product and includes, for example, the product name, handling item code, JICFS (JAN Item Code File Service) classification, GPC (Global Product Classification), and GTIN (Global Trade Item Number) (or JAN (Japanese Article Number) code). The overview is information indicating the overview of the product and includes, for example, the product name, product information, URL, and product comment. The weight is information indicating the weight of the product and includes, for example, the total weight. The price is information indicating the price of the product and includes, for example, the desired retail price, whether it is an open price, and the reduction standard determination category. The size is information indicating the size of the product and includes, for example, width, height, and depth. The location is information indicating the country or region related to the production or sale of the product and includes, for example, the country of origin and the target country for sale. The multilingual information is product information in multiple languages and includes, for example, the corresponding languages and the product information URL. The memo is a memo regarding the product and includes, for example, the memo for the registering business operator. The date information is information regarding the date and includes, for example, the information release date, the available shipping date, the end of shipping date, the end of GTIN use date, the manufacturing date, and the expiration date (in the case of food). The image information is an image of the product and includes the front view of the appearance, the back view of the appearance, and the side view of the appearance. In addition, the product information may include information regarding safety standards defined in each country (such as which safety standards are met).

[0045] In this example, the product information further includes information regarding the transaction conditions. The information regarding the transaction conditions includes, in one example, the information of the following (a) to (d). (a) A boolean value indicating whether payment is required in the transaction, (b) the required payment amount, (c) the currency used for payment, and (d) the expiration date of the transaction conditions. The payment amount includes, for example, the wholesale price and the retail price. The wholesale price is the amount that the seller Us pays to the manufacturer Um. The retail price is the amount that the buyer Ub pays to the seller Us. Since the transaction conditions are included as product information, the smart contract can read the transaction conditions of the NFT and automatically execute the transaction based on those transaction conditions. The triggering action is defined in the information processing system 1.

[0046] The product information may include information regarding the inventory of physical products. The information regarding the inventory includes, for example, the inventory quantity and the in-and-out date.

[0047] Note that at least a part of the product information may be input not by the manufacturer but by a person commissioned by the manufacturer, such as the management operator of the server 10, etc. For example, the manufacturer may only upload the GTIN and the product image, and the remaining information may be input by the management operator of the server 10. Alternatively, from some of the input product information, the server 10 (server program) may automatically infer or supplement some other product information and register it in the product database 901.

[0048] Refer to FIG. 6 again. In step S104, the server 10 instructs the IPFS (Inter Planetary File System) to register the product information. IPFS is a distributed file system and a protocol for efficiently and securely sharing files on the Internet. Specifically, the server 10 records the target data in the IPFS. The target data is data including the product identification information of the target product, and in one example, includes the product identification information, the product name, and the storage destination URL of the product information. The product identification information is information for identifying the product, and in one example, includes the hash value of the product image. The storage destination URL of the product information indicates the location where the product information was recorded in step S103 (that is, the location of the product database 901). These data are recorded in a predetermined format, for example, the JSON format. In this example, the original data of the product information itself is stored in another server instead of the blockchain network 20. Note that the product database 901 in the server 10 can be said to be a copy of the product information. Thereby, it is possible to avoid the problem of the data capacity limit that can be written in the blockchain network 20 in a single transaction and the accompanying transaction fee (so-called gas fee). In step S105, the IPFS stores the product information.

[0049] In step S106, server 10 generates (i.e., mints) an NFT. That is, server 10 issues an NFT product identification code on blockchain network 20. The NFT product identification code is a type of token. The NFT product identification code is generated according to a token ID, a token URI, and a manufacturer ID. That is, the NFT product identification code uniquely identifies the token ID, the token URI, and the manufacturer ID. Further, the NFT product identification code includes a hash value obtained by applying a predetermined hash function to the product image. The token ID is identification information that uniquely identifies the token. The token URI indicates the recording location of IPFS. The manufacturer ID is identification information that uniquely identifies the manufacturer. Server 10 writes the identification information of the manufacturer of this product as the manufacturer ID to the blockchain. Since the content of the NTF is the ID of the NTF itself (i.e., the NFT product identification code), the reference to the product information (i.e., the token URI), and the address of the original owner (i.e., the manufacturer ID), it is defined that the manufacturer of the physical product that can be referenced from the product information is the user identified by the manufacturer ID.

[0050] In step S107, server 10 publishes the product information in showroom 210. The product information published in showroom 210 includes a product photo associated with the NFT product identification code. In product database 901, a flag indicating public / non-public in showroom 210 is recorded for each product. Server 10 rewrites the flag of the target product to "public".

[0051] As described above, the registration of the product information by manufacturer Um to marketplace 200 is complete. The product information registered in the marketplace can be freely accessed from seller terminal 50.

