#41unit 2intellectual property rights

Business methods and processes

Patenting ways of doing business online.

Unit 2Intellectual Property RightsTopic #41Published

Business methods and processes

Not started

Business method patents protect specific ways of doing business online, such as Amazon's one-click purchasing or Priceline's Name Your Own Price. Since the 1998 State Street Bank decision, business methods have been patentable in the United States, though they remain controversial because they can grant broad monopolies on basic commercial ideas.

  • Define a business method patent.
  • Explain the State Street Bank decision and its significance.
  • Identify examples of business method patents.
  • Recognise the controversy around business method patents.