Patents

[Treason]

Quick question..

Has anyone ever tried to patent a custom database? I dont mean patenting the "actual data", but patenting the custom queries, forms, reports, VB scripts.. etc..

I don't think it's possible to patent this kind of thing, but let me know if you know anything about it.

Thanks a million, Treason

 

[dakcg]

I am not sure if it is possible to "patent" an Access Database, but it is possible to create databases and sell them without paying royalities, by buying the Developers Version of Access and registering with Microsoft. That gives you the right to create and sell the databases you create. The only way to protect against someone taking your database would be to secure it so noone could access the core.

 

[llkhoutx]

Software is patentable, but why would you want to? In the patent process, a certain amount of the code must be disclosed. How would you ever know if anyone utilized your code?

Canned code is widely distributed in object form without the source code. It's much better treating code as a trade secret and as proprietary information, distributing same only in object form pursuant to a non-exclusive license agreement.

Anyone that would want to reverse engineer code can do it with enough effort.

Protect your source code is the best solution to "unique and better solutions."