Questions tagged [software]

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

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Do US software patents hold in the EU and elsewhere in the world?

Do US software patents hold in the EU and elsewhere in the world? I want to develop software that is patented in the US By this request. I know that Software is not patentable in the EU. Will the ...
Self Smarted's user avatar
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What are the implications of patents on deep learning techniques?

What are the implications of patents on deep learning techniques? What are the limitations when using such techniques? For example, dropout or transformers are patented by Google (https://patents....
salcc's user avatar
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Merely offering an idea for sale negates (affects) patentability. Really?

(Assuming I have a very novel invention that has been ready for patenting (for months or more), in the US.) Suppose I write a press release or conduct an auction (online/physical) or tweet or even ...
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Will our own product become prior art of our patent application?

We are a software company. We release new features quite fast. We have released a feature in our product in 2021, which have been used by a certain number of customers. Will it still be possible for ...
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A patent issued as another patent?

In this answer, George wrote It has been issued (Jan. 2022) in the US as Suggested functions for formulas in spreadsheets US 11227106B2 but is still pending in Europe as of October 12 2022. where I ...
Thomas's user avatar
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A patent application with a similar idea to an existing product

We are a software company based in Europe making spreadsheet software including add-ins. In 2019, we added a feature in one of our Excel add-ins published in Microsoft Office add-in store, which has ...
Thomas's user avatar
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Possible patent infringement and freedom to operate

We are a software company based in Europe making spreadsheet software. We found a patent Enhanced editing of formulas in spreadsheets. Actually suggesting functions while users edit a formula exists ...
Thomas's user avatar
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Prior art for US10282307 (lock-free map implementation)?

I'd love to know how Dropbox managed to patent this: https://patents.justia.com/patent/10282307 To my knowledge: Software algorithms are not patentable in the US. Pretty much all programming ...
Gili's user avatar
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Can a backend algorithm be patented?

I define a backend algorithm as a set of rules and steps hidden inside of a black box that outputs something. Everybody can see the output, but nobody knows how the output is generated. The how is the ...
Bear Bile Farming is Torture's user avatar
2 votes
2 answers
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requirements to patent an algorithm of app

I have an app that connects pet owners with pet walkers based on a set of rules. This unique set of rules and steps that leads to a connection is the algorithm that I need to patent in order to ...
Bear Bile Farming is Torture's user avatar
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Can a software emulation infringe a patent beginning "..a device to..", itself with existing sold hardware?

Recently, I decided to research a method of consolidating an expertise and researched any pre-existing tools which might already encapsulate my process or aid (be it software or hardware). I came ...
Big Rich's user avatar
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Can I patent code that is pushed to Github?

I have invented a new algorithm that I want to patent in Germany/Europe. However, I have kept my code implementing the algorithm in a public GitHub repository. I have not assigned a copyright license ...
Rahul Gopinath's user avatar
3 votes
2 answers
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How does a patent owner establsh that a patent that includes an algorithm is infringed?

If I steal someone's algorithm, how would anyone be able to prove that I am using their algorithm? Only I have access to the code for the algorithm? Unless someone sees my code, they can't say what ...
Bear Bile Farming is Torture's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
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Why didn't Uber's patents prevent Lyft from existing?

There appears to be no difference between the 2 APPs. So how come Uber's patent didn't prevent Lyft from stealing its ideas?
Bear Bile Farming is Torture's user avatar
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Does anyone know where I can find details about the Roshal archive (RAR archives)?

Does anyone know where I can find details about the patent concerning the compression logic for Roshal archives? RAR archives are somewhat common nowadays and I would like to read up on the exact ...
Alex's user avatar
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Does re-creating the scientific calculator casio fx-570MS as software application violate copyright law?

I'm trying to re-create the scientific calculator casio fx-570MS: My app on Android will look like this: The idea is I physically (no reverse engineering - that is no code touch, every code will be ...
123iamking's user avatar
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Why doesn't Samsung remove the non-essential software patent features to prevent patent war?

