Information processing system and information processing method
Patent Information
- Application Number
- PCT/JP2025/005488
- Authority / Receiving Office
- WO · WO
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2025-02-18
- Publication Date
- 2026-08-27
Smart Images
Figure JP2025005488_27082026_PF_FP_ABST
Abstract
Description
Information Processing System and Information Processing Method
[0001] The present invention relates to electronic commerce.
[0002] Techniques for simplifying electronic commerce are known. For example, Patent Document 1 relates to so-called one-click patents.
[0003] U.S. Patent No. 5,960,411
[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.
[0006] One aspect of the present disclosure includes: a first receiving means for receiving, from a business operator terminal which is a terminal of a business operator related to the manufacture or transfer of a physical product, product information indicating the attributes of the physical product and a registration instruction to register the physical product in a marketplace; a writing means for writing, in a distributed ledger network having a smart contract related to the electronic commerce of the physical product 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; a second receiving means for receiving, from a seller terminal which is a terminal of a seller who sells the physical product, a posting instruction to post information related to the physical product 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 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 displaying, on the buyer terminal, information related to the delivery of the physical product to the buyer in response to the processing of the smart contract.
[0007] The product information may include an original image of the physical product, and the writing means may write identification information of the original image in the distributed ledger network.
[0008] If the product identification information includes an image of the physical product, and the predetermined operation is performed on the image, the activation means may activate the smart contract according to the result of matching the identification information of the image with the identification information of the original image.
[0009] If the matching result indicates that the identification information of the image does not match the identification information of the original image, processing may be taken to suspend or delete the page.
[0010] The aforementioned 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 that causes the buyer terminal to display a page containing the image.
[0012] The product information may include information regarding the tax on the physical product, the smart contract may include a process for extracting information regarding the tax on the physical product from the product information, and the output means may output data that displays the information regarding the tax as information related to delivery.
[0013] The tax information may include information on customs duties, the smart contract may include a process for extracting information on customs duties relating to the export and import of the physical goods between the country to which the country of origin or export belongs and the country importing the physical goods, and the output means may output data that displays the information on customs duties as information relating to delivery.
[0014] The product information may include information regarding the price of the physical product, the smart contract may include a process for extracting information regarding the price of the physical product from the product information, and the output means may output to the seller information regarding the profit obtained from the sale of the physical product.
[0015] The output means may output data that displays product information of the physical product on the buyer terminal.
[0016] Another aspect of this disclosure provides an information processing method comprising the steps of: receiving product information indicating the attributes of a physical product and an instruction to register the physical product on a marketplace from a business terminal which is the terminal of a business operator involved in the manufacture or transfer of a physical product; writing a) product identification information that individually identifies the physical product, and b) storage location information indicating the storage location of the product information or the storage location of the product information, to a distributed ledger network having a smart contract relating to the electronic commerce of the physical product in response to the registration instruction; receiving a posting instruction from a seller terminal which is the terminal of a seller who sells the physical product, to post information about the physical product on a product sales page; 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 the terminal of a buyer who intends to purchase the physical product; and outputting data to display information relating to the delivery of the physical product to the buyer on the buyer terminal in response to the processing of the smart contract.
[0017] According to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the workload of sellers in e-commerce.
[0018] A diagram illustrating the overview of an information processing system 1 according to one embodiment. A diagram illustrating the functional configuration of the information processing system 1. A diagram illustrating the hardware configuration of the server 10. A diagram illustrating the operation overview of the information processing system 1. A flowchart illustrating the processing overview in the information processing system 1. A sequence chart illustrating the process of registering physical products to a marketplace. A diagram illustrating product information. A sequence chart illustrating the process of registering physical products to a sales page. A diagram illustrating a page database. A sequence chart illustrating the process of purchasing physical products. A diagram illustrating an action database 911 that records the correspondence between product information and actions. A flowchart illustrating the process related to the extraction of customs information. A diagram illustrating the screen displayed on the buyer terminal 60. A sequence chart illustrating the process related to receiving orders.
[0019] 1. Diagram 1 shows an overview of an information processing system 1 according to one 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 form. Physical goods include, for example, food, furniture, electrical appliances, clothing, shoes, sporting goods, musical instruments, and books. Digital assets such as digital currency or digital art are not included in physical goods. A platform refers to a computer system. Here, we will first explain an example of implementation using Web 2.0.
[0020] The information processing system 1 comprises 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 about physical goods. The blockchain network 20 is composed of multiple computer devices such as nodes (not shown in the diagram). The server 10 is a server in the buying and selling service and provides a marketplace for buying and selling physical goods. Here, a marketplace refers to a platform that provides an online space where various sellers can open their own stores, list their products, and sell them. "Their 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 that user a posting page. Users who become sellers can sell their products on this posting page.
[0021] The relay server 30 relays communication between the application (more specifically, a Web 2.0 application, such as a web browser or mobile app) and the blockchain network 20. Since requests from the application do not reach the blockchain network 20 directly, the relay server 30 mediates the communication to send transactions and execute smart contracts. The relay server 30 is used to support API gateway or blockchain request processing.
[0022] The manufacturer terminal 40 is one of the clients in the buying and selling service and is used by Manufacturer Um (i.e., the manufacturer) who manufactures physical goods. Manufacturer Um is an example of a business operator involved in the manufacture or transfer of physical goods. The transfer may include both paid and free transfers. Business operators include individuals who manufacture or transfer physical goods. Business operators may also include those who operate a platform for the transfer of physical goods between individuals. In other words, the manufacturer terminal 40 is an example of a business operator terminal involved in the manufacture or transfer of physical goods. The seller terminal 50 is one of the clients in the buying and selling service and is used by Seller Us, a user who sells physical goods on a webpage. The buyer terminal 60 is one of the clients in the buying and selling service and is used by Buyer Ub, a user who purchases physical goods from a webpage. These devices communicate via network 9. Network 9 is a computer network such as the Internet.
