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

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1answer
323 views

What happens if I develop a software and provide it as an online service and someone else patents it?

Suppose that I am providing a SaaS on the web. What happens if someone (after working with my service and getting familiar with it), develops the software (and ideas used in it) and patents it?
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1answer
475 views

Most ambiguous software patents?

I know there are a lot of strange and bogus software patents out there today, for instance if i remember correctly Microsoft owns a patent for browser plugins (which basically would mean Adobe Flash ...
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4answers
558 views

Is Software Patentable?

I know there are many debates about it. Even in USA, a country very well known to be patent friendly, I'm still not sure if software is patentable. But how is the interpretation to allow software ...
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2answers
746 views

How are algorithm patents enforced?

It surprised me to learn that algorithms can be patented. If that's the case, why aren't famous algorithms like Dijkstra's algorithm patented? More importantly, how would they be enforced - wouldn't ...
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2answers
90 views

software library company with no patents

Let's say there is a software company. This company is developing a Digital Signal Processing software library. The library doesn't constitute an application itself but it is meant to be sold to be ...
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1answer
643 views

Can I Apply for patent for this?

I've implemented a new way of sharing files upto 1GB with friends, in real-time. Can patents be applied to this? If yes, I'm from India, and I'm a student, 14yr old, and I want to apply for a patent ...
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2answers
132 views

How does one start patenting an idea in India?

I have an invention to do with Mobile cloud services. I'm not versed on the subject but I am technically inclined (I study computer engineering). How would I go about obtaining a patent for my ...
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1answer
114 views

Microsoft Patent from 2008 for “Automatic censorship of audio data for broadcast”

Is it just me, or is this patent really broad? Patent No. 7437290 http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7437290.html Claim 1 A method for automatically censoring audio data, comprising the steps ...
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2answers
385 views

EU (non-US, european) patent EP 1148681 - software patent and prior art

EP 1148681 is a EU patent owned by Nokia. Nokia has been granted an injunction against all of HTC's Android devices based on this patent. This shouldn't even be patentable in the EU, since software ...
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1answer
247 views

Open Source References

This patent is comprised of mainly open source technologies all put together. Can open source items be patent in this manner without a reference? The open source project I'm referencing is Kegbot (...
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2answers
146 views

Is clarifying some terminology in an Amendment considered “new material”?

In working with my examiner to address issues with the claims mentioned in a final rejection of my (pro se) software patent application, I changed one term in the claims from "word1 word2" to "word1 ...
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2answers
416 views

Patent During Software Development - When is the best time?

My company is currently developing software and we are interested in pursuing a patent for it. My question is should I file patent it prior to completing the final version - we are about 1-2 months ...
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1answer
634 views

does beta testing software count as a sale?

Does beta-testing of software count as a sale and trigger the start of the one year grace period? I am referencing: "Under current U.S. law (35 U.S.C. §102(b)), a sale or offer for sale of the ...
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1answer
171 views

Is there a legitimate/reliable way to apply for a software patent for < $1000?

I'd like to patent a niche idea for a software product. I'm just an individual developer. I have no access to a legal team or expensive legal services. What is the best option for applying for ...
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1answer
229 views

Why is there the same boilerplate stuff at the front of every patent?

A large number of patents in the IT area appear to have a very similar diagram embedded int them somewhere, usually some forms of a block diagram detailing system components such as Northbridge, ...
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2answers
132 views

Patent for a machine that stores electric charge in a capacitor

Can I patent a machine that stores electric charge in multiple capacitors each being addressed by a transistor on a chip in a specified way leading to a predefined current output? In other words, is ...
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1answer
271 views

can this patent on smartphone app stop me?

I developed a software system that comprises an app for smartphones, one for tablets and a central server that manages the communications between all the instances of them. I did a research and found ...
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1answer
86 views

Do I need international protection for a computerized method?

Central to my invention is a process that runs on a computer, generating routing information, which is sent to vehicles for efficient carriage of persons or cargo. While the people or cargo will be ...
2
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1answer
52 views

Multi-story 3d printing

I'm looking to create a software that assembles multiple small objects into multiple layers. The reason for this is that the objects are relatively small (a few cm diameter), and the printing platform ...
2
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3answers
375 views

How similar does non provisional and provisional patent have to be?

I prefer to not spend a lot of money before I see if it has any value so I would like to file a provisional patent on my own. The basic invention takes some data from inputs encodes it in a certain ...
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1answer
5k views

Software Patents: Claiming as a METHOD vs as a SYSTEM?

Software patents could be described in claims as methods or as systems. One cannot claim damages for infringement of METHODS until the method is used (e.g. when the software is run). But, one can ...
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1answer
280 views

SIFT: reusing some claims and replacing others by strictly different nonpatented methods?

SIFT is a patented method that does both feature detection and description (US6711293 - http://www.google.com/patents/us6711293). The method consists of roughly of three points (please let me know if ...
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1answer
191 views

Is application US20090055029 this fairly obvious?

This is basically "put a webserver on it and call it an invention" This sort of thing has been done on home routers and numerous other types of industrial equipment for many years. How would one go ...
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1answer
186 views

Smartphone Apps: Difference between a device and software?

