Q: I created the first public online forum focused on the maritime industry. It is hosted by "Discourse". Can i patent it?
Can i patent the fact that this is the first public online forum in the maritime industry, as well as its content?
The forum is built upon "Discourse", a forum software.
A:
No. You cannot patent it.
The reason that you cannot patent it is that you are simply doing what people have been doing since the mid/late 1980s. You are just applying it to a new area.
As an aside, I am not sure I understand the nature of your statement that it is the "first public online forum focused on the maritime industry". To me, it seems that there are hundreds of maritime industry forums. See, for example.
https://www.google.com/search?q=marine+industry+forum
A:
While you may have created a unique online forum in the maritime industry, it's important to note that patent protection is generally not available for abstract ideas, concepts, or methods of organizing information, including online forums. Copyright may protect the original content you've generated for the forum, but patent protection typically does not extend to this type of innovation.
Sincerely,
James L. Arrasmith
Founding Attorney and Chief Lawyer
The Law Offices of James L. Arrasmith
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