[0023] This diagram shows two seller terminals 50 and two buyer terminals 60, and two sellers Us and two buyers Ub, but the number of terminals and users is not limited to this example. Manufacturer Um, seller Us, and buyer Ub are all users of the information processing system 1, and are therefore collectively referred to as users U. When distinguishing between multiple users U, the subscript user U[k] is used. For manufacturer Um, seller Us, and buyer Ub, when referring to individual users, they are written as seller Us[2], and so on. The same applies to users in other categories. For user terminals such as manufacturer terminal 40, seller terminal 50, and buyer terminal 60, the same subscript as the corresponding user is used when referring to individual terminals.
[0024] Figure 2 illustrates the functional configuration of the information processing system 1. The information processing system 1 includes a storage means 11, a receiving means 12 (first receiving means), a writing means 13, a receiving means 14 (second receiving means), a starting 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 data and programs. As will be described in detail later, the storage means 11 stores various databases. The receiving means 12 receives instructions from the manufacturer terminal 40 to register product information indicating the attributes of a physical product and the physical product itself to the marketplace. The writing means 13 writes to the blockchain network 20 a) product identification information that individually identifies a 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 smart contracts related to the electronic commerce of physical products, as will be described later. The receiving means 14 receives instructions from the seller terminal 50 to list the physical product on a product sales page (hereinafter referred to as the "sales page"). Here, a sales page refers to a visual representation of a set of information related to the sale of a physical product, and is a concept that encompasses, for example, web pages and application program display screens.
[0026] The activation means 15 activates the smart contract when a predetermined operation is performed on the product identification information of a physical product at the buyer terminal 60. The output means 16 outputs data to display information related to the delivery of the physical product to the buyer at the buyer terminal 60, in accordance with the processing of the smart contract. In addition to the delivery information, the output means 16 may also output product information indicating the attributes of the physical product to the buyer terminal 60. The control means 19 performs various controls. The delivery information may include, for example, at least one of the following: delivery destination, delivery method, scheduled delivery date, and delivery fee.
[0027] Smart contracts are deployed on the blockchain network 20. Smart contracts are self-executing programs that run 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 indicating that a predetermined action has been performed on the buyer terminal 60. Multiple types of smart contracts are deployed on the blockchain network 20, and smart contracts corresponding to actions performed on the buyer terminal 60 are triggered via the server 10.
[0028] When a smart contract is executed, various transactions are carried out, and these transactions are recorded on the blockchain network 20.
[0029] Figure 3 illustrates the hardware configuration of server 10. Server 10 is a computer device having a processor 101, memory 102, storage 103, and communication IF 104. The processor 101 is a processing unit that performs various calculations according to a program, and includes, for example, a CPU. The memory 102 is a main memory that functions as a work area when the processor 101 executes a program, and includes, for example, RAM. The storage 103 is an auxiliary storage device that stores various data and programs, and includes, for example, an HDD or SSD. The communication IF 104 is a communication device that communicates with other devices according to a predetermined communication standard (e.g., Ethernet®), and includes, for example, a NIC.
[0030] In this example, the program stored in the storage 103 includes a program (hereinafter referred to as the "server program") that causes the computer to function as a server 10 in the information processing system 1. When the processor 101 is executing the server program, the storage 103 is an example of the storage means 11, the processor 101 is an example of the receiving means 12, writing means 13, starting means 15, and control means 19, and the communication IF 104 is an example of the output means 16.
[0031] 2. Operation 2-1. Operation Overview Figure 4 is a diagram illustrating the operation overview of the information processing system 1. The information processing system 1 has a marketplace 200 as a platform for conducting electronic commerce. The marketplace 200 is a virtual exchange on a computer system. The marketplace 200 has a showroom 210 and a shop 220. The showroom 210 is a virtual product shelf that displays physical goods traded on the marketplace 200. The shop 220 is a virtual store that sells physical goods on the marketplace 200. In one example, the shop 220 is provided in the form of a web page that displays user submissions 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 sales service), seller Us[2] is automatically assigned a page for selling products (or store page or My Page). In Figure 4, Shop 220 refers to this page. When referring to the sales pages of multiple sellers Us collectively, it is called Shop 220, and when referring to the sales page of an individual seller U[k], it is written as Shop 220[k]. Seller Us[2] selects physical products to display in Shop 220[2] from showroom 210. The selected physical products are displayed in Shop 220[2]. Buyer Ub[4] browses Shop 220[2] and purchases the desired products from the displayed physical products.
[0033] Internet media 300 is provided on the internet. 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 on which users interact and exchange information via the internet. Social media 310 is sometimes also called a social networking system (SNS). Homepage 320 broadly refers to a web page published on the internet. When referring collectively to the Internet media 300 of multiple users U, it is written as social media 310 and homepage 320, and when referring to an individual user U[k], it is written as Internet media 300[k], social media 310[k], or homepage 320[k]. Seller Us[3] can select their favorite physical products from the showroom 210 or shop 220 and post them to their own Internet media 300[3].
[0034] Buyer Ub[5] accesses Seller Us[3]'s social media 310[3] or homepage 320[3]. Buyer Ub[5] purchases the desired physical product from a page on these internet media 300[3] that showcases the physical product.
[0035] In Information Processing System 1, anyone who has been pre-approved by Information Processing System 1 can become a Manufacturer Um and register their own physical products in Showroom 210. Furthermore, anyone in the world can become a Seller Us and display any physical product from Showroom 210 in their own Shop 220.
[0036] When purchasing physical goods, the smart contract 25 processes the transaction and writes the information related to the smart contract to the blockchain network 20. The smart contract 25 can refer to various types of information, such as the customs database 921. The information related to the smart contract is, for example, the transaction details of the transaction. The necessary information is relayed via the server 10, and the settlement gateway 80 or EC engine 70 performs individual processing. The above is an overview of the operation of the information processing system 1.
[0037] In this embodiment, the responsibility for the sale of physical goods (the responsibility for ensuring the authenticity of the physical goods) is primarily borne by the product manufacturer and the platform provider. Here, transparency of product information and transactions is protected by smart contracts and blockchain technology. This allows sellers to sell products with minimal sales responsibility.
