The patent tag has no wiki summary.
8
votes
2answers
411 views
How do I know if I am infringing on a technology patent?
I want to create an app for the Ipad which uses "videoconferencing" technology, very similar to what skype does.
How do I know if that is patented?
What happens if it IS patent protected and I use the ...
4
votes
2answers
562 views
How to protect yourself against the unethical business practices of a competitor like Nuance Communications?
I plan on working in the pattern recognition software industry. Some research into this industry led me to read about a company called “Nuance Communication.” According to this techcrunch article, ...
5
votes
5answers
680 views
How do these sites get away with infringing Elance's patent?
I know you all aren't patent lawyers but maybe I am missing something obvious?
How do these sites get away with breaking Elance's patent U.S. Patent 7,069,242 [guru, scriptlance, vworker, ...
2
votes
2answers
98 views
Can a license to a patent be considered a company's IP
Can a license to a patent be considered a company's IP or asset? What can constitute as a company's IP?
1
vote
3answers
181 views
Patent on Social Network
I have an idea for a social network site. I know Facebook has many patents and I'm afraid of violating one of some of them. I'm not located in the US, main questions:
Do you think I should talk with ...
1
vote
4answers
256 views
Will employer invest in my idea?
Let me describe a situation I happened to be in by now several times. I work in the field of detector/electronics/imaging systems development. I often get some new technical ideas and solutions, ...
7
votes
2answers
451 views
Intellectual Property Suicide Pill
I'm planning a new software company that will license software to businesses. A lot of R&D will be needed to create the software and indeed, our codebase will be our biggest asset. Unfortunately ...
3
votes
3answers
414 views
What kind of software can be patented?
I've heard that only algorithms that are "non-obvious" can be patented. What does this mean?
Can someone give me examples of software that is patentable and software that is not?
10
votes
3answers
289 views
How should a startup deal with existing, ambiguous patents?
I've been thinking about a new idea I want to work on. After searching the USPTO, I found that there are many (hundreds) of patents around what I am wanting to work on, with a slew being very similar ...
6
votes
6answers
513 views
what's the possibility I can patent a simple never-been done web app?
I'm looking to patent a method/core of my web app. It's actually pretty simple. What's the chance of me getting a patent for it?
7
votes
2answers
289 views
Are patents worth investing in?
We have got patents for specific technologies in the past, they cost a lot and the value was not really visable.
We often develop specific algorithms for real-time systems and work with a range of ...
2
votes
3answers
195 views
How can I find out if a US company has a patent in the UK?
I am trying to set up a leisure centre in the Uk with an idea that is from the US. They have a US patent and say that they have a UK patent pending.
1.How can I find out if they do have a patent ...
10
votes
2answers
1k views
What happens when a UK company infringes a US patent?
I'm a one man startup with a high price, low volume, niche software product that I'm considering selling in the US. However, I'm concerned that it may infringe a US patent without me knowing because ...
1
vote
2answers
289 views
Can I copyright or otherwise protect a business vision/strategy?
I am involved as a cofounder in a tech/software company. My associate is bringing initial funding and is conversant with finance/accounting, facilities/infrastructure and general organizational ...
3
votes
4answers
207 views
Is it hard to get into the hardware business?
In my head, I see the entry to the hardware business very difficult due to all the patents. Is this true or is it just me?
Say I want to create a simple mobile phone with touch capabilities. What ...
1
vote
2answers
77 views
Are patents also relevant for open-source software providers?
Afaik, patents restrict commercial use of a patented idea.
But what about open-source providers who are giving away the software without commercial interest? Do patents apply to them at all or can ...
1
vote
1answer
961 views
Is it possible to patent a programming language?
I am considering inventing a new specialized programming language, which should increase the human/computer communication speed considerably. I, therefore, have two questions:
Is it possible to get ...
1
vote
3answers
129 views
Patent a process
Are there any resources you guys can help me find to patent a process for a web app I have developed. Or give any advice or steps to get the process started. Thanks so much everyone.
1
vote
2answers
188 views
What does IP mean in Digital medium
From my understanding of Paul Graham's Article http://paulgraham.com/msftpatent.html, IP doesn't have much affect on digital products/services. For example, youtube, tinyurl, groupon, kickstarter all ...
1
vote
3answers
226 views
What patents are there currently established for question and answer sites?
I am having a website built that has questions and answers as a large component and feature center. Is there currently any well established patents that I should know about that would potentially be a ...
1
vote
1answer
446 views
What is the best and least expensive way to trademark and patent your business IP internationally?
I am working on a start-up company to grow to become a big company to compete against some well known, popular, and in some ways powerful companies in the respective industries and markets today. I ...
