Some years ago, Amazon.com patented the concept of having a “1 click order” button on their web site. Now, JP Morgan is trying to patent a busines deal that they did with MicroSoft. When MicroSoft changed its employee compensation from stock options to restricted stock, they sold the options to JP Morgan, who agreed to buy them as part of a complex financial transaction. Now, writes Forbes, “the bank is trying to turn this novel deal into an ongoing business niche. J.P. Morgan has filed a patent on the deal’s structure, and its bankers are meeting with tech, telecom, and financial services companies that they say are considering both one-time and ongoing (for instance, quarterly) option-transfer programs. “
