Defensible, Innovative, Dynamic: QWERX System and Method Patents

QWERX currently holds nine issued patents and four pending patents, all of which are System and Method patents. This type of utility patent is typically more difficult to obtain than a design patent and has much broader coverage. A utility patent has a lifespan of twenty years, and the process to obtain one generally takes several years of work with the US Patent Office. This time lag can present a major barrier to protecting intellectual property in the fast-moving field of cybersecurity.

However, QWERX was able to leverage a special provision in US patent law that allows for accelerated treatment of a patent application if the inventor is 65 years of age or older (a demographic that our primary inventor can proudly claim). QWERX patents were granted in as little as six months to a little over a year from the date of application. This means that the covered technology is able to keep up with today's dynamic threat environment.

What is the difference between System and Method claims in a patent?

Method claims are different from device or apparatus claims. Method claims cover the various steps required to use or operate the invention. Method claims don’t always need as much detail. System claims cover the relationships between the underlying components of the invention.

QWERX patents cover both system and method claims. This means that QWERX patents offer protection from both direct and indirect infringement. The examiner in our first core patent cited no prior art. We hold the first patent in this space.