The Software Patent Process

Software is a huge and expanding market characterized by rapid product innovation. In addition, software is also increasingly key to distinguishing and adding value to other products ranging from automobiles to video books. As a result, software patents are important to prevent competitors from taking advantage of one's software inventions. However, many software inventors are unclear about the process of patenting software.

The software patent process typically begins with a patent search. A search helps determine if the subject matter of the invention is patentable, and the likely scope of a patent. The search finds similar inventions, referred to as art, that may limit the breadth of the patent or preclude allowance of the patent altogether. The information is invaluable in deciding whether to file a patent application, and how to structure it. However, much of the art for cutting edge software technology is still not public at the time of the search, so the decision must include estimates of the current state of the technology.

If you decide to proceed with a patent application, the inventors disclose the details of the invention to a patent attorney. From that disclosure, I prefer to prepare an initial set of claims and drawings that I then review with the inventors. The second (and third) discussion of the invention usually brings out additional aspects of the invention that can be protected. After the inventors are satisfied that the claims and drawings accurate capture the invention, I draft the application. The application must be prepared to anticipate and provide alternatives for multiple technical obstacles to allowance of the patent. After an inventor review, we file the application and drawings with inventor declarations, assignments, and information disclosure statements.

And then we wait. Examination usually begins 1-3 years later, although there are ways to accelerate this. Occasionally examination begins with a restriction requirement, where the examiner asserts that the application includes more than one invention. This may be because we intentionally included multiple inventions to differ costs, and sometimes because the examiner things the invention is too broad. There are a number of effective ways to deal with restriction requirements.

Usually there is no restriction requirement, and the examiner rejects all or most of the claims because of prior art that is found in the examiner's own search. The examiner will assert that this art shows that your invention is not novel or was obvious. We analyze these rejections, and determine which arguments are valid and which don't hold water. We then create a strategy combining persuading the examiner and modifying the patent claims to overcome the rejections. We discuss this strategy with the examiner to get feedback and to persuade. To help get broad claims allowed, I take time to determine the best persuasive strategy for each examiner.

We then file a formal response based on the strategy, which the examiner considers. The examiner usually conducts another search, and may find a new reason to reject your application. Sometimes a number of iterations are required before finding the right combination of language and scope to both protect your invention and have the claims of the application allowed by the examiner. The number of iterations is highly dependent on the breadth of the claims that you want. Broader, more valuable claims take more work, and sometimes even an appeal to be allowed. After the application is allowed, there are issue fees and then maintenance fees after 3.5, 7.5, and 11.5 years.

Protecting a software patent is a long and expensive process. However, when compared with the economic costs of allowing a competitor to copy your innovation and take advantage of your development work, a software patent is bargain.

Gene Patenting Fact   Software Patent Infringement Strategies   Why Can Patents Be Granted for Multiple Similar Inventions?   Using Archived Software Products As an Intellectual Property Portfolio   Patent Riches Through Licensing   New Simplified Process of Filing of PCT National Phase Applications in India   

Use Podcasting To Help Build Your Initial Personal Brand

Podcasting can be a very easy way to establish your personal brand on the Internet quickly. Setting up and recording a podcast can be done in less than 10 minutes. Although podcasting is not as popular as it was 3 years ago, it is still popular with many people who do not have time or patience to sit through lengthy videos but would rather download audios to their phones, iPods, or other devices.

If you are new to Internet or Home-Based business and need a way to get noticed, podcasting can be both easy and quick. Podcasting can be done for no cost at all. All you will need is an audio recorder and converter, both can be found free on the Internet. The best recommendation for free audio recorder is Audacity and the converter Lame. Google those terms and you will be directed to both download links.

Where do you place your podcasts so that others might find them?

There are many free podcasting directories where you can host your recordings. Since there are several podcast directories available, a good idea would be to Google the term "podcasting directories" and look for one or two that might be niche-specific for your business. Most directories offer free accounts, making this marketing avenue a great idea for new marketers.

Select one or two directories, open an account, and you are all set to upload your podcasts.

When you create your podcasts, be sure and title your recording using your selected keywords so that search engines can place them in search pages competition.

This is just how simple it is to create podcasts:

Download and install Audacity and the Lame converter. Copy and paste one or two of your blog posts or articles onto a notepad. Go through each article and separate 2-3 key paragraphs. Use these to create brief, 3-minute podcasts. Listen to them, if you are not happy with the recording, just erase it and do it again. A little practice in the beginning will make you an expert after just a couple of tries.

