All mobile apps begin as an idea. It could be a shared concept among a group of app developers or it could be the brainchild of a single person. In either case, one of the greatest concerns is keeping that idea secure from hackers until the app is fully developed. Altogether too often that concept is literally stolen before it can be developed and launched, leaving the developers to duke it out in a court of law or chalk it up as a loss, which many developers do.
It is, after all, quite expensive to go through the legal process of proving the idea was yours and that you were hacked during the developmental stages. If you are a mobile app developer, it’s imperative that you take whatever steps necessary to safeguard your intellectual property. Here are some tips on how to accomplish that.
Immediately File a Provisional Patent Application
The entire process for filing a patent application can be a lengthy procedure. There is much research to be accomplished before your patent can be approved. By the time you have developed your app and it is ready to launch, your material may have been stolen right from under your nose. A provisional patent application has the benefit of securing that all-important filing date so that if your data is breached, it can be proven in a court of law that the idea was yours – sometimes, but not always! That’s where the next tip comes in.
Contract an Internet Forensic Team
The best outcome would be to develop, patent, and launch a mobile app. That is what would happen in a perfect world. However, there are millions of cybercriminals scattered around the globe. If you can’t secure your patent because someone got there first after stealing your IP (Intellectual Property), talk to the expert investigators at Secure Forensics. They can help you track how and when your system was breached to prove who came up with the idea first.
Work Offline Whenever Possible
You are developing a mobile app so, obviously, at some point, you will need to be connected to the internet. However, if at all possible, keep the early stages of development on a device which is not connected. Keep it this way, at least until you’ve filed that provisional patent application so that you’ve secured your date of filing. It may not seem very important, but just let one app be stolen from you and you will quickly realize how important it is to do whatever you can to keep your ‘invention’ to yourself. Let there be no mistake about it. A mobile app is an invention which can be patented.
Never assume that no one knows what you are doing. It only takes one slip of the tongue to the wrong person and before you know it, your computer has been breached, your code has been stolen, and your app becomes the legal property of someone else. Don’t let that happen! These tips should help you take that app all the way to launch without a hitch, and if all else fails, there’s that team of forensic experts to help you prove the idea was yours.
Republished by Imagincreation