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[Santoro]

I have an idea for a matchmaking website but i was wondering if i should patent it. I think that patenting a website is possible but if somebody wants to copy it, it's hard to prove they stole your patent as they can do enough modifications ot make it look different. For exemple even facebook was stolen from another website source code and they are still in court for that?

What do you think, is there any use to patent my website?

Thanks

[Hank66]

You can't patent a website (maybe trademark the name), but you can patent specific underlying algorithms and methods (let's say method for matchmaking..storing user's physical location info at matchmaking server, alerting user when match within 1 mile radius etc).

You should also consider how easy it is to design-around your invention. This sort of ideas are typically easy to design around as there is plenty of prior art.

[JimIvey]

I'd add that, to the extent your user interface of your web site is a non-trivial deviation from what's been done/described publicly before, you can also patent your user interface (which can be pretty close to patenting your web site).

You might look into copyright protection as well.

Regards.

[ChrisWhewell]

I'd model at least one set of claims after State Street's patent, directed to a system.  Lots of folks erroneously believe that case was about a "business method", but if one really really really looks at it, it's found to actually a machine-type claim.

In my "business method" cases, I claim systems - first data processing module + computer memory + microprocessor + etc. , wherein the system is .........    If one goes to monster.com I believe there's a patent number posted there, which could provide stimulating reading.

Gregg Stobbs (Harness, Dickey, and Pierce ?) wrote a nice book on "business method" patents.