[0052] 2-3. Registration of Physical Products on the Sales Page FIG. 8 is a sequence chart illustrating the registration process of physical products on the sales page. In this example, the information processing system 1 requests user registration from the seller Us and the buyer Ub. Here, an example will be described in which a user who has not yet registered with the information processing system 1 registers with the information processing system 1 and registers physical products on the sales page as the seller Us.

[0053] In step S201, the seller terminal 50 sends a user registration request to the server 10. The user registration request is sent in response to a user operation. The user registration request includes user information. The user information includes, for example, name, address (or delivery destination), and payment information (e.g., credit card number). In this example, in order for anyone to widely participate in e-commerce, the information processing system 1 approves user registration if a minimum amount of information is registered without restricting users by strict conditions or rules. In this example, the information processing system 1 does not distinguish between the seller Us and the buyer Ub and accepts registration as users of the same category. However, the information processing system 1 may distinguish between the seller Us and the buyer Ub and accept registration as users of different categories.

[0054] In step S202, the server 10 performs user registration. The server 10 has a user database (not shown), and the server 10 performs user registration by registering the requested user information in this user database. When performing user registration, the server 10 also registers login information such as a user ID and password in the user database. This login information is input by the user of the seller terminal 50 or automatically provided by the server 10. The user registration is completed above. For the seller terminal 50 of a user who has already completed user registration, the processes of step S201 and step S202 are omitted.

[0055] When receiving access from a registered user, the server 10 transmits product information to the seller terminal 50 (step S203). The seller terminal 50 may input information for narrowing down the product information, such as a product name or classification, and request the server 10 to narrow down the target physical products. The seller terminal 50 designates or selects the physical products to be listed in its own shop 220 from among the product information received from the server 10 (step S204). The designation of the physical products is made according to the operation of the seller Us.

[0056] When a physical product is designated, the server 10 prompts the seller terminal 50 to designate or select the sales means for the physical product. In this example, the options for the sales means are determined in advance in the information processing system 1 and are four types: direct sales, purchase and sales, agency sales, and affiliate. Direct sales means that the manufacturer Um registers a user in the system on behalf of the seller Us (that is, acting as the seller Us) and conducts sales activities. The sales means available in the system may be limited to some of these four types. The seller terminal 50 designates the sales method (step S205). The designation of the sales method is made according to the operation of the seller Us.

[0057] Purchase and sale is a method in which Seller Us purchases physical products from Manufacturer Um and then sells them. In the purchase and sale in information processing system 1, there are two possible methods for storing physical products: one is for Seller Us to do it, and the other is for the manufacturer or a third party to do it. That is, in purchase and sale, although the ownership of the physical product transfers to Seller Us at the time of purchase, the entity storing the physical product can be set separately from the ownership. The retail price of the physical product can be determined by Seller Us. Manufacturer Um can present a guideline for the retail price of the physical product. When purchase and sale is selected as the sales method, server 10 requests Seller Terminal 50 to input the retail price and the purchase quantity. Seller Us determines the retail price and the purchase quantity and inputs them at Seller Terminal 50. When the retail price and the purchase quantity are determined, server 10 activates Smart Contract 25 to proceed with the recording of the purchase transaction and the delivery procedure. The processing of Smart Contract 25 will be described later.

[0058] Agency sale is a method in which Seller Us sells physical products on behalf of Manufacturer Um. In the case of agency sale, the ownership of the physical product belongs to Manufacturer Um. The inventory of the physical product can be managed by either Manufacturer Um or Seller Us, but basically, Manufacturer Um stores the physical product. The retail price of the physical product can be determined by Seller Us. When agency sale is selected as the sales method, server 10 requests Seller Terminal 50 to input the retail price. Seller Us determines the retail price and inputs it at Seller Terminal 50. Note that the manufacturer Um may also determine the retail price. When the retail price is determined, server 10 activates Smart Contract 25 to proceed with the recording of the agency transaction (and the delivery procedure if necessary). The processing of Smart Contract 25 will be described later. Even if Seller Us manages the inventory, Seller Us can return the unsold physical products to Manufacturer Um at a later date. That is, in this case, the inventory risk is borne by Manufacturer Um rather than Seller Us.

[0059] Affiliate marketing is a method where Seller Us introduces or promotes physical products on behalf of Manufacturer Um (as a result, the physical products are sold). The inventory of physical products is managed by Manufacturer Um. The retail price of physical products is determined by Manufacturer Um. Affiliate marketing is a type of Internet advertising and is a performance-based advertising model. Affiliators can participate in affiliate programs of companies and obtain rewards. Although strictly speaking, affiliators are not sellers, here they are referred to as Seller Us for convenience.

[0060] When the sales method is specified, Server 10 prompts Seller Terminal 50 to post a review or introduction of the physical product. Seller Terminal 50 accepts the input of the review of the physical product (Step S206). The review is input by Seller Us. Seller Terminal 50 sends the input review to Server 10 (Step S207). Server 10 registers the review received from Seller Terminal 50 in the page database (Step S208).

