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I want to start a service like Olark.com and Zopim.com. They provide live chat service to their customers. Basically, when you use their service you can chat with your customers on your website. Is there a patent that I will infringe on if I built this service?
2 ANSWERS
The simple answer is yes, you can start a live chat service. And yes, you will have to research this type of business and learn what material is proprietary (patents or trade secrets) and what can be used by anyone. Olark's web page describes the process the owners went through to build their business. If you aren't planning on competing with them for clients, give them a call or visit their main office and talk to them about their experiences. Many successful entrepreneurs are happy to talk about their business and give a newbie some advice.
Answered on Nov 19th, 2014 at 10:06 AM
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Could be - but a lot of searching is required to be sure. A quick search at the US Patent Office database (www.uspto.gov) shows the following: "live chat": 335 patents. In other words - that number of patents include "live chat" in their text, and maybe in their claims. Good luck.
Answered on Nov 18th, 2014 at 2:26 PM