Patenting Marketing Methods: A Missing Topic in the Classroom

Abstract

Since the 1998 landmark case that validated the patenting of business methods as intellectual property, a plethora of patents has emerged. Patents for marketing-related processes have been particularly abundant, especially when new marketing processes are tied to a technology component. A review of the marketing literature and textbooks shows an instructor lag in teaching this area. Methods of teaching the area are explored, and suggested materials are noted.