Tagged Questions

Patents about software algorithms, methods implemented via computer software, and software interfaces

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-2
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1answer
19 views

Who owns this Patient? [closed]

If my work is being posted on Google and Google is making money on my patient and copy written material has Google not violated the patient copyright laws?
1
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1answer
32 views

A license that prevents raising a software patent

Would it be possible, from a legal point of view, to create a software license that would prevent someone from patenting any part of software (source code) released under that license? I know there ...
0
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1answer
39 views

What is the difference between a license and a patent?

From what I know, I can legally protect my software source code from being used elsewhere (even in a modified form), with an appropriate software license. This requires no long legal process; I just ...
1
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2answers
47 views

What is a good way to locate (and choose) a U.S. patent attorneys office that specializes in a given area within a field

What's the best way to find specific patent firms and individual attorneys who specialize in the technology area of my application? It seems that the best patent attorneys tend to have specialties. ...
2
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1answer
41 views

Can I use examples in the Background section?

To make sure the Background section of my application conveys the novelty of my idea, can I provide an exemplary use case scenario within the Background section? Without it, I feel that the examiner ...
1
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3answers
72 views

Is there ex parte reexamination statistics narrowed to software patents only?

uspto.gov publish statistics quarterly, but the numbers are averaged from all industries and fields. I am trying to figure out whats chances a software patent had in 2011/2012 to go through a ex parte ...
2
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0answers
54 views

Nokia and Webm patent analysis

Has anyone done good analysis on the Nokia patents that they claim cover WebM? I would like an idea of how seriously we should take Nokia's threat. Groklaw did some analysis that reduced their 64 ...
1
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1answer
90 views

What parts of Bouncy Castle are affected by patents?

Given that Bouncy Castle is an Open Source project, it's entirely possible that the contents contains implementations protected by various patents. Since it's possible for the patent holder to sue ...
3
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2answers
305 views

Can SaaS, PaaS, IaaS be patented?

Please note: here I'm talking strictly about US Patents. I tried reading up on software and patents and still am not quite "getting" how the two are related, and when a software system can be ...
2
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1answer
200 views

Doesn't this method already exists in sites that like Dropbox?

According to Dropbox: "You can get extra space by inviting your friends to try out Dropbox. If a friend uses your invitation to sign up for an account you will receive bonus space." This means that ...
1
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2answers
75 views

Processing of Gesture-based User Interaction Using Volumetric Zones

I was looking at the new company LeapMotion and did some reading and it occurred to me that it looks like there is a patent from 2012 out there involving this subject - noting that the filers are not ...
4
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2answers
127 views

Is 'US6137498' a still valid patent?

I'm wondering if 'US6137498' is still valid. This patent is about photo mosaics, and I'm thinking that it is very weird for making artwork to be protected by a patent. I have read an article about ...
3
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2answers
172 views

Is SIFT algorithm patent valid in Europe?

I want to use the SIFT algorithm for my scientific research (in EU, concretely SP), but it may end in a commercial software. I've searched the internet and what I found is that the patent is only in ...
2
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2answers
78 views

Can I include multiple specific software functionalities of my broad idea in a single provisional patent application?

I have a limited budget and I am looking form a startup based on my idea. My idea is related to mobile (Android, iOS, etc) apps and a supporting website. It is a broad idea which can be implemented ...
3
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1answer
239 views

How detailed should a provisional patent application be? (Software)

I am considering filing for a provisional patent which deals with mobile and web technologies. Now this is a method to do something. But how detailed do I go? Right now, I have something working in ...
4
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1answer
164 views

UK software patent

Article 52 (2) determines what is and is not patentable subject matter within the EU: The following in particular shall not be regarded as inventions within the meaning of paragraph 1: (a) ...
2
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1answer
94 views

Is this check-splitting patent valid?

Application US20120036028 So basically this is check splitting... We have been working on a system for the last year and a half that has the same "feature". By advice from our legal counsel, there ...
5
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2answers
217 views

Can video game terrain generation methods be patented?

