How to secure an algorithm in an application?

Question

Startups

Good afternoon! There is a certain algorithm that all application developers may need, both at the development stage and for improving finished ones. I'm afraid that as soon as I start to offer this algorithm, they will immediately copy it, eventually leaving me with nothing. I ask you to suggest how you can protect yourself so that the forces are not wasted.

Answer 1

Algorithms are a valid subject of copyright. That is, you can apply for a patent. However, if you publish the details of the work before obtaining a patent (and this is a year and a half or two), they will not give you anything, citing the lack of novelty.
That is, either you defend yourself - and then keep the algorithm secret until you get a patent for it - or take it for granted that everyone will use it without paying you a penny.

Answer 2

If your algorithm is so easy to copy, then most likely it already exists in one form or another.
Simple ideas - almost all of them have already been implemented, and there is a doubt that it is your algorithm that everyone really needs.
In most cases, the implementation of the idea is important, not the idea itself. That is a lot of work, not a quick five-minute thought.
You can protect yourself with a patent by consulting a lawyer. But it may be necessary not only to describe your idea on paper, but to provide a working copy, a finished application, and if you cannot write it yourself, you will have to look for a partner you trust.
However, it’s better to google and consult more carefully first to determine exactly what your brilliant idea is really so brilliant and everyone needs.

Answer 3

A programmer is already working with me, and the algorithm is implemented in the application being developed.

Isn't it easier to implement the algorithm on your server?
It's like a black box with input and output parameters. To use the algorithm, you will need an API to the server, and make access paid ...

Answer 4

The algorithm can be protected by a patent for an invention if a number of conditions are met. Program code can be protected by registering a computer program. Patenting inventions is a troublesome and expensive business (expenses are about 5-10k$ per invention in each country, and without the guarantee of obtaining a patent). Registration of programs is much cheaper, however, this protects the text of the program as an object of copyright (not an algorithm, but its specific implementation in a specific language), while not all the code is deposited, but only a few pages in printed form, so this method of legal protection should be considered additional.
It might also be helpful to read the Toaster thread:
How to make a patent?