[0061] When Seller Us selects a physical product and registers it in their own shop 220, Server 10 instructs to write the correspondence relationship between the NFT product identification code of the physical product and that Seller Us (that is, the relationship between the NFT product identification code and the user ID of that Seller Us) to the blockchain (Step S209). Blockchain Network 20 saves the correspondence relationship to the blockchain in response to this instruction (Step S210). Since the correspondence relationship between the NFT product identification code and that Seller Us is written to the blockchain, even if the URL for transitioning to the sales page of that Seller Us (that is, shop 220) is not directly described on the Internet media 300 of other users, it is possible to refer to the URL from the blockchain. That is, it is possible to transition to the sales page of that Seller Us using the URL obtained from the information recorded in the blockchain.

[0062] FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a page database. The page database includes a plurality of records. Each record corresponds to one physical product. Each record includes data of a product photo, a hash value of the product photo, identification information of a sales means, and a review. These data are associated with a user ID.

[0063] In the above process, a physical product is registered in the store 220 of the seller Us. When the seller Us attempts to post a physical product on the Internet media 300, the seller Us may paste a link to the sales page of the store 220 on its own social media 310 or homepage 320. Thereby, it becomes possible to access the store 220 from the social media 310 or the homepage 320 of the seller Us.

[0064] 2-4. Purchase of Physical Products FIG. 10 is a sequence chart illustrating a purchase process of a physical product. Here, it is described assuming that the buyer Ub has completed user registration in the information processing system 1.

[0065] In step S301, the buyer terminal 60 accesses the server 10. This is an access to a specific shop 220. The shop 220 to be accessed is designated by the buyer Ub. In response to the request from the buyer terminal 60, the server 10 transmits data for displaying the sales page of the designated shop 220 to the buyer terminal 60 (step S302). The buyer terminal 60 displays the sales page using this data. This sales page has at least one UI object for receiving an action by the buyer Ub. This "action" is an example of a predetermined operation on the product identification information, and specifically includes, for example, an instruction to view product information and an instruction to purchase a physical product. That is, this at least one UI object includes, for example, a UI object for instructing to view product information and a UI object for instructing to purchase a physical product. In one example, the data of the sales page includes the hash value of the product photo as the product identification information, and instructions such as an instruction to view product information or an instruction to purchase a physical product are specific examples of the "predetermined operation on the product identification information". Note that the hash value itself only needs to be included as data and does not need to be visually displayed on the sales page. When the action of the buyer Ub is received via these UI objects, the buyer terminal 60 transmits a processing request corresponding to the received action to the server 10 (step S303).

[0066] When the server 10 receives a processing request from the buyer terminal 60, the server 10 requests the blockchain network 20 to compare the hash value of the product photo included in the sales page with the hash value recorded in the blockchain network 20 (step S304). The server 10 receives the comparison result from the blockchain network 20. If the received result indicates that the two do not match, the server 10 sends an error message to the buyer terminal 60. The fact that the comparison result does not match means that the product photo described on the sales page is not authentic. In one example, in order to handle the situation where the product photo is not authentic, the server 10 reports that the product photo is not authentic. The reporting destination is, in one example, the management operator of the sales page. Alternatively, if the server 10 has the authority, such as when the management operator of the server 10 and the management operator of the sales page are the same, the server 10 may perform processing to suspend or delete the publication of the sales page. If the received result indicates that the two match, the server 10 instructs or requests the blockchain network 20 to activate the smart contract corresponding to the processing request (step S305). In one example, this smart contract performs processing to output the product information and related information of the physical product. The related information is information related to the product and includes, for example, the customs duties of the country where the buyer Ub resides, the shipping cost to the address of the buyer Ub, and information regarding the delivery schedule.

[0067] Upon receiving the notification from the server 10, the blockchain network 20 activates the corresponding smart contract (step S306). In the following description, the smart contract may be described as the main body of the processing, which means that one or more nodes among the nodes constituting the blockchain network 20 execute the processing. The activated smart contract acquires the corresponding data from the product database 901.

[0068] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an action database 911 that records the correspondence between product information and actions. The action database 911 includes a plurality of records. Each record includes identification information of an action and identification information of items of product information corresponding to the action. In the example of FIG. 11, in the top row record, "outline", "price", "tariff information", and "date information" are defined as items of product information corresponding to the action "browsing". Any hierarchy may be defined as an item of product information corresponding to the action. For example, in this example, "shipment available date" may be defined among the "date information". In one example, when the action at the buyer terminal 60 is "browsing", in step S306, the smart contract 25 reads out "outline", "price", "tariff information", and "date information" from the product database 901.

[0069] Referring again to FIG. 10. In step S306, the smart contract 25 processes the read product information. The smart contract 25 transmits the result of the information processing to the server 10 (step S307). This result includes product information and related information. The server 10 transmits the information received from the smart contract 25 to the buyer terminal 60 (step S308). The buyer terminal 60 processes this information (step S309). For example, the buyer terminal 60 displays the received product information.