[0038] In this embodiment, product information and information used in transactions are prepared (i.e., registered in the system) by the product manufacturer and the platform provider. Both sellers and buyers only need to register minimal personal information when registering as members. This lowers the barrier to member registration and, as a result, promotes the democratization of e-commerce.
[0039] Figure 5 is a flowchart illustrating the overview of the processing in Information Processing System 1. The processing in Information Processing System 1 is broadly divided into the following steps: registration of physical products to the marketplace (Step S1), registration of physical products to the sales page (Step S2), purchase of physical products (Step S3), and shipment of physical products (Step S4). The details of each step are explained below.
[0040] 2-2. Registering Physical Products to the Marketplace Figure 6 is a sequence chart illustrating the process of registering physical products to the marketplace.
[0041] In step S101, the manufacturer terminal 40 accepts input of information regarding physical products. This UI is provided, for example, by an application program dedicated to the information processing system 1, which is installed on the manufacturer terminal 40. In this example, in order to act as a manufacturer Um in the information processing system 1, it is necessary to pass a review by the operator of the information processing system 1. Only users who have been approved for registration in advance by the information processing system 1 can access the information processing system 1 as a manufacturer Um. The information processing system 1 performs user authentication, for example, in the application program. This application program may include the functionality of an NFT wallet. Alternatively, this UI may be provided as a web page and accessed by a general-purpose web browser installed on the manufacturer terminal 40. The manufacturer terminal 40 is an example of a terminal of a business operator involved in the manufacture or sale of physical products.
[0042] In one example, this UI includes a UI object for receiving product information for physical goods and a UI object for entering transaction terms. Product information is information that indicates the attributes of the product, and is so-called product information. Product information includes content related to the product. The content includes at least one of the following: product image (or product photograph), video, illustration, text, audio, and GTIN. Here, we consider a product image as an example. This is the original image of the product. Transaction terms are the conditions for trading the physical goods, and include information such as price, shipping availability date, minimum purchase quantity, shipping end date, and target countries for sale. This UI further includes a UI object for receiving instructions to register the physical goods. The manufacturer enters product information through this UI. After completing the input, the manufacturer instructs the registration of the physical goods.
[0043] In step S102, the manufacturer terminal 40 requests the server 10 to register information about the physical product in response to instructions entered via the UI. The server 10 receives (i.e., accepts) this request, i.e., the product information of the physical product and the registration instruction. 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, that is, product database 901. In this example, the product information includes information of a plurality of items such as product name information, outline, weight, price, size, location, multilingual information, memo, date information, and image information. The product information is an example of metadata regarding a product. The information of each item is further subdivided. The product name information is information regarding the name or title of the product, and includes, for example, product name, item code for handling, JICFS (JAN Item Code File Service) classification, GPC (Global Product Classification), and GTIN (Global Trade Item Number) (or JAN (Japanese Article Number) code). The outline is information indicating the outline of the product, and includes, for example, product name, product information, URL, and product comment. The weight is information indicating the weight of the product, and includes, for example, total weight. The price is information indicating the price of the product, and includes, for example, expected retail price, whether it is an open price, and reduction standard determination classification. 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, country of origin and target country for sale. The multilingual information is product information in a plurality of languages, and includes, for example, corresponding languages and product information URL. The memo is a memo regarding the product, and includes, for example, a memo for the registered business operator. The date information is information regarding a date, and includes, for example, information disclosure date, available shipping date, end of shipping date, end of GTIN use date, manufacturing date, and expiration date (in the case of food). The image information is an image of the product, and includes a front view of the appearance, a back view of the appearance, and a 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 about the terms of the transaction. In one example, the information about the terms of the transaction includes the following (a) to (d): (a) a Boolean value indicating whether payment is required in the transaction, (b) the amount of payment required, (c) the currency used for payment, and (d) the expiration date of the terms of the transaction. The payment amount includes, for example, the wholesale price and the retail price. The wholesale price is the amount that seller Us pays to manufacturer Um. The retail price is the amount that buyer Ub pays to seller Us. Since the terms of the transaction are included as product information, the smart contract can read the terms of the transaction of the NFT and automatically execute the transaction based on those terms. The triggering action is defined in the information processing system 1.
[0046] Product information may include information regarding the inventory of physical goods. This inventory information may include, for example, the quantity in stock and the dates of receipt and shipment.
[0047] Furthermore, at least a portion of the product information may be entered not by the manufacturer, but by a party commissioned by the manufacturer, such as the server 10 management company. For example, the manufacturer may upload only the GTIN and product images, and the remaining information may be entered by the server 10 management company. Alternatively, the server 10 (server program) may automatically infer or supplement other product information from the entered product information and register it in the product database 901.
[0048] Referring to FIG. 6 again. In step S104, the server 10 instructs the registration of product information in IPFS (Inter Planetary File System). 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 IPFS. The target data is data including the product identification information of the target product, and in one example, includes product identification information, product name, and the storage destination URL of the product information. The product identification information is information for identifying a product, and in one example, includes the hash value of a 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, JSON format. In this example, the original data of the product information itself is stored in another server rather than in the blockchain network 20. It can be said that the product database 901 in the server 10 is 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 associated transaction fee (so-called gas fee). In step S105, IPFS stores the product information.
[0049] In step S106, the server 10 generates (i.e., mints) an NFT. That is, the server 10 issues an NFT product identification code on the blockchain network 20. An NFT product identification code is a type of token. An NFT product identification code is generated according to the token ID, token URI, and manufacturer ID. That is, the NFT product identification code uniquely identifies the token ID, token URI, and manufacturer ID. The NFT product identification code also 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 IPFS recording location. The manufacturer ID is identification information that uniquely identifies the manufacturer. The server 10 writes the manufacturer's identification information for this product to the blockchain as the manufacturer ID. Since the contents of an NTF are the NTF's own ID (i.e., NFT product identification code), a reference to product information (i.e., token URI), and the address of the original owner (i.e., manufacturer ID), the manufacturer of the physical product that can be referenced from the product information is defined as the user identified by the manufacturer ID.
