Providing Notice of Provisional Patent Rights

Abstract

The present invention provides tools and techniques for providing users of devices with actual notice of patent rights by displaying applicable patents, or by allowing users to indicate they have previously reviewed those patents, or both, before permitting use of core features of the device.

1 . A method for providing notice of legal rights, comprising the computer-implemented steps of: 
 presenting a notice to a device user indicating that the device is subject to rights under a legal instrument; and    preventing user access to at least one feature of the device unless and until an indication is made that the user has reviewed the legal instrument.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the presenting step presents notice of at least one patent to which the device is purportedly subject.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the device comprises at least one of computer software, a computer processor, and a network connection.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of displaying a copy of the legal instrument to the user, and then allowing the user access to the feature, said access having been previously prevented by the preventing step.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the displaying step occurs in response to the user following a hyperlink that leads within no more than five clicks to a copy of the legal instrument.  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of presenting an infringement warning to the user.  
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of presenting license information to the user, thereby assisting the user in determining whether the user has a license under the legal instrument.  
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of presenting rights holder contact information to the user, said rights being rights under the legal instrument.  
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of presenting a “previously reviewed” option to the user, thereby allowing the user to assert that the user has previously reviewed the legal instrument, and then allowing the user access to the feature, said access having been previously prevented by the preventing step.  
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of maintaining a log indicating at least an indication of the user's identity, the indication comprising at least one of a name, an address, a customer number, an account number, an email address, an IP address, or a domain name that is associated with the user.  
   
   
       11 . A device configured to provide notice of legal rights, comprising: 
 a notice to a user of the device indicating that the device is subject to rights under a legal instrument; and    a barrier preventing the user from accessing at least one feature of the device unless and until an indication is made that the user has reviewed the legal instrument.    
   
   
       12 . The device of  claim 11 , wherein the notice identifies at least one patent to which the device is purportedly subject.  
   
   
       13 . The device of  claim 11 , wherein the device comprises software, a processor, and a display screen.  
   
   
       14 . The device of  claim 11 , wherein the device displays a copy of the legal instrument to the user, and then allows the user access to the feature, said access having been previously prevented by the barrier.  
   
   
       15 . The device of  claim 11 , wherein the device comprises a hyperlink to a copy of the legal instrument.  
   
   
       16 . The device of  claim 11 , further comprising an infringement warning to the user.  
   
   
       17 . The device of  claim 11 , further comprising license information presented to the user.  
   
   
       18 . The device of  claim 11 , further comprising rights holder contact information presented to the user, said rights being rights under the legal instrument.  
   
   
       19 . The device of  claim 11 , further comprising a “previously reviewed” mechanism which allows the user to assert that the user has previously reviewed the legal instrument, after which the device allows the user access to the feature, said access having been previously prevented by the barrier.  
   
   
       20 . The device of  claim 11 , in combination with a log containing at least an indication of the user's identity and a date indicating when the legal instrument was displayed to the user or indicating when the user asserted that he or she had previously reviewed the legal instrument.