[0070] In this state, the buyer Ub can further input an action for the UI object included in the sales page. When another action is input, the buyer terminal 60 transmits a processing request to the server 10 (step S310). The server 10 performs the collation of the product images in the same manner as in step S304 (this process is not shown). When the images match (i.e., when the hash values of the images match), the server 10 instructs or requests the blockchain network 20 to activate the smart contract 25 corresponding to the processing request (step S311). The blockchain network 20 executes the instructed or requested smart contract 25 (step S312). The processing by the smart contract 25 can be set in various ways, and various processes are performed depending on the content of the program. Here, some specific examples of the processing by the smart contract 25 will be described.

[0071] (1) Calculation of Tariffs In global e-commerce, it is important for both sellers and buyers to clearly understand various taxes. In particular, the reduction in tax revenue due to the importer's inaccurate declaration of various taxes (including so-called false declarations) when importing goods has become a problem. Here, various taxes refer to indirect taxes such as tariffs, consumption taxes, liquor taxes, or tobacco taxes. The specific names of taxes vary by country or region. For example, for consumption taxes, some countries levy them under the name of VAT or sales tax. Also, for the import and export of goods, not only tariffs but also so-called miscellaneous charges are often required. Miscellaneous charges refer to expenses related to import and export, such as forwarder fees, warehouse fees, transportation fees, and transportation insurance premiums. According to the information processing system 1, a mechanism is provided to more accurately grasp various taxes and miscellaneous charges and suppress fraudulent transactions that falsify product classification, unit price, quantity, or weight in import and export transactions. In the information processing system 1, by utilizing smart contracts, e-commerce transactions proceed with less human intervention, thereby improving the transparency and compliance of transactions.

[0072] To accurately grasp the tariffs, the information processing system 1 has a tariff database 921. In the tariff database 921, information specifying the tariff rate, duty exemption and reduction conditions, consumption tax rate, prohibited import items, and duty exemption and reduction exclusion items is recorded for each HS code and country. The HS code is a code system aimed at standardizing the classification of goods in international trade. The HS code provides a detailed classification of goods and is used by the customs authorities of each country to identify goods and apply tariffs. The duty exemption and reduction conditions indicate the conditions for duty reduction or exemption. The duty exemption and reduction exclusion items indicate the goods for which the application of duty reduction or exemption measures is excluded.

[0073] In this example, the tariff database 921 is held in off-chain storage, that is, the tariff database 921 is stored in an external storage outside the blockchain network 20. Since the smart contract 25 cannot directly reference the external database, for example, one of the following methods is used.

[0074] (a) Use of an oracle An oracle refers to a third-party system or service that provides external data and information to a smart contract. The processing in this case is as follows. i) The smart contract issues a request to obtain the necessary data from the database. ii) The oracle transfers the request to an external database. iii) The oracle returns the data obtained from the database to the smart contract.

[0075] (b) Utilize blockchain events as a trigger Instead of directly linking an external database to a smart contract, this method triggers an external application to perform database operations based on the events of the smart contract. The processing in this case is as follows. i) Issue an event in the smart contract (e.g., when a specific function is called). ii) The external application listens for the event. iii) In response to the listened event, the external application executes database operations. iv) If necessary, the external application feeds back the result to the smart contract to the smart contract.

[0076] (c) Use of external APIs Instead of directly accessing the database, this method uses an external API for operating the database. Since the smart contract cannot directly call the API, it is through an off-chain application. The processing in this case is as follows. i) Build an API accessible to the database. ii) Generate a request to the API from the smart contract (usually event issuance). iii) The off-chain application receives the request from the smart contract, calls the API to obtain data. iv) If necessary the off-chain application sends the obtained data to the smart contract as needed.

[0077] Alternatively, the customs database 921 may be stored in on-chain storage. However, attention needs to be paid to the cost (so-called gas fee).

[0078] FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating a process related to the extraction of customs information. In step S401, the smart contract 25 extracts information regarding the customs duties of the target product. The information regarding customs duties is, for example, the place of origin (or exporting country), importing country, purpose of import, and HS code. The exporting country and HS code are extracted from the product database 901. The importing country and purpose of import are obtained from the buyer terminal 60. Note that the importing country is the country related to the buyer Ub, and in one example, it is the country where the buyer Ub resides. Alternatively, there may be a case where a buyer residing in country A sends a product with its origin in country C to a friend or parent residing in country B. In this example, country B is the country related to the buyer Ub.

[0079] In step S402, the smart contract 25 determines whether the target product falls under prohibited imports. Prohibited imports are recorded in the customs duty database 921. If it is determined that the target product falls under prohibited imports (S402: YES), the smart contract 25 notifies the buyer terminal 60 to that effect (step S403). The buyer terminal 60 displays that the target product falls under prohibited imports. If it is determined that the target product does not fall under prohibited imports (S402: NO), the smart contract 25 proceeds to step S404.

