1ICQ can apply for a patent.
Patents must be applied for before infringement occurs in the future. ICQ applied for a patent in the United States and was authorized.
2 Regarding whether Tencent’s QQ infringes:
ICQ does not sue Tencent, so it cannot be said that Tencent does not infringe.
That’s why Tencent attaches great importance to patent applications and applies for at least hundreds and nearly a thousand patents a year.
3 What can be applied for patents:
Patents include two types: inventions, utility models, and designs.
Invention refers to a new technical solution proposed for a product, method or improvement thereof.
Utility model refers to a new technical solution proposed for the shape, structure or combination of a product that is suitable for practical use.
Appearance design refers to a new design that is aesthetically pleasing and suitable for industrial applications based on the shape, pattern, or combination of the product, as well as the combination of color, shape, and pattern.
As long as there are improvements in technology, you can generally apply for inventions and utility models;
As long as there are improvements in appearance and color, you can apply for designs.
4WINDOWS not only has copyrights, Microsoft has many software patents. We have also applied for many invention patents in the country.