united-states intellectual-property business
In the US, is it possible to protect a business idea?
<p>Provided the idea is new and meaningfully different from any other existing business. Is there a way to prevent others from profiting off that idea?</p>

<p>Here are the means of protecting intellectual property in the U.S. (and in most other industrialized jurisdictions):</p>

<ul>
<li><a href="/questions/tagged/patent" class="post-tag" title="show questions tagged &#39;patent&#39;" rel="tag">patent</a></li>
<li><a href="/questions/tagged/copyright" class="post-tag" title="show questions tagged &#39;copyright&#39;" rel="tag">copyright</a></li>
<li><a href="/questions/tagged/trademark" class="post-tag" title="show questions tagged &#39;trademark&#39;" rel="tag">trademark</a> and "trade dress"</li>
<li><a href="/questions/tagged/contract" class="post-tag" title="show questions tagged &#39;contract&#39;" rel="tag">contract</a> (a special case of which is "Trade Secret")</li>
<li>Statute or executive order &ndash; pretty rare these days that you can get a government to protect your monopoly, but perhaps still not rare enough!</li>
</ul>

<p>If your idea doesn't satisfy the requirements for protection under one of these mechanisms then you can't legally protect it.</p>
