Can you patent a way of doing business (business process) online?

[wynn]

I hear it's a big gray area, I've read that you can because a business process is now able to be patened and I also read that you can't because you can't patent an idea and something online isn't really a specific machine.

[siuaghan]

Alan:

OF course you can patent a business method.. It is done ALL THE TIME!
Nothing complex AT ALL about it.. Nothing gray... But I am willing to bet that if YOU think it is HARD then YOU would likely be happy to pay a lawyer a TON to do that HARD stuff... Let me tell you some facts.. It is SIMPLE and do not let patent lawyers scare you. So.. trust me.. It is EASY to do and you do not have to pay a zillion dollars for it...

Here is an example of a business method... In the Walpaper business of all things..
http://www.google.com/patents?id=jbWWAAAAEBAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=business+method&hl=en&sa=X&ei=PQOoT43GNoGeiQK7ysmtCQ&ved=0CEQQ6AEwBA

There are THOUSANDS of them!

Take a look at this website to see HOW YOU can do this!

http://provisionalpatentvideo.com/patent-instructions/Provisional_Patent/Patent.html

PM or email me if questions!

Thanks,

Dave

[emilek17]

You heard wrong. It is true that a mere "idea" is not an "invention", and only an invention can be patented, so your idea would have to be worked into an invention.

The most well-known online patent that people talk about is "one-click" buy, owned by Amazon.com.