[0050] In step S107, the server 10 publishes the product information in the showroom 210. The product information published in the showroom 210 includes a product photograph associated with the NFT product identification code. The product database 901 records a flag for each product indicating whether it is public or private in the showroom 210. The server 10 changes the flag for the target product to "public".
[0051] With the above steps completed, the registration of product information by manufacturer Um to marketplace 200 is finished. The product information registered on the marketplace can be freely accessed from seller terminal 50.
[0052] 2-3. Registering Physical Products on the Sales Page Figure 8 is a sequence chart illustrating the process of registering physical products on the sales page. In this example, the information processing system 1 requests user registration from seller Us and buyer Ub. Here, we will explain an example in which a user who has not yet registered registers with the information processing system 1 and registers physical products on the sales page as 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 user operations. The user registration request includes user information. User information includes, for example, name, address (or shipping address), and payment information (e.g., credit card number). In this example, to allow anyone to participate in e-commerce, the information processing system 1 allows user registration by registering minimal information without restricting users with strict conditions or rules. In this example, the information processing system 1 does not distinguish between seller Us and buyer Ub and accepts their registration as users in the same category. However, the information processing system 1 may distinguish between seller Us and buyer Ub and accept their registration as users in 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 registering a user, the server 10 also registers login information such as the user ID and password in the user database. This login information is entered by the user on the seller terminal 50 or is automatically provided by the server 10. User registration is now complete. For seller terminals 50 of users who have already completed user registration, steps S201 and S202 are omitted.
[0055] When a registered user accesses the server, the server 10 sends product information to the seller terminal 50 (step S203). The seller terminal 50 may also request the server 10 to narrow down the target physical products by inputting information to refine the product information, such as the product name or category. The seller terminal 50 specifies or selects the physical products to be listed in its shop 220 from the product information received from the server 10 (step S204). The specification of physical products is performed according to the seller user's operation.
[0056] When a physical product is specified, the server 10 prompts the seller terminal 50 to specify or select a sales method for that physical product. In this example, the options for sales methods are predetermined in the information processing system 1 and consist of four types: direct sales, wholesale sales, agency sales, and affiliate sales. Direct sales refer to the manufacturer Um registering as a user in the system (i.e., acting as seller Us) and conducting sales activities. The sales methods available in the system may be limited to some of these four types. The seller terminal 50 specifies the sales method (step S205). The specification of the sales method is performed in response to an operation by seller Us.
[0057] Procurement sales is a method in which seller Us procures physical goods from manufacturer Um and sells them. In procurement sales in information processing system 1, there are two methods for storing the physical goods: one in which seller Us stores the goods, and another in which the manufacturer or a third party stores the goods. In other words, in procurement sales, ownership of the physical goods is transferred to seller Us at the time of purchase, but the entity that stores the physical goods can be set separately from ownership. Seller Us can determine the retail price of the physical goods. Manufacturer Um can provide a guideline for the retail price of the physical goods. When procurement sales are selected as the sales method, server 10 requests seller terminal 50 to input the retail price and purchase quantity. Seller Us determines the retail price and purchase quantity and inputs them on seller terminal 50. Once the retail price and purchase quantity are confirmed, server 10 activates smart contract 25 to record the procurement transaction and proceed with the delivery procedure. The processing of smart contract 25 will be described later.
[0058] Consignment sales are a method in which seller Us sells physical goods on behalf of manufacturer Um. In the case of consignment sales, manufacturer Um retains ownership of the physical goods. The inventory of physical goods can be managed by either manufacturer Um or seller Us, but basically manufacturer Um stores the physical goods. Seller Us can determine the retail price of the physical goods. When consignment sales are 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 on seller terminal 50. Note that manufacturer Um may also determine the retail price. Once the retail price is determined, server 10 activates smart contract 25 to proceed with recording the consignment transaction (and delivery procedures if necessary). The processing of smart contract 25 will be described later. Even if seller Us manages the inventory, seller Us can return unsold physical goods to manufacturer Um at a later date. In other words, in this case, the inventory risk is borne by manufacturer Um, not seller Us.
[0059] Affiliate marketing is a method in which a seller (Us) introduces or promotes a physical product on behalf of a manufacturer (UM) (resulting in sales of the physical product). The manufacturer (UM) manages the inventory of the physical product. The manufacturer (UM) determines the retail price of the physical product. Affiliate marketing is a type of internet advertising that is performance-based. Affiliates can participate in affiliate programs of companies and other organizations and earn commissions. Strictly speaking, affiliates are not sellers, but for convenience, they will be referred to as sellers (Us) here.
[0060] Once a sales method is specified, the server 10 prompts the seller terminal 50 to post a review or introduction of the physical product. The seller terminal 50 accepts the input of the review for the physical product (step S206). The review is entered by seller Us. The seller terminal 50 sends the entered review to the server 10 (step S207). The server 10 registers the review received from the seller terminal 50 in the page database (step S208).
[0061] When seller Us selects a physical product and registers it in their shop 220, server 10 instructs the blockchain to write the NFT product identification code of that physical product to its correspondence with seller Us (i.e., the relationship between the NFT product identification code and seller Us's user ID) (step S209). The blockchain network 20 stores the correspondence on the blockchain in response to this instruction (step S210). Since the correspondence between the NFT product identification code and seller Us is written to the blockchain, it is possible to access the URL to transition to seller Us's sales page (i.e., shop 220) from the blockchain even if the URL is not directly written on other users' internet media 300. In other words, it is possible to transition to seller Us's sales page using the URL obtained from the information recorded on the blockchain.
[0062] Figure 9 illustrates a page database. The page database contains multiple records. Each record corresponds to a single physical product. Each record includes product photo data, a hash value of the product photo, sales method identification information, and reviews. This data is associated with a user ID.