[0080] In step S404, the smart contract 25 determines a customs duty rate that conforms to the information extracted in step S401. The customs duty rate is recorded in the customs duty database 921.

[0081] In step S405, the smart contract 25 determines whether the target product meets the duty exemption or reduction conditions. If it is determined that the target product meets the duty exemption or reduction conditions (S405: YES), the smart contract 25 proceeds to step S406. If it is determined that the target product does not meet the duty exemption or reduction conditions (S405: NO), the smart contract 25 proceeds to step S407.

[0082] In the case of applying for tax reduction or exemption, the importer (even in the case of personal import) is required to apply for tax reduction or exemption with the necessary documents. That is, the importer or the system needs to determine in advance whether the import transaction is subject to tax reduction or exemption and apply for tax reduction or exemption. In the information processing system 1, based on this, when tax reduction or exemption is applicable, it is required to generate the necessary documents by means of a smart contract.

[0083] Regarding the application of tax reduction or exemption in personal import, there is the following information, for example. (a) Necessity of applying for tax reduction or exemption · Declaration to the customs: The customs will not automatically apply tax reduction or exemption unless it recognizes that the importer hopes for tax reduction or exemption. · Object of examination: By applying for tax reduction or exemption, the customs can examine whether the requirements for tax reduction or exemption are met based on the application content. · Submission of necessary documents: For the application of tax reduction or exemption, usually, the submission of documents proving details of the goods, purchase price, purpose of use, etc. is required. (b) Method of application The method of applying for tax reduction or exemption varies depending on the goods to be imported, quantity, and the customs. As common methods, the following are listed. · Submission of a declaration form to the customs: Record the application items for tax reduction or exemption on the import declaration form, attach the necessary documents, and submit them to the customs. · Application using an online system: In some customs, it is possible to apply for tax reduction or exemption using an online system.

[0084] In step S406, the smart contract 25 determines the tax reduction or exemption rate for the target goods. The tax reduction or exemption rate is recorded in the customs duty database 921. In step S407, the smart contract 25 calculates the tax amount for the target goods using the determined rate. Finally, the smart contract 25 provides the information obtained in this flow to the server 10 (and the buyer terminal 60 or other devices).

[0085] (2) Provision of product information Product information is the basic information referred to in e-commerce transactions. The smart contract 25 reads out the information of the items corresponding to the actions from the product database 901 among the product information. The smart contract 25 generates data for display on the buyer terminal 60 using the read information. The correspondence between the actions on the buyer terminal 60 and the items of the product information is defined in the action database 911. For example, the items of the product information corresponding to the action "browse" are defined as "overview", "price", "taxes", and "date information". The smart contract 25 transmits the generated data to the buyer terminal 60. The buyer terminal 60 displays the product information of the physical product for which the product photo has been browsed according to the data received from the smart contract 25.

[0086] Figure 13 is a diagram illustrating the screen displayed on the buyer terminal 60. On this screen, the price of this product, the currency used, taxes, the scheduled shipping date, and the scheduled arrival date are shown. Note that the customs duty information displayed here is the customs duty information obtained by the method described in Figure 12, that is, the information indicating the import duty in the country to which the buyer's place of residence belongs. These amounts may be displayed after being converted into the currency of the country where the buyer Ub is located. Also, the information displayed on this screen may include, as an example, in the case of Japan, the foreign currency price, the yen price, the import tax (yen), miscellaneous charges, and the total amount (yen). Furthermore, in addition to these information, information such as quantity, consumption tax, and the availability of current tax exemption may be included. Furthermore, in addition to this information, the application result of tax exemption or reduction may be displayed. In one example, all the expenses required for the transaction such as miscellaneous charges and transportation fees and the total amount are displayed.

[0087] (3) Acceptance of orders FIG. 14 is a sequence chart illustrating the process related to order reception. Order reception is one of the functions used in e-commerce. In the information processing system 1, order reception is also implemented using the smart contract 25. Here, the flow of FIG. 14 starts from the state where the buyer terminal 60 is displaying product information in the flow of FIG. 10 (step S309).

[0088] In this example, the product display screen includes a UI object for instructing an order for the product. The buyer terminal 60 receives an order from the buyer Ub via the UI object (step S501). After receiving the order, the buyer terminal 60 sends an order request to the server 10 (step S502). When receiving the order request from the buyer terminal 60, the server 10 determines whether the order satisfies the transaction conditions (step S503). Since the transaction conditions are recorded on the blockchain, the server 10 obtains the transaction conditions from the blockchain network 20 and determines whether the order request satisfies these transaction conditions. If it is determined that the transaction conditions are not satisfied, the server 10 notifies the buyer terminal 60 to that effect. If it is determined that the transaction conditions are satisfied, the server 10 proceeds to step S504.

