Ask HN: What to do when patents exist broadly covering the idea you build

6 pointsthallukrish3 comments

If you build a product that has patents that broadly circle around that idea, claims that are too wide that anything close can be caught by such claims (patent mines), will you 1. find a way to differentiate your idea and file a patent? 2. Just go release the product and if the product is successful and claims are made, then deal with it?

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An idea cannot be patented, only its specific execution. You'll notice patent claims always contain language such as, "In one embodiment, the so-and-so is a doodly-doo." These are the specifics of the execution. So, if you have a new and better way of doing something, it could very well be patentable. Its easy and cheap to get a "patent pending" status (provisional app) even without an attorney. The real thing will cost significantly more and take longer.

How capital intensive will it be to bring your idea to the market?

A bunch of servers on the cloud.

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