What is a business method?
A business method is a
collection of rules, or an application, which define a specific 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.
.
Posted in: FAQ-PATENTS