Commonly why doesn't patent infringer just remove the infringing features if they are not that important to their products. For example, in the Samsung-Apple smartphone patent war, the software ...
jw_'s user avatar
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Filing for a patent for a artificial intelligence program?

I’m working on an AI project that may well be commercially viable. Does anybody know about filing for a patent for an AI program? How much information about the software model would I be required to ...
John Wildman's user avatar
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Developing a software module to access USPTO Private Pair for my firm

I was told USPTO does not provide API for accessing their Private Pair data. However, I understand that a few docking software available claim that they are access USPTO Private Pair with the right ...
Gean's user avatar
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Patent classification for file format encoding/decoding algorithm

I am aware that certain algorithms to generate or read digital file formats can be patented. Patents on computer file formats I am attempting to reverse engineer a particular file format that I did ...
Jeremy D Perna's user avatar
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Co-authors that quit during software development and such software is using later in a patent, should they be added as coauthors/inventors?

We have a situation in which we developed some software, where four previous members of our research group participated some time ago. Then they left the group, and said that from then on, they did ...
Open the way's user avatar
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Is it possible to protect an app (somehow)?

I wonder how or where to protect an app which will be released on google playstore and/or on iOS. Afaik any protections relate to single nations, so in principle I would have to hand in claims in each ...
Ben's user avatar
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3 answers
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What's the criteria for you to get a patent on an improvement?

I'm very interested in improving upon a patented software method (A) which, in it's turn, is an improvement over a relatively old existing method (B). Originally, my understanding was that the old ...
Carlos Melo's user avatar
1 vote
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Have Windows Media Video 7 (WMV1) patents expired?

the Windows Media Video 7 video coding format is also known as WMV1. WMV 7 "publicly exists" since 1999 [1] in most jurisdictions, patents seems to be valid 20 years software patent where they are ...
tuxayo's user avatar
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Is it possible to patent a new general method of optimizing some industrial processes?

I have finished a new method (implemented as an algorithm/software) which exploring data inputs obtains a sequence of steps, appliable for different industrial processes, that reduces drastically ...
Izar Urdin's user avatar
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patent situation

Almost a year ago I worked at a small tech startup. While there I participated in the development of a way to extract data from OSI headers for networking applications in FPGAs. I have since left ...
dolby's user avatar
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Patent drawings for software

I intend to file a Provisional Patent Application for the system and methods in my software and would like to then turn it into a non-provisional patent later on. This is my first time ever applying ...
Eli Serrano's user avatar
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1 answer
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Can you patent an DialogFlow Bot?

Dialogflow is a Google-owned developer of human–computer interaction technologies based on natural language conversations. The company is best known for creating the Assistant, a virtual buddy for ...
John Seen's user avatar
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Application rejected at examination stage - How to proceed best?

Some months ago I filed an application for a national patent (in an EU country). The examiner pointed out several amendments to be made, which I did after I discussed with him twice. Eventually the ...
Helen's user avatar
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Example of a good patent in Software Development

Wondering what an example of a "good" patent is in Software Development. Basically wondering: How long the good ones typically are (a range of sizes). How much scope one patent contains, or if they ...
Lokasa Mawati's user avatar
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2 answers
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Prior art time relevance when filling continuing application

I was wondering whats considered a prior art when dealing with a continuing application? From reading online, once a continuing application is approved, it receives the allowance date of the original ...
user21874's user avatar
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Third party preissuance for a rejected application

I have come across a patent that was granted 9 months + 10 days ago, the patent is very obvious but it was somewhat restricted in its implementation. I have now seen that the inventor filed another ...
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Patentability of a specific method of web content filtering

My friend is the creator and vendor of a web content filtering software. His clients are ISPs who then offer this service to their customers. Recently his clients received a very threatening "...
yossizahn's user avatar
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3 answers
173 views

How precise does a patent have to be when it is describing the usage of a neural network?

While preparing a presentation about metadata, I stumbled upon the following patent: Automatic extraction of metadata using a neural network. I have no experience with patents, but the strategies for ...
Thomas Pötzsch's user avatar
4 votes
2 answers
122 views

Are Google patents preventing new email client products?