If a patent makes claims about a "device", but not about "software", does that mean I can make apps without infringing, and would my app potentially be patentable? Example: Say I want to write a ...
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9answers
868 views

Prior art request: OMNI-DIRECTIONAL CAMERA AND RELATED VIEWING SOFTWARE patent 20120206565

http://www.google.com/patents/US20120206565 This patent covers the hardware design of a multi-camera array of video cameras making up a spherical or 360º panoramic video system. The whole idea is ...
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1answer
146 views

Patenting data representation on screen

Is it possible to patent the way folder structure is represented on the screen. In what sense it is patentable since it does not fit into any category but Apple and Microsoft have parts of their ...
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1answer
135 views

Computer Software patent applications rejected in the UK - Can it still be granted in Europe/US?

I understand Europe/US have relaxed the regulations surrounding computer software patents, whilst the UK remains somewhat rigid. Thus, would it stand that if such an application was rejected in the UK ...
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1answer
111 views

Does clarity of a patent affect its value?

There is much talk about how software patents are deliberately written in an obfuscated manner, as a ploy that contravenes the purpose of the system. It seems to me that one could argue the ...
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2answers
301 views

Possible patent infringement when implementing a file viewer

I'm writing a piece software. As part of my application I intend to implement a custom file browser (a simple popup window, which allows you to search folders, files etc). My intention is to divide ...
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4answers
2k views

Authentic barcodes using digital signatures (Verisign) - Patent Application - PRIOR ART REQUEST

QUESTION - Have you seen anything that was published before Apr 13, 2011 that discusses digitally signing of barcodes ? (as opposed to signing documents, images etc) TITLE: Authentic barcodes using ...
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1answer
185 views

Are there any patent issues associated with making my own version of a protocol?

If researchers are prototyping a new type of network protocol, and I use their concepts to implement my own version (my way of doing it, 100% my code, different programming language, etc), are there ...
2
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6answers
519 views

Custom client libraries (Google) - Issued Patent - PRIOR ART REQUEST

AN OVERBROAD PATENT ON EXAMPLE SOURCE CODE Google has patented the generation of client libraries and example code from API descriptions. 10 minutes of your time can help narrow US patent ...
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1answer
173 views

Prior art of performance monitoring using software to build schedulers?

Relates to Patent Application 20090055833 - "System and Method for performance monitoring." I come with two questions; First, it would seem to me substantial prior art exists to 1994. However, this ...
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4answers
289 views

Software for assigning technicians to jobs - Issued Patent - PRIOR ART REQUEST

Title: System and method for computer-aided technician dispatch and communication Patent No.: 6,990,458 Assignee: CSG Systems, Inc. Prior art cutoff: Prior art predating Aug 28, 1996 Summary: Patent ...
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1answer
9k views

Is the Domino's Pizza Tracker actually patent pending?

4 years ago Domino's launched the "pizza tracker". It has since then said "Patent Pending" on the tracker image. Is this actually patent pending? Any chance they would actually get the patent? ...
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2answers
944 views

Does a software implementation count as prior art?

Does a software implementation count as prior art and sufficient proof to invalidate a patent application? Does it matter whether the implementation was closed-source, open-source or public-domain?
2
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2answers
489 views

Would software automating a manual process described in an old book be invalidated because the book is prior art?

There is a book from before the PC age that describes how to manually do something that could be done with software. A number of websites describe how to do this manually still, though apparently no ...
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6answers
2k views

Website Customization — Caching dynamically-generated websites — Issued Patent — PRIOR ART REQUEST

AN OVERBROAD PATENT ON CUSTOMIZING A WEBSITE - This issued patent seeks to patent the idea of... building a user profile by watching user behavior on a website! 10 minutes of your time can help narrow ...
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4answers
893 views

Software patenting questions

I am a student and I don't have enough money (not even nearly enough) to file a patent. I strongly believe in my idea and therefore I would give and do anything in my power to secure this patent. I ...
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2answers
788 views

Am I allowed to reimplement the Go programming language?

From "http://golang.org/PATENTS": Additional IP Rights Grant (Patents) "This implementation" means the copyrightable works distributed by Google as part of the Go project. Google hereby ...
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0answers
82 views

What aspects of Microsoft's UProve technology is patented by others?

Microsoft published their UProve technology to an open source license; however they mention that they can't guarantee that the technology does not infringe on other patents not covered by Microsoft. ...
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11answers
1k views

MESH NETWORK GATEWAY AND SECURITY SYSTEM Patent Application – PRIOR ART REQUEST

HELP SAVE MESH NETWORKING — This application from Schlage seeks to patent a secure gateway between a mesh network and an IP network, and a lock device connected through the mesh network. Because mesh ...
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2answers
263 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 ...
2
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1answer
5k 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 ...
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3answers
174 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. ...
3
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1answer
144 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 ...
2
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3answers
158 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 ...
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1answer
393 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 ...
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3answers
2k 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 ...
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2answers
3k views

General knowledge on how software patent-infringement lawsuits are evaluated

Technically someone has to check the suspected software code, to see if it infringes a specific patent. But What if the suspect claims, that it is his companys own trade secret? are trade secrets in ...

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