What steps do I need to take to protect an ORIGINAL online business Idea?

Answer 1

If you have an original business process, not just an idea, then you can patent it. Companies such as Google routinely patents business processes and methodologies - not just an idea.

For example, here is Google's patent for a graphical user interface http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&u=/netahtml/search-adv.htm&r=1&p=1&f=G&l=50&d=ptxt&S1=google.ASNM.&OS=an/google&RS=AN/google .
The patent, which Google filed on Jan. 30, 2001 governs methodology for parsing through Web documents to deliver Web surfers the most relevant pages for their queries.

Overture introduced the pay per click scheme on the Web. They had a major patent dispute with Google when Google introduced a similar program called Google Adwords. Because Overture had an original business idea that they turned into a process, they patented their pay per click scheme. After litigation, Google agreed to pay Overture (now part of Yahoo) some $300 million in stocks for the use of the pay per click system in Adwords http://www.thestreet.com/tech/georgemannes/10177217.html

If you have an original business idea online, talk to your patent lawyers and get advice on how to get that idea a patent.

Answer 2

You can file a copyright protection of the business plan with the patent and trademark office. Outside of that, you may be able (for now) to patent a unique process,

See a patent specialist.

Answer 3

Get a head start on everyone else and own the market.