Can you patent a dating app idea?

You can apply for and receive a patent but it might be challenged in court. Tinder, for example, received a patent for the applications in the lawsuit. (You can search for Tinder’s patents by putting “Tinder” in Term 1 and “Applicant Name” in Field 1.)

Can you patent a dating website?

Yes, that’s called “prior art,” the notion in patent law that an entity can’t patent something that someone else has already been doing.

How much does it cost to patent your app?

Adding up the provisional application, government filing fees, legal assistance with filing, patent search, and patent application, you can expect a patent application for a mobile app to cost between $5,000 and $20,000 or more.

Can mobile apps be patented?

You can file one or more patent applications for one or more features of our mobile app. As per the Indian Patents Act, one patent application should be related with only one single invention.

Why did Bumble sued Tinder?

Wolfe Herd left the company in 2014 and later filed a lawsuit against Tinder for sexual harassment — she received over $1 million plus stock as part of a settlement, according to reports.

Is Tinder owned by Bumble?

How Tinder and Hinge owner Match Group grew to dominate the country’s online dating market — but let Bumble get away. Match Group owns Tinder, OkCupid, and every other big online dating site in the US — except Bumble. Bumble’s CEO, an ex-Tinder executive, sued Match Group’s parent company for discrimination in 2014.

Do apps need a patent?

It depends. Getting a patent is a long, expensive process. If your app is not likely to make enough money, or if it will have a short lifespan, a patent is not needed. However, if your app has a high commercial value, you should consider a patent.

How do I patent an app?

Most people trying to patent an app choose a provisional patent application (PPA). A PPA is an affordable utility patent that establishes your filing date. Your PPA should include: An approved PPA gives you patent-pending status for one year. This allows you to gauge your app’s success. During this year, you can apply for a full patent.

What if my idea is already patented by someone else?

If patent search reveals that your idea is already patented by someone else, you don’t have to lose heart yet. Study the patent carefully and mull over how you can make your app different from the old patent. As we’ve said before, you do not have to give up on your idea just because someone else had it too.

How do I find out if I need a patent?

You can hire a patent lawyer to do a search for you. They don’t charge too much for searching, but you can usually do as good or a better job yourself. Google, App Stores and USPTO are good sources to search when you apply for a patent, because the patent office will also search into these databases to find a match.

What is a provisional patent application for an app?

The Provisional Patent Application allows you to secure a filing date for your patent. Most app developers do this first because it is cheaper than a non-provisional patent application and doesn’t require the extra effort of a formal patent claim.