After you feel comfortable with creating brief podcasts, go through your other content and create ten or more podcasts and place them in your podcast directory accounts as you record them.

Later, when a potential customer or subscriber "Googles" your name, your podcasts will show up along with the written content or videos you have created. The perception they will have from this experience will prove your expertise in your niche.

As well, podcasting offers great training, selling, and recruitment avenues. You can add the links to your podcasts into your ezine issues, place the links in social networks, and any other locations where they can be located and downloaded.

Podcasting is easy, free, and will get your noticed. Give it a try and you will be pleased with the simplicity and value podcasts can offer in your business marketing.

How to Make a Podcast For a Website   How Do You Promote a Podcast and Get More Listeners?   Is a Podcast Difficult to Produce?   School and College Radio   

How Podcasting Can Be Used As a B2B Lead Generator

Podcasting is fast emerging as a popular technology that is specifically being used in B2B lead generator. A podcast basically consists of an mp3 audio file that is similar to a radio talk show. Users can easily download it from either from a website or with the help of RSS feed and then listen to it with the help of their systems mp3 player.

Podcasts can prove helpful as B2B lead generators by encouraging conversations related to the various features of the websites. With the variable length of a podcast, ranging from 5 minutes to 30 minutes, a website can use the same to discuss the various products and services being offered. Websites can also use podcasts to highlight how their products are different and better from other products.

However, it is vital to design a podcast in such a way that it incites curiosity amongst its listeners and leaves them wanting to seek more information. They can be developed in many formats including a talk show format, a descriptive format or even a question and answer type format. The format used depends on the type of B2B leads one wants to generate with the help of podcasts. Other way of helping podcasts in lead generation is by using them for recording client testimonials.

Podcasts are definitely revolutionizing the way in which people are generating leads in business-to-business marketing. This unique new technology has been especially successful for marketers who generate appropriate and reliable information targeted at a specific group of audiences.

How to Make a Podcast For a Website   How Do You Promote a Podcast and Get More Listeners?   Is a Podcast Difficult to Produce?   School and College Radio   

Podcasting How-To - A Pretty Good Podcast is All You Need

A pretty good podcast, or really a succession of pretty good podcasts, is all you need to attract an online audience. But just what does a 'pretty good podcast' entail?

First, let's look at how to make a podcast. A podcast is just creating MP3 files from your audios - it can be you reading an article, giving advice, teaching how to do something or an audio recording of a teleseminar or webinar you did. If you've been creating MP3 audios and putting them on your blog, you're already a podcaster whether you knew it or not.

So don't be frightened of becoming a podcaster, especially since you don't have to get it perfect - a pretty good podcast will see you through. Your best podcasts will be the ones that deliver the most information, information helpful to your target audience, irregardless of the quality of your MP3 audios.

Now that doesn't mean you should have a lot of background noise or poor recording quality - your best podcasts should be crystal clear and easy to understand. But creating a pretty good podcast can be done with the standard mic and headset combinations for computers, or even with the mic built into most laptops and netbooks these days.

If you need a podcast tutorial there are a lot of Podcasting 101 type of resources online, but really it's just a matter of recording the material you want and then uploading the audio MP3s to your blog or using an RSS feed to submit your podcast site to a podcast directory like Podcast Alley or iTunes.

But the main point here is it doesn't have to be perfect - you don't need fancy intros, background music, audio effects and the like - nor do you need to have that perfect 'radio voice'. As long as you speak clearly and don't have a heavy accent you'll be fine - or, of course, you can always have a friend, colleague or pro voiceover artist do the MP3 recording if you feel your voice isn't 'right' for your podcasts.

In general though, don't get too wrapped up in the technical side of RSS feeds, creating MP3 audios, building an RSS script, etc - focus on the content you deliver, and on delivering that helpful content on a regular schedule. As any successful podcaster can tell you, consistency is more important than the quality of your MP3 audios, as long as you're producing a pretty good podcast at the minimum.