I recently found a patent for "rule-based procedural terrain generation", applied by Sony Online Entertainment Inc. Is there any prior art for this patent (i. e., the procedural generation of video ...
1
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1answer
244 views

How to patent an idea for computer software?

In computer programming, most inventions are mainly ideas, as they can be implemented in thousands ways. Is it possible and how to patent an idea? For example, the badges of Stack Exchange are based ...
2
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2answers
137 views

Does iBooks Author use US patent 2012/0221436?

US patent application 2012/0221436 is about teachers that create, using special software, textbooks that will be sold. This is the same thing that iBooks Author does, isn't it? Therefore: does Apple ...
3
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2answers
239 views

Prior art for patent in Whitserv v Computer Packages case

In reading the Whitserv v Computer Packages case and blog entry from Patently-O, I’m having problems in seeing how patent 6,981,007 is valid. I noticed that there is another question regarding this ...
3
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1answer
153 views

Prior art for analyzing passwords

It shouldn't be too hard to find prior art on patent application 20120284783. The primary claim is taking apart the password to identify common words or patterns. The password is checked by various ...
3
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1answer
61 views

Registering Patent, Can a way of doing things be registered as patent or copyrighted?

I'm working on a method of user authentication. I Googled the whole web, different places like Wikipedia, and some science journals and didn't find the strategy I'm using. Can my strategy be ...
1
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1answer
89 views

Prior art for a mobile speech access US20120253817

US20120253817 Mobile speech attendant access, filed Apr 4, 2011 Claim 1 has to do with a mobile device using speech recognition on a remote server to place a phone call and is well known. Claim 2 has ...
5
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2answers
163 views

Prior art for an oil and gas lease and royalty management software program

US8249994 Claim 19 appears to claim no more than: A mineral lease management system (managing information about oil and gas leases and wells) Allowing a user to input data about a lease over the ...
3
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2answers
319 views

Is patent US6513002 valid? Is there prior art in computer textbooks published prior to 1990?

About Patent US6513002: Rule-based number formatter It seems to me that many computer textbooks published before 1990 have include exercises about how to write a simple number translation program. I ...
2
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1answer
74 views

Patentibility of ‘Systems and methods for identifying unauthorized users of an electronic device’

As I was reading US patent 8289130 ‘Systems and methods for identifying unauthorized users of an electronic device’, I was just asking myself questions on how come this is patentable? How does it meet ...
3
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1answer
231 views

Can XML/JSON structure formats be patented?

Is it possible to patent or trademark XML/JSON data structures? If Company A had a service that requested common data and Company B chose to use an identical structure for their clients, could Company ...
4
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3answers
194 views

Can one patent software if that software uses a library that is Apache License, BSD, or MIT?

I just read that under BSD, Apache, and MIT Licenses, one can use, modify and redistribute source code in a product as long as credit for the open source portion is given back to the the author. That ...
3
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2answers
169 views

Why did IBM buy patent (6,904,428) about an “intranet mediator”?

From what I see, US patent 6,904,428 (by the Illinois Institute of Technology) is a search algorithm process. Any ideas why IBM thought they needed it? An intranet mediator for obtaining direct ...
3
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5answers
555 views

Prior Art for Onsite backup for internet-based data processing

Our startup is trying to provide a backup solution for Google Apps for your domain. In principle it's a software running on the client computer. Our software then connects to Google via APIs (GData) + ...
2
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2answers
173 views

Doesn't this mean most current software using scrolling is in violation of Patent 5495566?

In US patent 5495566 (filed 1994-11-22, issued 1996-02-27), Microsoft patented varied speed scrolling depending on the speed of mouse wheel spin, something that is now always used. Does this mean that ...
2
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2answers
177 views

Has Facebook patented location checkins, and how could I get around it?

My app features functionality to see where your friends are, pretty much like Foursquare and Facebook do, but the scope and reason why are quite different. In fact, it would be check in / and check ...
2
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4answers
365 views

Prior art for an apparatus for sound direction finding

I'm looking for prior art for US patent application 2011/0054890 filed 2009/08/25. That would be a mobile phone (or portable device) that is capable of detecting the direction and type of sounds with ...
6
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4answers
591 views

Can teaching methods be patented?