We are trying to develop a new software product that requires an integrated email client. We found some old patents from Google regarding email systems. https://patents.google.com/patent/US9819624B2/...
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Patent software workflow (yet to have implementation)

I'm unsure if this question is same to my previous question, Idea for Software - Should I file Patent first I have idea for Utility pattern. Already I create the output (2 to 3 hours in MS Word). And ...
Marium's user avatar
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Idea for Software - Should I file Patent first

I have idea for software, yet I don't know how to write software. This software will be low-cost (large organizations) or free (individuals). Before getting someone to write software for me shall I ...
Marium's user avatar
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Can you sue for software patent infringement after 6 years from the patent expiration date?

I was reading the JPEG Wikipedia article, and found this quote: The patent expired in December 2007, but Princeton has sued large numbers of companies for "past infringement" of this patent. (...
user21220's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
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Is there a statute of limitation on software patents?

Is there a statute of limitation on software patents? If there is a statute of limitation, when does the statute of limitation period goes into effect, is it after the release of the software that ...
user21220's user avatar
5 votes
1 answer
170 views

Can the developer of a free software be sued for damages because of an accidental patent infringement?

Assume that I created a free software that accidentally infringes on one or more software patents. Can the holders of these patents sue me for damages, even though I did not make any money from the ...
user21220's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
147 views

Can I be sued for damages for patent infringement that are more than my actual profit?

Assume that I created a software that accidentally infringes on 5 software patents, and then I sold this software for a number of years and made $10,000 in profit. Can the holders of these 5 patents ...
user21220's user avatar
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Does patent US20120072422A1 make it illegal for other companies to sell reference managing software that parses documents for placeholders?

Thomson Reuters have been awarded a patent for a "System and method for citation processing, presentation and transport and for validating references" that, in my eyes, looks very much like what ...
Christoph's user avatar
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1 answer
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Are these software patents with the same name and inventors distinct?

When I worked for a tech company, I was involved in patent applications. Searching the US PTO site, I see four patents with the same name and inventor lists but different patent numbers: Nielsen, ...
Ellen Spertus's user avatar
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1 answer
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I wanted to create a free web application, but found a possible patent infringement

I am a web application developer and was looking to start an open sourced, free-to-use project that involves crowdsourced media recommendation functionality, then came across this patent: https://...
Asu's user avatar
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Software Patent or Copyright?

I have an idea that I would like to pitch to a software partner that I currently work with. What is the best approach to protect my idea? I'm not sure if I can patent it since it's s concept and not ...
Rochelle Logan Jones's user avatar
-1 votes
2 answers
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Can a data-fomat be patented and saved with a common storage format?

Imagine I have data describing something, i.e. a person Name Ander Id 123123 tel 1313333333 some_other_unusual_id 1212 And I store it in a XML. The structure of the data (4 fields, those ones ...
Ander Biguri's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
41 views

beelinereader patent coverage

I am a fan of beelinereader, I want to use same idea to implement a reader app,in their website it is written that their technology is patented as here https://patents.google.com/patent/...
user818117's user avatar
4 votes
1 answer
179 views

What are the best post-Alice strategies for drafting claims in software patent applications?

As I understand, the Alice decision set up a two-step rule for determining patent eligibility. Subsequent rulings in the U.S. (like McRO, Inc. v. Activision Publishing, McRO v. Bandai Namco Games ...
jdpatent's user avatar
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1 vote
1 answer
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How should I patent my behavioral bio-metric identification idea in the US or Europe?

I know all of you are really well versed with patents here and I am a completely novice . Me and My team have come up with a working system which implements behavioral bio-metric identification system ...
Keyshav Mor's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
102 views

Can a company who has released a product before another be asked to remove it because of a posterior patent?

Let's say: Company A releases a software with a specific algorithm in January 2016. There are many proofs that the design of the software has been made before January 2016: customers have bought it ...
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