[0089] In step S504, the server 10 activates the smart contract 25 related to the purchase process. The blockchain network 20 executes the instructed smart contract 25 (step S505). This smart contract 25 performs, for example, the following processes (a) to (e). (a) Notification to the seller, (b) Recording of a transaction related to the transfer of ownership, (c) Recording of a transaction related to the settlement of the purchase price, (d) Recording of a transaction related to the distribution of the price to the relevant parties, (e) Creation of data for import / export documents. Transmission of the created data to the relevant parties, and (f) Inventory management.

[0090] The notification to the seller Us notifies the seller terminal 50 that a product has been ordered. This notification includes the attributes of the purchased physical product. The attributes of the physical product include the product ID and the quantity purchased. This notification may further include the attributes of the buyer Ub. The attributes of the buyer Ub include information that cannot identify an individual, such as the country of residence, gender, and age group. In this way, the seller Us and the buyer Ub can complete the e-commerce transaction without knowing each other's personal information such as name and address.

[0091] The record of the transaction related to the transfer of ownership is a record in the blockchain network 20 that the buyer Ub has purchased the target product from the seller Us. The smart contract 25 records in the blockchain network 20 a transaction indicating that the buyer Ub has purchased the target product from the seller Us.

[0092] The record of the transaction related to the settlement of the purchase price is a record of the settlement of the purchase price in the blockchain network 20. The smart contract 25 records in the blockchain network 20 a transaction indicating the transfer of the product price from the account of the buyer Ub to the account of the seller Us. In one example, the settlement of the price is carried out using cryptocurrency.

[0093] The record of the transaction related to the distribution of the price to the relevant parties is a record of the distribution of the price among the relevant parties in the blockchain network 20. The distribution of the price includes, for example, the payment of a fee to the operator of the server 10. The distribution rate or amount and the recipient of the price are defined, for example, in the server 10. Note that for the distribution or transfer of the price, a so-called escrow service may be used. For example, the server administrator or a trusted third party holds the funds, confirms that the transaction conditions are met and the product has been delivered to the buyer, and then distributes the price.

[0094] Regarding the creation of data for import and export documents, many documents are required for import and export, but the required documents and items to be described vary depending on the exporting or importing country. Generally, it is difficult for those who do not specialize in import and export business to create legal documents. In the information processing system 1, the smart contract 25 automatically creates documents. First, the smart contract 25 acquires information used for creating import and export documents. The server 10 has a document database (not shown). The document database is a database in which information used for import and export documents is recorded. In the document database, for each of the exporting country and the importing country, data on the format of the required documents and items to be described are recorded. The smart contract 25 refers to the document database and identifies the documents and items to be described required for the import and export of the target product. Documents required for import and export include, for example, invoices, packing lists, bills of lading, certificates of origin, export declarations (in the case of exports), and import declarations (in the case of imports). Depending on the importing country, a freight statement or an insurance statement may be required. Additionally, it is desirable to create a calculation sheet (i.e., a statement) showing the basis for calculating tariffs and duty exemptions. The calculation sheet describes the HS code, applicable tariff rate, product price, total import amount, and the basis for applying duty exemptions. The smart contract 25 acquires information on the items to be described thus identified from the product database 901 or the like. In one example, the information used for creating import and export documents is the transport schedule, the inbound and outbound fees of the product, transport costs, import and export insurance premiums, and export handling fees. The smart contract 25 generates data for import and export documents using the acquired information. Since there are some import and export documents that cannot be created only with the matters described in the database, such documents are not subject to automatic generation.

[0095] Inventory management is the inventory quantity in the product database 901. The smart contract 25 requests the server 10 to subtract the ordered quantity from the inventory quantity for the target product. The server 10 adjusts the inventory quantity of the target product in the product database 901 in response to the request from the smart contract 25.

[0096] (4) Logistics management In order to actually import and export goods, it is often necessary to arrange for a forwarder, warehouse, transporter, or transport insurance. It is also necessary to manage the progress of these. The information processing system 1 can also manage logistics using the smart contract 25. In this case, a forwarder, warehouse operator, transporter, or transport insurance operator has introduced computer software for accessing the information processing system 1. These computer systems are represented as the EC engine 70 in FIG. 4. The smart contract 25 requests the EC engine 70 to perform distribution-related procedures specifying the place of shipment, place of receipt, shipping date, and receipt date. The EC engine 70 obtains the necessary information from the smart contract 25 and provides the necessary information or submits documents to the forwarder, warehouse operator, transporter, or transport insurance operator.

[0097] 3. Implementation in Web3.0 The information processing system 1 can also be implemented in Web3.0. In Web3.0, functions that were implemented on a centralized server up to Web2.0 can be implemented on a decentralized network. In Web3.0, direct information sharing and settlement between users are possible through peer-to-peer transactions and smart contracts. Even in the case of peer-to-peer transactions, like in the case of Web2.0, the seller Us and the buyer Ub can complete the e-commerce transaction without disclosing their personal information to each other.

