15.3.1 Business Method Patent

For this activity:

You will need to write down your answers in your Mahara e-portfolio.

In this theme you have learnt a business method patent is a patent that protects an invention that is or facilitates a method of doing business.

Consider the following tasks. Prepare a paragraph, justifying your comments.

It may help if you use the internet and other sources of information to research your answers.

Task 1: Provide an example of a business method patent.

Describe the example in as much detail as possible. Even if you describe a well-known business method, imagine that your audience has never heard of it.

Task 2: Describe how having such a patent can provide a firm with competitive advantage?

To complete this task, you could think about/research the following:

1.       What is the definition of competitive advantage?

2.       How does a patent protect a business method?

3.        If the business method is protected by a patent,