[0063] With the above process, the physical product is registered in Seller Us's shop 220. Furthermore, if Seller Us wishes to list the physical product on its internet media 300, Seller Us may post a link to the shop 220's sales page on its social media 310 or homepage 320. This allows access to shop 220 from Seller Us's social media 310 or homepage 320.
[0064] 2-4. Physical Product Purchase Diagram 10 is a sequence chart illustrating the process of purchasing physical products. Here, it is assumed that buyer Ub has already registered as a user in the information processing system 1.
[0065] In step S301, the buyer terminal 60 accesses the server 10. This is access to a specific shop 220. The shop 220 to be accessed is specified by the buyer Ub. In response to the request from the buyer terminal 60, the server 10 sends data to the buyer terminal 60 that displays the sales page of the specified shop 220 (step S302). The buyer terminal 60 uses this data to display the sales page. This sales page has at least one UI object that accepts actions from the buyer Ub. This "action" is an example of a predetermined operation on product identification information, and specifically includes, for example, instructions to view product information and instructions to purchase physical products. That is, this at least one UI object includes, for example, a UI object that instructs viewing product information and a UI object that instructs purchasing physical products. In one example, the data on the sales page includes the hash value of the product photo as product identification information, and instructions to view product information or instructions to purchase physical products are specific examples of "predetermined operations on 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 an action from buyer Ub is received via these UI objects, the buyer terminal 60 sends a processing request to the server 10 corresponding to the received action (step S303).
[0066] When the server 10 receives a processing request from the buyer terminal 60, it 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. A mismatch in the comparison result means that the product photo listed on the sales page is not authentic. In one example, the server 10 will notify the buyer that the product photo is not authentic in order to deal with the situation. In one example, the recipient of the notification is the sales page administrator. Alternatively, if the server 10 has the authority, such as if the administrator of the server 10 and the administrator of the sales page are the same, the server 10 may take action to suspend or delete 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 processes the output of product information and related information for the physical product. The related information is information related to the product and includes, for example, information regarding customs duties in the country where buyer Ub resides, shipping costs to buyer Ub's address, and the delivery schedule.
[0067] Upon receiving notification from server 10, the blockchain network 20 invokes the corresponding smart contract (step S306). In the following description, smart contracts are sometimes referred to as the entities responsible for processing, meaning that one or more nodes among those constituting the blockchain network 20 execute the processing. The invoked smart contract retrieves the corresponding data from the product database 901.
[0068] Figure 11 illustrates an action database 911 that records the correspondence between product information and actions. The action database 911 contains multiple records. Each record contains identification information for the action and identification information for the product information items corresponding to that action. In the example in Figure 11, the top-row record defines "Summary," "Price," "Customs Information," and "Date Information" as product information items corresponding to the action "View." Any level of product information items corresponding to an action may be defined; for example, in this example, "Available for Shipment" may be specifically defined within "Date Information." In one example, if the action on the buyer terminal 60 is "View," in step S306, the smart contract 25 reads "Summary," "Price," "Customs Information," and "Date Information" from the product database 901.
[0069] Refer to Figure 10 again. In step S306, the smart contract 25 processes the retrieved product information. The smart contract 25 sends the result of the information processing to the server 10 (step S307). This result includes product information and related information. The server 10 sends 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, buyer Ub can further input actions on the UI objects included in the sales page. When another action is input, the buyer terminal 60 sends a processing request to the server 10 (step S310). The server 10 performs product image matching as in step S304 (this process is not shown). If the images match (i.e., 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). Various settings are possible for the processing by the smart contract 25, and various processes are performed depending on the content of the program. Here, we will explain some specific examples of processing by the smart contract 25.
[0071] (1) Calculation of Customs Duties In global e-commerce, a clear understanding of various taxes is important for both sellers and buyers. In particular, the loss of tax revenue due to importers not accurately declaring various taxes when importing goods (including so-called fraudulent declarations) is a problem. Here, various taxes refer to indirect taxes such as customs duties, consumption tax, liquor tax, or tobacco tax. The specific names of taxes vary from country to country or region to region; for example, consumption tax is sometimes levied under the name VAT or sales tax. In addition to customs duties, various charges are often required for the import and export of goods. Various charges refer to costs related to import and export, such as freight forwarder fees, warehousing fees, transportation fees, and transportation insurance fees. Information Processing System 1 provides a mechanism to more accurately grasp various taxes and charges and to suppress fraudulent transactions that misrepresent product classification, unit price, quantity, or weight in import and export transactions. By utilizing smart contracts in Information Processing System 1, e-commerce will proceed with less human intervention, thus improving the transparency and compliance of transactions.
[0072] To accurately understand customs duties, the information processing system 1 has a customs database 921. The customs database 921 records information identifying customs duty rates, exemption / reduction conditions, consumption tax rates, prohibited import items, and items excluded from exemption / reduction, for each HS code and country. The HS code is a coding system aimed at standardizing the classification of goods in international trade. The HS code provides a detailed classification of goods and is used by customs authorities in each country to identify goods and apply customs duties. Exemption / reduction conditions indicate the conditions for exemption or reduction of duties. Items excluded from exemption / reduction indicate goods that are excluded from the application of exemption or reduction measures.
[0073] In this example, the customs database 921 is stored in off-chain storage, that is, the customs database 921 is stored in storage outside the blockchain network 20. Since the smart contract 25 cannot directly access the external database, one of the following methods is used, for example:
[0074] (a) Use of Oracles An oracle is a third-party system or service that provides external data or information to a smart contract. The process in this case is as follows: i) The smart contract issues a request to retrieve the necessary data from a database. ii) The oracle forwards the request to the external database. iii) The oracle returns the data retrieved from the database to the smart contract.
[0075] (b) Using blockchain events as triggers This method does not directly link the external database to the smart contract, but rather the external application performs database operations triggered by events in the smart contract. In this case, the process is as follows: i) The smart contract issues an event (e.g., when a specific function is called). ii) The external application listens for the event. iii) The external application performs database operations in response to the listened event. iv) If necessary, the external application feeds the results back to the smart contract.
