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Ask HN: What Kinds of Intellectual Property Can a Software Business Have?
I'm doing research on fund raising, and I keep running into comments about how investors like defensible IP -- for reasons that are obvious.
Nevertheless, software patents suck. Not only are they somewhat questionable from a legal and even ethical point of view, but they're very hard to enforce and license unless you're a NPE (troll)... and that recently got harder (yay).
What kinds of defensible IP can a software or SaaS business have that would be of any interest to investors?
Closed source software is the obvious answer, but I'm wondering if there might be other more clever ones. Software can be duplicated, especially if its techniques are not utter black magic. Trade marks and brand equity are also obvious.
Is there anything else? Are there patent, trade mark, or copyright strategies that people use that might not be obvious to someone not in on the tricks of the trade?
- patio11 12y agoWhat kinds of defensible IP can a software or SaaS business have that would be of any interest to investors? A repeatable process for acquiring customers, as demonstrated by success actually implementing it. Most SaaS businesses don't have "secret sauce."
- api 12y agoWould that fit under the wider heading of trade secrets? Interesting... hadn't thought of business process trade secrets, but that's a whole category I suppose.
- alain94040 12y agoI think Patrick was being ironic. People who tell you VCs like defensible IP don't really know what they are talking about. VCs really like companies that are taking off in terms of traction. That has nothing to do with defensible IP.