[0098] The seller Us can directly approach a plurality of target users (i.e., potential buyers Ub) without going through social media. Also, settlement can be made directly between users without going through a payment gateway. The settled sales proceeds are automatically distributed to the relevant parties. However, the buyer is also limited to buyers existing in Web3.0.

[0099] Even in a Web3.0 environment, similar to a Web2.0 environment, NFTs can be generated from product photos and e-commerce transactions can be carried out using smart contracts. However, in Web3.0, when a product photo is NFT-ized, multiple copies of NFTs with the same ID cannot be copied and used for sales. Therefore, it is desirable to associate the hash values of multiple product photos with the original NFT for operation. For example, manufacturer Um associates the hashes of multiple product photos with the original NFT and registers them in showroom 210, and seller Us copies one of these multiple product photos to his own sales page for sales activities. Manufacturer Um associates the hash with a single product photo for the original NFT without associating hash values with multiple product photos and registers it in showroom 210, and the seller can copy the registered product photo to his own sales page (e.g., shop 220) for sales activities.

[0100] Also, a large amount of so-called gas fees are required for the generation of NFTs and the execution of smart contracts, and the cost may become a bottleneck. In this regard, a private blockchain can be adopted to set the gas fees borne by users to be free. However, since the physical management and mining of the blockchain are costly, measures such as allocating such costs (gas fees) to the product prices of product manufacturers or extracting them from the profits of the platform can be considered.

[0101] Whether in a Web2.0 environment or a Web3.0 environment, the use of smart contracts should be applied only to the necessary parts to maintain the authenticity of products, transparency of transactions, preservation of history, etc., and it is considered possible to reduce costs (gas fees). For example, the server 10 accumulates information on past transactions as a database, and for information related to imports from the place of origin with transaction records, information on tariffs may be obtained by referring to this database without using a smart contract.

[0102] When selling a product, Seller Us describes the product on the marketplace's own product page. When Buyer Ub views the product, the smart contract is activated and the e-commerce transaction proceeds. It is possible to directly send product information to Seller Us' own community, trigger the smart contract by viewing the product, and execute the e-commerce transaction.

[0103] 4. Others Product manufacturers can store products, one by one, in bonded warehouses around the world. One of the advantages of storing products in bonded warehouses is the substantial reduction of international transportation costs. Product manufacturers can store products, one by one, in the bonded warehouses of the countries where they intend to sell. The transportation costs to the bonded warehouses are reduced by sharing sea containers and air freight ULD (Unit Load Device) containers with other product manufacturers. Also, in the case of individual buyers importing, since the importer of the product in the bonded warehouse (abroad) is an individual, there is an advantage that they may be eligible for preferential treatment such as tariffs for individual imports as defined in each country. Note that the benefits of preferential treatment for individual imports are not limited to products stored in bonded warehouses. This is solely due to the causal relationship between the country of origin and the importing country.

[0104] 5. Variations The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modified implementations are possible. Some variations will be described below. Among the variations described below, two or more matters may be used in combination.

[0105] The information processing system 1 may provide the right of use to others by API (Application Programing Interface)-izing at least a part of the functions of the marketplace 200. The operator of the information processing system 1 can obtain consideration for the right of use of the API from others.

[0106] The blockchain network 20 is not limited to a private blockchain. A public blockchain may be used as the blockchain network 20. Also, the method for registering or storing the metadata of the NFT is not limited to IPFS. The metadata may be stored in any type of distributed storage platform, on-chain storage, or conventional server based on blockchain technology.

[0107] In the above-described embodiment, an example of using the hash value of the product image as the identification information of the product image has been described. However, the identification information of the product image is not limited to the hash value, and other uniquely given identification information may be used. Note that whether the hash value is used or not, the identification information of the product image may be written into the image data as the metadata of the image data.

[0108] In the above-described embodiment, the manufacturer Um or the person commissioned by the manufacturer registered the product information, but the registration of the product information may be performed by other users such as the seller Us. However, in a system where anyone can register product information, it may be difficult to guarantee the authenticity of the product or product information. Therefore, from the viewpoint of safely conducting e-commerce, it is preferable that the users who can register product information are restricted to a certain extent.

[0109] The method by which the seller Us sells physical products in the information processing system 1 is not limited to wholesaling, agency sales, and affiliate marketing. The information processing system 1 may adopt other sales forms if there are any that can be used.

[0110] The specific data, database, UI, smart contract, and processing flow described in the above-described embodiment are merely examples. At least a part of these data may be modified. For example, the processing described in the embodiment may be performed by a program or batch processing executed on a centralized server without relying on a blockchain and a smart contract.

[0111] The hardware configuration of the information processing system 1 is not limited to that exemplified in the embodiment. As long as it can realize the required functions, the information processing system 1 may have any hardware configuration.