[0076] (c) Use of external APIs This method does not directly access the database, but uses external APIs to manipulate the database. Since smart contracts cannot directly call APIs, they are routed through off-chain applications. The process in this case is as follows: i) Build an API that can access the database. ii) Generate a request from the smart contract to the API (usually by issuing an event). iii) The off-chain application receives the request from the smart contract and calls the API to retrieve the data. iv) If necessary, the off-chain application sends the retrieved data to the smart contract.
[0077] Alternatively, the customs database 921 may be stored in on-chain storage. However, the cost (so-called gas charges) must be carefully considered.
[0078] Figure 12 is a flowchart illustrating the process for extracting customs information. In step S401, the smart contract 25 extracts information regarding customs duties for the target goods. Customs information includes, for example, the country of origin (or exporting country), importing country, purpose of import, and HS code. The exporting country and HS code are extracted from the goods database 901. The importing country and purpose of import are obtained from the buyer terminal 60. The importing country is the country to which buyer Ub belongs, and in one example, it is the country in which buyer Ub resides. Alternatively, a buyer residing in country A may send goods originating from country C to a friend or parent residing in country B. In this example, country B is the country to which buyer Ub belongs.
[0079] In step S402, the smart contract 25 determines whether the goods in question are prohibited imports. Prohibited imports are recorded in the customs database 921. If it is determined that the goods in question are prohibited imports (S402: YES), the smart contract 25 notifies the buyer terminal 60 of this (step S403). The buyer terminal 60 displays that the goods in question are prohibited imports. If it is determined that the goods in question are not prohibited imports (S402: NO), the smart contract 25 proceeds to step S404.
[0080] In step S404, the smart contract 25 determines a tariff rate that matches the information extracted in step S401. The tariff rate is recorded in the tariff database 921.
[0081] In step S405, the smart contract 25 determines whether the target goods meet the tax reduction / exemption conditions. If it is determined that the target goods meet the tax reduction / exemption conditions (S405: YES), the smart contract 25 proceeds to step S406. If it is determined that the target goods do not meet the tax reduction / exemption conditions (S405: NO), the smart contract 25 proceeds to step S407.
[0082] Furthermore, if tax exemptions apply, the importer (even in the case of personal imports) must apply for the exemption with the necessary documents. In other words, the importer or system must determine in advance whether the import transaction is eligible for tax exemptions and apply for them. Based on this, Information Processing System 1 is required to generate the necessary documents using a smart contract when tax exemptions apply.
[0083] Regarding the application of tax exemptions for personal imports, the following information is available: (a) Necessity of applying for tax exemption and declaration of intent to customs: Customs will not automatically apply tax exemptions unless it is aware that the importer wishes to apply for them. - Subject to review: When an importer applies for tax exemption, customs can review the application to see if the requirements for tax exemption are met. - Submission of necessary documents: Applications for tax exemption usually require the submission of documents proving the details of the items, purchase price, and intended use. (b) Application method: The application method for tax exemption varies depending on the items and quantities imported and the customs office. Common methods include: - Submission of a declaration to customs: Fill out the import declaration form with the application details for tax exemption, attach the necessary documents, and submit it to customs. - Application using an online system: Some customs offices allow applications for tax exemption using an online system.
[0084] In step S406, the smart contract 25 determines the tax reduction / exemption rate for the goods in question. The tax reduction / exemption rate is recorded in the customs database 921. In step S407, the smart contract 25 calculates the tax amount for the goods in question using the determined tax rate. Finally, the smart contract 25 provides the information obtained in this flow to the server 10 (and the buyer terminal 60 or other device).
[0085] (2) Provision of Product Information Product information is basic information referenced in e-commerce. The smart contract 25 reads the product information corresponding to the action from the product database 901. The smart contract 25 uses the read information to generate data to be displayed on the buyer terminal 60. The correspondence between actions on the buyer terminal 60 and items of product information is defined in the action database 911. For example, the items of product information corresponding to the action "view" are defined as "overview," "price," "taxes," and "date information." The smart contract 25 sends the generated data to the buyer terminal 60. The buyer terminal 60 displays the product information of the physical product whose product photo was viewed, according to the data received from the smart contract 25.
[0086] Figure 13 illustrates a screen displayed on the buyer terminal 60. This screen shows the price of the product, the currency used, taxes, the expected shipping date, and the expected arrival date. The customs information displayed here is the customs information obtained by the method described in Figure 12, i.e., information showing the import duties in the country to which the buyer resides. These amounts may be displayed converted into the currency of the country where buyer Ub is located. In addition, the information displayed on this screen may include, for example, the foreign currency price, the yen price, import tax (in yen), miscellaneous charges, and the total amount (in yen) in the case of Japan. Furthermore, in addition to this information, information such as the quantity, consumption tax, and whether or not current tax exemption is applicable may also be included. Furthermore, in addition to this information, the results of tax reduction or exemption application may be displayed. In one example, all costs required for the transaction, such as miscellaneous charges and transportation costs, and the total amount are displayed.
[0087] (3) Order Acceptance Figure 14 is a sequence chart illustrating the process related to order acceptance. Order acceptance is one of the functions used in electronic commerce. In the information processing system 1, order acceptance is also implemented using a smart contract 25. Here, the flow in Figure 14 starts from the state in the flow of Figure 10 where the buyer terminal 60 is displaying product information (step S309).
[0088] In this example, the product display screen includes a UI object for instructing the customer to order the product. The buyer terminal 60 receives an order from buyer Ub via this UI object (step S501). Upon receiving the order, the buyer terminal 60 sends the order request to the server 10 (step S502). Upon 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 retrieves 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 met, the server 10 notifies the buyer terminal 60 of this. If it is determined that the transaction conditions are met, 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 the transaction related to the transfer of ownership, (c) recording of the transaction related to the settlement of the purchase price, (d) recording of the transaction related to the distribution of the payment to the parties involved, (e) creation of import / export document data, transmission of the created data to the parties involved, and (f) inventory management.
