Ask the Expert: How can you protect proprietary processes from copycats?

A reader wants to know how Software as a Service businesses can protect their proprietary business processes. Our expert weighs in.

-- Electronic Business, 6/20/2007

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Question: How can Software as a Service (SaaS) businesses protect its proprietary business process from copycats?

Expert response from Steven Sereboff, partner, SoCAL IP Law Group:

Although Software as a Service is a new business model, the classic legal tools can work great to protect your proprietary business processes. Start with a good customer contract, which should limit what the customer can do, including copying of your proprietary processes. The customer contract is also the place to limit your liability to the customer for bugs and the like. Another easy and inexpensive step: register your copyrights in your screen displays, Web site, and software. Finally, this answer would be incomplete without mentioning patents on the business models too. Although patents can take a long time to get and tend to be expensive, they pack a punch. If your SaaS has legs, patents make a lot of sense.