I plan to develop an open-source software application that speaks words in a foreign language while displaying pictures that represent the words. Can teaching methods (such as Rosetta Stone's language ...
2
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2answers
151 views

Taking ideas from other apps

Is it legal to take a idea from some existing app and re-code it for my app? It may sound very vague, but here is the situation: I found an android app and I like to code it for windows desktop. I am ...
29
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6answers
2k views

Prior art for linked list (secondary and tertiary traversal)?

This is the first I've heard of this patent for linked lists and traversals filed in 2002. Note that the claim is not a patent on a linked list itself (discussion on Hacker News), but apparently on a ...
4
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2answers
397 views

Are data structures patentable?

US7028023 seems to be a patent for a data structure (a variation on a linked list with an extra pointer to the item after the next item). Are data structures generally considered patentable, if so, ...
5
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1answer
339 views

Found patent that describes my iPhone app/Website idea, any options?

I've been working on an app/website that I planned to sell for iPhone and Android, but recently found a patent that describes the idea almost exactly. There are currently no apps that implement this ...
5
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3answers
326 views

Web site with restricted functionality until registers, then full functionality

US Patent #7,353,199 is about a system for creating a web site where the user gets "restricted" access (less that full functionality) during a trial period, but "full" access once the user registers ...
9
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4answers
359 views

Patent on comparing two values which are put through a hash function to determine if the same

I came across this patent titled “Similarity-based access control of data in a data processing system” (priority date: 1995-04-11). Abstract: Similarity of data items is determined by analyzing ...
1
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1answer
109 views

Prior art for speech detection in a data stream

Looking for prior art dated before 2010 regarding technology that determines that data being received at a mobile phone is speech if an accelerometer in the phone moves in a certain direction. The ...
3
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2answers
114 views

In a patent notice, is the name you use to refer the patented product important?

When patenting software, is it important the name you use to qualify the product? Example: Software product protected by US Patent No. XXXX. Technology protected by US Patent No. XXXX. I prefer to ...
2
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2answers
159 views

What kind of penalties should I expect when having text about patents that expired in my products?

What kind of penalties should I expect when text about patents patents that expired in my products? (e.g. "This product is protected by Patent No. XXXX" -> This was true at one time, but not anymore, ...
6
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1answer
417 views

Prior art for RIM double tap spacebar to insert period and capitalize next character

US Patent No. 6,396,482 - Hand-held electronic device with a keyboard optimized for use with the thumbs Looking for prior art related to claim 16: A method of inputting characters into a mobile ...
2
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2answers
128 views

Benefits & cons of publicizing patents/ patents pendings?

Assuming a company will work on and submit its patents, independently of whether its patents/ patents pendings are publicized or not (e.g. in its software and website)... Are there real benefits in ...
11
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2answers
956 views

Prior Art for GoDaddy Patent Announcing a Domain Name Registration on a Social Website

DomainWire has announced that the USPTO has just issued a patent to GoDaddy that covers a method of announcing a domain name announcement on a social network. U.S. patent number 8,276,057. In my view, ...
6
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4answers
465 views

Can a master's thesis be used as prior art?

I wrote software in 1973 under Federal grant for my MS. While studing at CWRU, one of the early ARPA net sites, I wrote graphics display software for Project LOGOS, a government supported effort and ...
6
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6answers
403 views

Auto correcting semantic code errors by executing code snippets and seeing which ones produce no errors

To be fair, I think this is a ridiculously better software patent than any of the other ones I've seen, but I bet there is prior art for it. The first claim: 1. A method for correcting semantic ...
14
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7answers
3k views

Prior art for a web-based system for commissioning software development

Maybe oDesk or eLance are the prior art, but this patent on providing software development services via a website probably has loads of prior art. US20120240097 A1 — Method of providing ...

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