[0090] The notification to Seller Us informs Seller Terminal 50 that an order has been placed for an item. This notification includes attributes of the purchased physical item. These attributes include the item ID and the quantity purchased. This notification may also include attributes of Buyer Ub. These attributes include information that does not identify the individual, such as country of residence, gender, and age group. In this way, Seller Us and Buyer Ub can complete an e-commerce transaction without knowing each other's personal information, such as their names and addresses.
[0091] The transaction record related to the transfer of ownership is a record on the blockchain network 20 that buyer Ub purchased the item from seller Us. The smart contract 25 records the transaction on the blockchain network 20 indicating that buyer Ub purchased the item from seller Us.
[0092] The transaction record related to the settlement of the purchase price is a record of the purchase price settlement on the blockchain network 20. The smart contract 25 records a transaction on the blockchain network 20 indicating the transfer of the product price from buyer Ub's account to seller Us's account. In one example, the payment is made using cryptocurrency.
[0093] The transaction record relating to the distribution of funds to the parties involved is a record of the distribution of funds between the parties in the blockchain network 20. The distribution of funds includes, for example, the payment of fees to the operator of server 10. The distribution rate or amount and recipients of the funds are defined, for example, in server 10. In addition, a so-called escrow service may be used for the distribution or delivery of funds. For example, a server administrator or a trusted third party holds the funds, confirms that the transaction conditions are met and the goods have been delivered to the buyer, and then distributes the funds.
[0094] Regarding the creation of export and import document data, many documents are required for export and import, but the required documents and their contents vary depending on the exporting or importing country. Generally, it is difficult for those who do not specialize in export and import business to create legally compliant documents. In Information Processing System 1, Smart Contract 25 automatically creates the documents. First, Smart Contract 25 acquires the information used to create export and import documents. Server 10 has a document database (not shown). The document database is a database that records the information used for export and import documents. In the document database, data on the format and contents of the required documents are recorded for each of the exporting and importing countries. Smart Contract 25 refers to the document database and identifies the documents and contents required for the export and import of the target goods. Documents required for export and import 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, freight details or insurance details may also be required. Furthermore, it is desirable to create a calculation sheet (i.e., a detailed statement) that shows the basis for calculating customs duties and tax exemptions. The calculation sheet includes the HS code, applicable tariff rate, product price, total import value, and the basis for any tax reductions or exemptions. Smart Contract 25 retrieves the information for these specified items from the product database 901, etc. In one example, the information used to create the import / export documents includes the transportation schedule, warehousing charges, transportation costs, import / export insurance premiums, and import / export fees. Smart Contract 25 generates the import / export document data using the retrieved information. Some import / export documents cannot be created using only the information in the database, so such documents are excluded from automatic generation.
[0095] Inventory management is based on the inventory quantity in the product database 901. The smart contract 25 requests the server 10 to subtract the ordered quantity of the target product from the inventory quantity. 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 freight forwarders, warehouses, carriers, or transportation insurance. It is also necessary to manage the progress of these arrangements. The information processing system 1 can also manage logistics using smart contracts 25. In this case, the freight forwarder, warehouse operator, carrier, or transportation insurance provider has installed computer software to access the information processing system 1. These computer systems are represented as the EC engine 70 in Figure 4. The smart contract 25 requests delivery-related procedures from the EC engine 70, specifying the place of origin, 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 the necessary documents to the freight forwarder, warehouse operator, carrier, or transportation insurance provider.
[0097] 3. Implementation in Web3.0: Information processing system 1 can also be implemented in Web3.0. In Web3.0, functions that were implemented on centralized servers up to Web2.0 can be implemented on a distributed network. In Web3.0, direct information sharing and settlement between users are possible through peer-to-peer transactions and smart contracts. Even with peer-to-peer transactions, just like in Web2.0, sellers (Us) and buyers (Ub) can complete electronic commerce transactions without disclosing personal information to each other.
[0098] SellerUs can directly approach multiple target users (i.e., potential buyersUb) without using social media. Furthermore, payments can be made directly between users without the need for a payment gateway. The proceeds from the sale are automatically distributed to all parties involved. However, buyers are limited to those existing on Web 3.0.
[0099] In a Web3.0 environment, just like in a Web2.0 environment, it is possible to generate NFTs from product photos and operate e-commerce using smart contracts. However, in Web3.0, when product photos are converted into NFTs, it is not possible to make multiple copies of NFTs with the same ID and use them for sales. Therefore, it is desirable to associate the hash values of multiple product photos with the original NFT. For example, manufacturer Um can associate the hashes of multiple product photos with the original NFT and register it in showroom 210, and seller Us can copy one of these product photos to their own sales page and conduct sales activities. Alternatively, manufacturer Um can associate the hash of a single product photo with the original NFT and register it in showroom 210 without associating hash values with multiple product photos, and the seller can copy the registered product photo to their own sales page (e.g., shop 220) and conduct sales activities.
[0100] Furthermore, generating NFTs and executing smart contracts requires a significant amount of so-called gas fees, which could become a cost bottleneck. This can be addressed by adopting a private blockchain, which allows for the elimination of gas fees for users. However, since managing and mining the blockchain physically incurs costs, solutions such as allocating these costs (gas fees) to the product price of the product manufacturer or generating them from the platform provider's profits are being considered.
[0101] Whether in a Web 2.0 or Web 3.0 environment, the use of smart contracts should be limited to areas where necessary to maintain the authenticity of goods, transaction transparency, and historical record keeping, thereby reducing costs (gas charges). For example, information on past transactions could be stored as a database on server 10, and information related to imports from countries of origin with a history of transactions could be obtained by referring to this database without using smart contracts.
[0102] When selling a product, SellerUs lists the product on their own product page on the marketplace. When BuyerUb views the product, a smart contract is activated and the e-commerce transaction proceeds. SellerUs can directly broadcast product information to their own community, and trigger smart contracts and execute e-commerce transactions when a product is viewed.
