Apps Android App Patents

[jdm2008]

Hello,

I am relatively new to commercial software development. I am working a completely unique application(as far as I can tell) for android. Are apps usually patented by developers? Are they ever? Is this even possible?
The reason I am asking in general is because I know that these questions will depend on the application.

 

[jonbonazza]

You can't really patent an "application." You would patent a process or algorithm that provides certain functionality. You can (and should) also copyright the code itself, which can be a relatively painless process in most countries.

Also, it should be mentioned that all of the services that go into a patent (layer fees, processing fees, etc..) are very expensive. This is especially true for software patents. If you are really going to pursue this, I highly suggest at least finding a patent lawyer who specializes in software patents.