Can I patent a business method?

One of the things you can patent is a business method. A business method is a collection of rules, or an application, which defines a way of doing business. For example, if you started a website that offered a new way of allowing users to sell products to each other, you could seek a patent on that method. A well-known example of a business method patent is Amazon’s “1- Click” patent, which relates to the way Amazon’s website lets repeat customers order products with one click, without having to enter shipping and payment information.

The Patent and Trademark Office used to require that a business method use or relate to the “technological arts.” This was a relatively easy requirement to meet, and most inventors met it simply by having their business method performed and carried out by a computer. However, in October 2005 this requirement was eliminated and certain new guidelines were eventually issued in its place.

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