1
vote
2answers
99 views
Where to prototype my patent?
I am looking for a prototyping company for some of my patents. Does anyone know any good but cheap ones, coming out of China? I've browsed on Alibaba.com but I haven't found anything credible. Has ...
3
votes
2answers
359 views
Do I need to apply for a patent?
My friends, wife, and even a partner, are all urging me to at least apply for a patent to discourage others from attempting to implement similar and/or competing software.
Is this a worthwhile ...
3
votes
3answers
372 views
Where to publish innovative idea to create prior art status related the invention
A friend has an innovative idea about a service. To protect the idea from future patents, he has the idea to make the invention available to the public domain.
Is a blog a relevant place to describe ...
4
votes
3answers
149 views
Patents for Content Management Systems
I'm currently developing a Content Management System designed to manage video media. I have taken a look online and seen that there have been (US) patents filed for content management systems in the ...
1
vote
2answers
316 views
How can I determine if someone owns the intellectual property rights to a word game?
I found a really cool word game that I would like to implement as a mobile app, though I don't if anyone owns the right to the concept. I know there are many games out there, such as Poker or ...
4
votes
3answers
210 views
What are the particulars of registering a software patent?
Greetings all,
Situation
In the realm of software, much of what we do can be found elsewhere in other developers' softwares. I am concerned because while my web app is unique and novel in certain ...
8
votes
4answers
1k views
To what extent are algorithms patentable, especially in the US and Europe?
I'd like to use an algorithm that has been published. It's not a must have for me, but would be convenient. The creator might be difficult to contact, but that's obviously not a reason to do the ...
2
votes
6answers
5k views
Is there a patent on Groupon.com?
I am thinking about starting a niche collective buying website in the US that is similar to Groupon.com
Is Groupon patented? Is it legal to create a competitor website?
1
vote
3answers
143 views
A question(s) about IP in a 'Web 2.0' startup
I'm laying the groundwork for what might ostensibly be considered a 'Web 2.0' startup. While I think that I might have some protectable IP, I think that these are not necessarily fundamental to the ...
2
votes
5answers
381 views
Can an innovative data visualization be patented or protected in some way?
I'm working on developing a product in the US with many potential competitors. None of the current products deals very well with analysis once the data is collected. I have several unexplored data ...
0
votes
2answers
325 views
Do Start-ups Need Cost Effective and Rapid Patent Services
My partner and I, after many years of researching and inventing, became patent agents and formed an LLC. Our business model is based on start-ups that need patents and trademarks but can't afford the ...
4
votes
5answers
641 views
Should I Bypass a Patent Search at this Stage of Product Development?
I have a concept for a software product that I want to pursue. I've personally done an extensive Internet prior art search as well as searches for US and international patents searches and I found ...
2
votes
4answers
108 views
Where to Search for Software Prior-Art?
The USPTO has issued alot of software and Internet patents that are pretty worthless because the USPTO does a terrible job of collecting prior art in this area. Other than www.spi.org (who I believe ...
4
votes
1answer
211 views
Is patent enforcement insurance all it's cracked up to be?
There are a few companies out there that seem to offer insurance packages for small(er) players in a market that want to be able to defend patents that are likely to be infringed.
On the face of it, ...
7
votes
3answers
306 views
How can startup be ready to defend IP/Patents if/when a competitor does infringe?
My startup is working on a consumer product (manufacture, sell, ship), where we have developed a really great improvement over our competitors. We have patent pending status, and will be entering the ...
9
votes
8answers
554 views
Filing a Patent
I have a web based product which has some unique characteristics. The whole concept is not
100% unique but the way this idea has shaped up I think is unique. I want to apply for patent of this idea.
...
4
votes
9answers
9k views
Making money from Improving existing products
If I come up with an improvement to an existing product, how do I protect myself when sharing it, and get some of the revenues the idea generates?
There are many times when I look at an existing ...
2
votes
5answers
316 views
Enjoy patent pending status, or file for an early reivew?
My start up is getting ready to launch a retail product, for which we have filed (and expect to be granted) a patent application. The typical time for a patent to be reviewed is about 2-3 years, and ...
0
votes
2answers
140 views
Funding and Security for Patent applications
I have several ideas that I could use for patents. I am not sure if ideas on their own can be patented or if it needs to be a design or solution. But my question is - Patent filing is expensive and ...
7
votes
10answers
3k views
How do you protect the key features of your product without a patent?
I'm working on improving an old web based product but afraid that my idea will be copied by the bigger players. For example, let's say I build an improved a web-based task management software but ...
