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I am in the process of creating a website, that provides a service that is more generic than another "similar" website. The website only provides a service for a particular service, where my website would serve the particular service and including a broader range of services. Could there be any infringement conflicts between my website and the other website?

I would also like to note that the user interface is completely different between my website and the other website, but the workflow is somewhat similar.

This also begs the question. Are website workflows patentable?

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  • A few comments: Web sites do not infringe web sites, web sites infringe patents. What matter to your question is whether or not the owners of the other web site - or anyone else who may not even have a current web site - have a patent that covers some of its operation. If someone had claims that you were doing, but in a broader way, you are still doing the narrow, patented, thing also. I'm not sure what you mean by website workflow but all of software patenting is somewhat up in the air after recent Supreme Court cases.
    – George White ♦
    Commented Aug 20, 2014 at 19:48
  • A workflow of a website is the business logic of the website, e.g. Create and Post a Question, then have People browser questions, and people have ability to answer questions. That is a workflow description for stackexchange.
    – Gary Drocella
    Commented Aug 20, 2014 at 20:58
  • I also just read an article which claimed that many business's have created similar websites. So, could they be paying royalty fees? it didn't mention anything about royalty fees in the article though.
    – Gary Drocella
    Commented Aug 20, 2014 at 22:55
  • Do you know that the original site is protected by a patent or other IP rights? Licensing and royalty fees would only be an issue if there is some specific intellectual property - otherwise copying is fine.
    – George White ♦
    Commented Aug 20, 2014 at 23:26

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