Patents in an internet video shop*

If you want to start your own videoshop on the internet there are a few patents you should be aware of.

Patents normally cost a certain percentage of turnover (often between 2% and 5% - most expensive if turnover is small).

Some companies give discounts on purchase of licenses to several different patents. The patents mentioned below are not owned by the same company, so you can't expect to get volume discount.

  1. 24-kids-scannán.ie. é in domain name. Internationalising domain names: EP1159820
  2. [Action] [Kids] [Drama] [Adventure]. Tabbed pallettes: EP689133
  3. Picture link. Preview window:EP0537100
  4. Viewing video - Video data distribution through the web: EP0933892
  5. Download video - Video data distribution through the web (same as above): EP0933892
  6. mpeg4-format - Widely used video format for video download: More than 40 patents.
  7. Shopping basket - Electronic shopping cart: EP807891
  8. E-commerce in services: EP0738446
  9. Soundtrack.mp3 - MP3 is a widely used sound format: EP287578
  10. Pay with a credit card via the Internet: EP820620
  1. Send as gift - Calculation of correct gift address from incomplete information: EP927945
  2. Get a loan - Automatised loans: EP715740
  3. VISA - Digital signature in graphics to show that the shop is approved for receiving VISA payments: EP0798657
  4. Pay through your internet provider - Payment through telecommunication network: EP1282087
  5. 1-click - One click shopping: US5960411 (European application: EP0902381)
  6. https:// - SSL connections use encrypted sockets: US5657390
  7. View in browser - Embedded window viewed in browser: US5838906
  8. Books on ladybirds - Affiliate link: US6029141
  9. ladybird.gif - GIF-files use LZW-compression: EP129439
  10. https:// - SSL connections use RSA encryption: US4405829
 

The last two patents have expired in the US, but LZW patents are still valid in Europe. 1-click patents are still at the application stage at the European Patent Office, EPO, but have been patented in the US for a long time.

These patents are mentioned to show that you have to know which patents are active if you want to do business on the internet.

 

This videoshop exists in several versions:

The (original) version in Danish
A version in Swedish
A version in Dutch
A version in Welsh/English
A version in Portuguese

Credits:

Original Danish version by:
it-pol.dk

Swedish version by:
Magnus Stålnacke / jemamo at telia.com
Erik Josefson / ehj at cleosan.com

Dutch version by:
Dieter van Uytvanck / dietvu at village.uunet.be

English translation of the text:
Niels Vestergaard Jensen / nvj at fys.ku.dk

English version of the image and some text:
John Evans / evans at mimesis .net

Portuguese version:
Bruno F. Souza / bruno at javaman.com.br