The present invention is a method and apparatus for effectuating bilateral commerce in ideas. The present invention is both an originator-(400) and user-driven (300) online commercial network system designed to facilitate idea submission, purchase and licensing and is easily adapted to business-to-business transfers of innovation as well as consumer-to-business transfers of innovation. The invention allows originators of ideas to communicate nondisclosing synopses of ideas globally to potential users, for users conveniently to search for relevant ideas and for users potentially to bind an originator (400) to a limited duration license (120a) granting user the exclusive right to access and consider confidentially the originator's fully disclosed idea (130a). The invention also allows users (300) to communicate confidentially or nonconfidentially unsolved problems or needs globally to potential originators, for originators conveniently to search for relevant unsolved problems or needs (100b) and for originators to submit and communicate confidentially proposed solutions (130b) to the soliciting user.