

Ask HN: Amex Files Patent for "Transferring Value via a Social Network" - generalseven
http://appft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsearch-bool.html&r=1&f=G&l=50&co1=AND&d=PG01&s1=20140006297&OS=20140006297&RS=20140006297
It sounds like Amex is trying to file a patent for our service (and many others). What should we do?<p>US Patent 20140006297 filed on July 2, 2013:<p>An integrated, end-to-end, automated system that
enables a first social networking user to seamlessly
transfer value to a second social networking user, even if
the second user is not registered with the money transfer
service from which the first user initiates the transfer...<p>Our service:<p>PikaPay.com 
https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.PikaPay.com&#x2F;<p>Send Bitcoins to anyone on Twitter, as easy as a Tweet!<p>PikaPay is a Bitcoin wallet integrated with the Twitter API and is one of the fastest and easiest ways to use Bitcoin. Just like in the Amex patent, with PikaPay the recipient doesn&#x27;t need to have a PikaPay account to receive bitcoins.<p>We were the first to start sending bitcoins on Twitter back in 2011. But we&#x27;re sure that scores of other companies have been doing &quot;value transfer via social networks&quot; even earlier.<p>Do we have to take that Amex patent application seriously in any way, and is there anything specific we should do?<p>We Tweeted AmEx about it recently: 
https:&#x2F;&#x2F;twitter.com&#x2F;PikaPay&#x2F;status&#x2F;420231417117683713
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generalseven
It sounds like Amex is trying to file a patent for our service (and many
others). What does HN think we should do?

US Patent 20140006297 filed on July 2, 2013 (from link above):

An integrated, end-to-end, automated system that enables a first social
networking user to seamlessly transfer value to a second social networking
user, even if the second user is not registered with the money transfer
service from which the first user initiates the transfer...

Our service:

PikaPay.com : [https://www.PikaPay.com/](https://www.PikaPay.com/)

Send Bitcoins to anyone on Twitter, as easy as a Tweet!

PikaPay is a Bitcoin wallet integrated with the Twitter API and is one of the
fastest and easiest ways to use Bitcoin. Just like in the Amex patent, with
PikaPay the recipient doesn't need to have a PikaPay account to receive
bitcoins.

We were the first to start sending bitcoins on Twitter back in 2011. But we're
sure that scores of other companies have been doing "value transfer via social
networks" even earlier.

Do we have to take the Amex patent application seriously in any way, and is
there anything specific we should do?

We Tweeted AmEx about it recently:

[https://twitter.com/PikaPay/status/420231417117683713](https://twitter.com/PikaPay/status/420231417117683713)

We're curious about what others here think about the patent and how they would
approach this issue.

