How to patent a mobile app idea?
Have you ever wondered how much a unique app idea can worth? A great app idea is a challenging task, but in the end, it is worth the effort, just like finding pearls in the sea. This phrase makes more sense in software and mobile app development as the market is super competitive now more than ever.
But what after you create a successful application? What if someone else plea that application after building the same as yours? What can you do to avoid someone else copying your app idea? Well, the most effective answer to all these questions is, “ You can patent your app idea.”
If you patent your application idea before you even launch it in the market, inherent investors can protect your business idea from being copied.
Let us give you examples of famous companies who made a patent filing on their app ideas.
- Snap
The founders of Snapchat, Reggie Brown, Evan Spiegel, and Bobby Murphy, filed different patents for augmented reality, content curation, IP-based detection. They did not want to jeopardize their user reach.
- Uber technologies
Uber was found after facing real-life problems by its founders. They faced few challenges while booking a cab in Paris. Therefore, they came up with an Uber taxi service app.
They had to endure low friction from their audience, and on the other hand, they suffered high traction from the local utility in Fransisco. Hence, they decided to file a patent application to protect from any infringement. And as we all know, the rest is history.
Apart from these, Facebook, Instagram, and Dropbox are prominent examples that implemented patent a mobile app idea.
What is a Patent?
In simple terms, a patent is a right you get from the respective government, which gives you the right to legally accuse the person who copies or uses your original product for the selected time period.
Apparently, there two types of patents:
- Utility Patents — These are the most famous patent models which are allowed to new machines and methods.
- Design Patents — These are given for the security of the unique design of the manufactured things.
There are various aspects of a mobile app for which you can file a patent:
- Data pushing
- User identification
- Third-party server
- User identification
- Security and authentication tasks
- Networking
- Messaging services
- Data pushing
- Device interaction
- Database creation
- Server interaction
- Interface processing
What are the requirements to be eligible for patenting an app idea?
- It should be a philosophical idea but an invention.
- It must be unprecedented and innovative.
- It should be helpful and qualified.
Now, let’s see how much it can cost to file a patent?
Patent search fee: $160 to $700
Elementary filing fee: $70 to $280
Patent examination fees: $150 to $2300
Maintenance fees: $500 to $2000
Please note: The more years you add in the maintenance, the more it will charge you.
In the end
So, these are the aspects that you have to keep in mind before you file a patent on the mobile app idea. However, there is so much more to this topic. Hence, if you want to read more about it, refer to our blog on How to patent a mobile app idea?
Thank you for reading!