[0112] The functional configuration of the information processing system 1 is not limited to that exemplified in the embodiment. Some of the functions described in the embodiment may be omitted. Alternatively, functions other than those described in the embodiment may be added.

[0113] Also, the correspondence between the functional elements and the hardware elements is not limited to that exemplified in the embodiment. The required functions may be implemented on any hardware.

[0114] Various programs executed by the processor 101 or the like may be provided by downloading via a network such as the Internet, or may be provided in a state recorded on a computer-readable non-transitory recording medium such as a DVD-ROM.

Description of Reference Numerals

[0115] 1... Information processing system, 10... Server, 11... Storage means, 12... Reception means, 13... Writing means, 14... Reception means, 15... Activation means, 16... Output means, 19... Control means, 20... Blockchain network, 25... Smart contract, 30... Relay server, 40... Manufacturer terminal, 50... Seller terminal, 60... Buyer terminal, 70... EC engine, 80... Payment gateway, 101... Processor, 102... Memory, 103... Storage, 104... Communication device, 200... Marketplace, 210... Showroom, 220... Shop, 300... Internet media, 310... Social media, 320... Homepage, 901... Product database, 911... Action database, 921... Tariff database

Claims

1. A first receiving means for receiving product information indicating attributes of the physical product and an instruction to register the physical product in the marketplace from a business terminal that is a terminal of a business related to the manufacture or transfer of the physical product; a writing means for writing, in response to the registration instruction, a) product identification information for individually identifying the physical product, and b) storage location information indicating the product information or a storage location of the product information, into a distributed ledger network having a smart contract related to the electronic commerce of the physical product; A second receiving means for receiving, from a seller terminal that is a terminal of a seller who sells the physical product, a posting instruction to post information for posting on a product sales page, the information being information about the physical product and including the product identification information generated in conjunction with the generation of an NFT (Non-Fungible Token) related to the physical product; an activation means for activating the smart contract when a predetermined operation is performed on the product identification information of the physical product on the page from a buyer terminal that is a terminal of a buyer who wishes to purchase the physical product; an output means for outputting data for displaying information related to delivery of the physical product to the buyer on the buyer terminal in response to processing of the smart contract; An information processing system having the above configuration.

2. the product information includes an original image of the physical product; The writing means writes identification information of the original image to the distributed ledger network. The information processing system according to claim 1 .

3. the product identification information includes an image of the physical product; When the predetermined operation is performed on an image posted as the posting information on the page, the activation means activates the smart contract according to a comparison result between identification information of the image posted as the posting information and identification information of the original image. The information processing system according to claim 2 .

4. If the comparison result indicates that the identification information of the image posted as the posting information on the page does not match the identification information of the original image, a process is performed to suspend or delete the page. The information processing system according to claim 3 .

5. The identification information is a hash The information processing system according to claim 2 .

6. the product identification information includes an image of the physical product; The predetermined operation is an operation of displaying a page including the image on the buyer terminal. The information processing system according to claim 1 .

7. The product information includes information regarding a tax on the physical product. The smart contract includes a process for extracting information regarding a tax on the physical product from the product information; The output means outputs data for displaying information regarding the tax as the information regarding the delivery. The information processing system according to claim 1 .

8. The tax-related information includes information regarding customs duties; The smart contract includes a process of extracting information regarding tariffs related to imports and exports between a country to which the physical product originates or is exported and a country to which the physical product is imported; The output means outputs data for displaying information regarding the customs duty as the information regarding the delivery. The information processing system according to claim 7.

9. the product information includes information regarding a price of the physical product; The smart contract includes a process for extracting information regarding a price of the physical commodity from the commodity information; The output means outputs information regarding profits obtained from the sale of the physical goods to the seller. The information processing system according to claim 1 .

10. The output means outputs data for displaying product information of the physical product on the buyer terminal. The information processing system according to claim 1 .

11. An information processing system includes a step of receiving, from a business terminal that is a terminal of a business operator related to the manufacture or transfer of a physical product, product information indicating attributes of the physical product and an instruction to register the physical product in a marketplace; The information processing system writes, in response to the registration instruction, a) product identification information that uniquely identifies the physical product, and b) storage location information that indicates the product information or a storage location of the product information, into a distributed ledger network having a smart contract related to the electronic commerce of the physical product; The information processing system receives a posting instruction from a seller terminal, which is a terminal of a seller who sells the physical product, to post information for posting on a product sales page, the information being related to the physical product and including the product identification information generated in conjunction with the generation of a Non-Fungible Token (NFT) related to the physical product; The information processing system activates the smart contract when a predetermined operation is performed on the product identification information of the physical product on the page from a buyer terminal, which is a terminal of a buyer who wishes to purchase the physical product; the information processing system outputs data for displaying information related to delivery of the physical product to the buyer on the buyer terminal in response to processing of the smart contract; An information processing method comprising the steps of:

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