Protection Of E-Commerce Based Inventions

By Robert J. Graham, [email protected].

Published 4/1/00

The term "e-commerce" is probably most appropriately defined as commercial activity facilitated by electronic communications. As will be apparent from this simple definition, e-commerce is not a novel phenomenon. After all, consumers have been purchasing goods over the telephone with credit cards, and paying for long distance telephone calls for several decades. However, e-commerce is no longer simply an activity ancillary to a desired transaction, but has evolved to actually become the desired transaction. No doubt, this evolution has been strongly influenced by the increasing popularity and ease of accessibility of the Internet. However, recent developments in patent law, particularly in the United States, have also accelerated the process.