[0103] 4. Other product manufacturers can store even a single unit of their goods in bonded warehouses around the world. One of the advantages of storing goods in bonded warehouses is the reduction of effective international shipping costs. Product manufacturers can store even a single unit of their goods in bonded warehouses in the country where they intend to sell their products. Shipping costs to the bonded warehouse are reduced by sharing sea containers or air freight ULD (Unit Load Device) containers with other product manufacturers. In addition, when an individual buyer imports goods, since the importer of goods stored in a bonded warehouse (overseas) is an individual, there is the advantage that they may be able to receive preferential treatment regarding customs duties, etc., for personal imports as stipulated by each country. Note that the benefits of preferential treatment regarding customs duties, etc., for personal imports are not limited to goods stored in bonded warehouses. This is ultimately based on the causal relationship between the country of origin and the country of import.
[0104] 5. Modifications The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are possible. Several modifications are described below. Two or more of the modifications described below may be used in combination.
[0105] Information processing system 1 may create an API (Application Programming Interface) for at least a portion of the functions of marketplace 200 and grant usage rights to others. The operator of information processing system 1 may receive payment from others for the usage rights of the API.
[0106] The blockchain network 20 is not limited to a private blockchain. A public blockchain may be used as the blockchain network 20. Furthermore, the method for registering or storing NFT metadata is not limited to IPFS. The metadata may be stored in any kind of decentralized storage platform based on blockchain technology, on-chain storage, or conventional servers.
[0107] In the embodiments described above, an example was explained in which the hash value of the product image is used as the identification information for the product image. However, the identification information for the product image is not limited to the hash value, and other uniquely assigned identification information may be used. In both cases, whether or not a hash value is used, the identification information for the product image may be written to the image data as metadata for the image data.
[0108] In the above embodiment, the manufacturer Um or a person commissioned by the manufacturer registered the product information, but the registration of product information may also be performed by other users such as 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 standpoint of conducting e-commerce safely, it is preferable to restrict to some extent the users who can register product information.
[0109] In Information Processing System 1, the methods by which Seller Us sells physical goods are not limited to purchasing and selling, agency sales, and affiliate marketing. Information Processing System 1 may also adopt other sales methods if they are available.
[0110] The specific data, database, UI, smart contract, and processing flow described in the embodiments above are merely examples. At least some of this data may be modified. For example, the processing described in the embodiments may be performed by a program or batch processing executed on a centralized server, rather than by blockchain and smart contracts.
[0111] The hardware configuration of the information processing system 1 is not limited to those illustrated in the embodiment. The information processing system 1 may have any hardware configuration as long as it can realize the required functions.
[0112] The functional configuration of the information processing system 1 is not limited to those exemplified in the embodiments. Some of the functions described in the embodiments may be omitted. Alternatively, functions other than those described in the embodiments may be added.
[0113] Furthermore, the correspondence between functional elements and hardware elements is not limited to those exemplified in the embodiments. The required functions may be implemented on any hardware.
[0114] The various programs executed by the processor 101, etc., may be provided by downloading them via a network such as the Internet, or they may be provided recorded on a computer-readable non-temporary recording medium such as a DVD-ROM.
[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... Customs database
Claims
1. An information processing system comprising: a first receiving means that receives product information indicating the attributes of a physical product and instructions to register the physical product on a marketplace from a business terminal which is the terminal of a business operator engaged in the manufacture or transfer of a physical product; a writing means that, in response to the registration instructions, writes to a distributed ledger network having a smart contract related to the electronic commerce of the physical product a) product identification information that individually identifies the physical product, and b) storage location information indicating the storage location of the product information or the storage location of the product information; a second receiving means that receives instructions to post information about the physical product on a product sales page from a seller terminal which is the terminal of a seller who sells the physical product; an activation means that 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 the terminal of a buyer who intends to purchase the physical product; and an output means that outputs data to display information related to the delivery of the physical product to the buyer on the buyer terminal in response to the processing of the smart contract.
2. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the product information includes an original image of the physical product, and the writing means writes identification information of the original image to the distributed ledger network.
3. The information processing system according to claim 2, wherein the product identification information includes an image of the physical product, and when the predetermined operation is performed on the image, the activation means activates the smart contract according to the result of matching the identification information of the image with the identification information of the original image.
4. The information processing system according to claim 3, which performs a process to suspend publication or delete the page if the matching result indicates that the identification information of the image does not match the identification information of the original image.
5. The information processing system according to claim 2, wherein the identification information is a hash.
6. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the product identification information includes an image of the physical product, and the predetermined operation is an operation to display a page containing the image on the buyer terminal.
7. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the product information includes information relating to the tax of the physical product, the smart contract includes a process for extracting information relating to the tax of the physical product from the product information, and the output means outputs data that displays the information relating to the tax as information relating to delivery.
8. The information processing system according to claim 7, wherein the tax information includes information on customs duties, the smart contract includes a process for extracting information on customs duties relating to the export and import of the physical goods between the country to which the country of origin or export country belongs and the country importing the physical goods, and the output means outputs data that displays the information on customs duties as information relating to delivery.
9. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the product information includes information relating to the price of the physical product, the smart contract includes a process for extracting information relating to the price of the physical product from the product information, and the output means outputs to the seller information relating to the profit obtained from the sale of the physical product.
10. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the output means outputs data for displaying product information of the physical product on the buyer terminal.
11. An information processing method comprising: receiving product information indicating the attributes of a physical product and an instruction to register the physical product on a marketplace from a business terminal which is the terminal of a business operator engaged in the manufacture or transfer of a physical product; writing a) product identification information that individually identifies the physical product, and b) storage location information indicating the storage location of the product information or the storage location of the product information, to a distributed ledger network having a smart contract related to the electronic commerce of the physical product in response to the registration instruction; receiving a posting instruction from a seller terminal which is the terminal of a seller who sells the physical product, to post information about the physical product on a product sales page; 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 the terminal of a buyer who intends to purchase the physical product; and outputting data to display information related to the delivery of the physical product to the buyer on the buyer terminal in response to the processing of the smart contract.