How to Make a Podcast For a Website   How Do You Promote a Podcast and Get More Listeners?   Is a Podcast Difficult to Produce?   School and College Radio   

How Simple Podcasts Add Value to Your Small Business Website

In the technology based world we all now live in, portable information and media is the reality of today. Any small business that can capitalise on that fact is head and shoulders above their competition. Audio podcasts are the simplest way for anyone to tap into that market.

Blue tooth headsets and headphones have almost become a fashion accessory. Everyone is connected to their iPods, smart phones or iPads almost every waking moment and the day. By providing your web content or information in a format that is portable, you will have the opportunity to broadcast your message to anyone at any given time of the day. People do not need to be in front of their computer screen to connect with your business.

Every business with a blog should also be offering that content in audio format through podcasting. Your subscribers can then download your audios and listen at the gym, during their daily commute, while jogging or any other scenario you can think of.

The fact is, no matter what type of business or service you offer, you have a very vital commodity that you can provide to any potential customer. That commodity is information, expertise or entertainment. We live in an information hungry society. We also live in a society where people want ease of use and instant results. Providing an audio version of your web content means the user does not have to read, they can have the content delivered to them in whatever medium they choose.

The great thing about audio files is that they are so easy to create. A simple USB microphone that you can purchase for a few pounds is all you need. Actually, you don't even need that as there are ways for you to record audio files using your land line or mobile phone. It has never been easier to create podcasts than it is today.

You can also make your audios available in popular sites such as iTunes or you can create Talk Radio channels and have your own broadcast. There are also podcast blog sites like podbean that make it very easy to create audio blogs that will create the embed codes that you can put into your business website.

No matter how you choose to do it, it is important that you just do it! It is so easy and, for many people, they find it much simpler than sitting down to write a blog post. It is as easy as talking on the telephone to a customer. Sure, you may feel nervous the first time or two, but you will quickly become comfortable with it and it will be as simple as a 10 minute process within a very short period of time. If you are really still not comfortable with it, hire someone to do it for you.

This could pay big dividends to your business and most likely your competition is not doing it. Bring your business into the new age of technology and reach more customers where they live. In the mobile age.

How to Make a Podcast For a Website   How Do You Promote a Podcast and Get More Listeners?   Is a Podcast Difficult to Produce?   School and College Radio   Internet Marketing - Using Podcasts   Six Benefits of Podcasting   

The Secret to Saving on Photo Printing Costs

We're all familiar with the concept of clipping coupons for the grocery store, but did you know you can use online coupons and discount codes to save big bucks at digital photo printing companies? Most of us wouldn't dream of paying retail at a brick and mortar store when items go on sale so frequently, and we can apply the concept when printing photos or making photo gifts online.

Creating custom photo books and other projects is a popular hobbyist activity, however it can be pricey. How can you cut costs but still use your favorite photo service? The answer is taking advantage of coupon codes. Virtually all of the main digital photo printers including Snapfish, Shutterfly, Mixbook and others feature frequent coupon offers for discounts on products. Commonly you will see discounts of 10, 15, 20 percent or more, with new promos showing up frequently. Bargain hunters will be on the lookout for the occasional buy 1, get 1 free promo known as a "BOGO." Another favorite is a no-cost shipping offer. Be aware that a minimum order amount is typically needed in order to qualify for gratis shipping.

Getting Online Photo Service Promo Codes

It's easy to take advantage of these discounts. All you need to do is enter the coupon code when you check out and the savings will automatically be applied to your order. Where are the coupon codes listed? Oftentimes they are available on the photo service's website either on the home page or a special promo section. The insider's secret, though, is that the best savings may not even show up on the website. A good way to be sure you get the best deals is to subscribe to a photo company's newsletter. Look for their emails with special deals in your inbox or "like" them on Facebook and you're more likely to obtain special coupon codes.

Occasionally you'll uncover more discount codes by conducting a web search for "Mixbook discount code," for example. There are a number of sites that list promotional codes for photo companies as well as a myriad of other products.

Note that sometimes they are only short term offers so you may need to jump on them quickly. Except when I "need it now" I often make my photo project and save it in my online photo account until a big promo comes along, then I just add it to my cart and enter my code and save.

If you use online coupons, you'll never have to pay retail for your photos, photo books and gifts.

Scrapbook Supplies For Less   Three Steps for Making Time to Scrap   The Importance of Scrapbook Supplies   An Introduction to Scrapbooking   How to Capture Your Kids Memories - Digital Scrapbooking for Parents