If I want to start a business like Monster.com (a career portal) should I worry about existing patents?

They may have patents on certain algorithms they use to sort / present jobs to people, but it's unlikely that anyone has a patent on the general idea of a career portal. If you'd like advice on how to do an effective patent search, or how to affordably file your own patents in the US I'm happy to help.

all the best,

Lee

You absolutely need to have a patent attorney check other patents before you spend time and money developing a website. You should also do searches on website names to make sure you can get a name that will work for what you are launching. I heard a true story yesterday about an entrepreneur that was very successful and a large company began to use her name and idea , which she had not patented and registered properly. It unfortunately put her out of business. I have some ideas on what you can do yourself and what you absolutely need an attorney for if you would like to set up a call.

My main question would be this: When you say "like Monster.com" what exactly are you referring to? What is your secret sauce?

As Lee mentioned, if there is a specific filtering/matching algorithm that you've developed that you feel fits the following categories (requirements for a patent) then the answer is YES, you should file for a utility patent.

1) New and useful (No one else has Known about or used this process or algorithm in the US & there are NO patents on this anywhere in the world)
2) Utility (actually useful in real life or a very solid theoretical foundation for being useful)
3) Novel (Unique, authentic idea - See #1)
4) Non-obvious (This is the hardest obstacle to get through. Simply put, your idea can't just be the combination of 2 other patented Ideas. Previous patents are called "prior art" and your idea will be compared against prior art to ensure there was a substantial difference in your invention versus previous inventions. Patent examiners will also look at the commercial marketplace.
5) You Haven't publicly disclosed your idea

If you don't have a secret sauce and you're creating a website that duplicates someone else's algorithm/process then you may be infringing on someone else's patent & you should ask yourself why you're going into business in the first place.

Other than the legal question.
Spend as much time as it takes to come up with answering this question..Why would I buy your product or service? This will give you your USP. From there you will develop your drive, your, passion, and your marketing voice. From this you will develop unstoppable perseverance for success.

Best of Luck,
Mike
From the Trenches to the Towers Marketing
I will be glad to help as my time permits.

I believe they do file for patents, but it has quite a wide range. For instance,
1. Professional qualification tracking and management system and method
Patent number: 10841777
Abstract: A system and method for managing the qualifications of emergency management personnel using at least partially automated qualification management devices or electronic Position Task Books (ePTBs) is presented herein. The system includes a network of participating organizations comprising governmental agencies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), academic institutions, and the private sector. The qualification management devices or ePTBs are used to establish the suitability of the personnel or individual participants in the performance of emergency management duties in the areas of emergency preparedness, planning, response, recovery, etc. More specifically, the present invention is directed to a system and/or method for the management (including the issuance, execution, and review) of qualification management devices or ePTBs within a self-managed network of participating organizations using internet and mobile technology to deliver ePTBs.
Type: Grant
Filed: November 15, 2019
Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
Inventor: Robert Steven Allen

2. Capturing electronic signatures via captive portal
Patent number: 10817703
Abstract: A capture device obtains customer data and electronic signatures via a captive portal. The capture device analyses a digital form provided by a user and automatically configures a digital version of the form for signing. When a client device associated with a customer connects to the capture device, the capture device triggers a captive portal to appear on the client device. The capture device renders the digital form within the captive portal. The customer can then fill out, electronically sign, and submit the form. The capture device generates an audit trail for the electronically signed form based on identifying data captured transparently from the client device. The capture device establishes a secure connection with the client device for enhanced security and to prevent the client device from displaying security warnings.
Type: Grant
Filed: September 17, 2018
Date of Patent: October 27, 2020
Inventor: Darien Crane

3. System, method, and computer program for automatically predicting the job candidates most likely to be hired and successful in a job
Patent number: 10803421
Abstract: A method and system relating to determine a match between a candidate and a job position for an enterprise, the method and system including receiving an enriched talent profile associated with the candidate, the enriched talent profile comprising a talent profile of the candidate derived from a first data source of the enterprise, and one or more supplemental data items obtained from a second data source independent from the first data source, generating a calibrated job profile for the job position, the calibrated job profile comprising information, and executing a machine learning module using the enriched talent profile and the calibrated job profile as inputs to determine a match score between the candidate and the job position.
Type: Grant
Filed: August 31, 2019
Date of Patent: October 13, 2020
Assignee: Eightfold AI Inc.
Inventors: Ashutosh Garg, Varun Kacholia

4. Automated scoring of video clips using extracted physiological features
Patent number: 10803318
Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for scoring video clips using visual feature extraction. A signal including a video clip of a subject is received. For each frame of the video clip, physiological features of the subject visually rendered in the video clip are extracted. A plurality of visual words associated with the extracted physiological features are determined. A document including the plurality of visual words is generated. A plurality of feature vectors associated with the document are determined. The plurality of feature vectors to a regression model for scoring are provided.
Type: Grant
Filed: May 17, 2017
Date of Patent: October 13, 2020
Assignee: Educational Testing Service
Inventors: Lei Chen, Gary Feng, Chee Wee Leong, Chong Min Lee

5. Recommending relevant positions
Patent number: 10789312
Abstract: This disclosure relates to systems and methods for recommending relevant positions. A method includes receiving, from a member of an online networking service, a query for one or more available employment positions; executing the query, at a database of employment positions, to retrieve the one or more available employment positions; filtering results of the query according to one or more facets; generating an electronic user interface to display the filtered results; and allowing the member to adjust the facets using the electronic user interface.
Type: Grant
Filed: December 1, 2017
Date of Patent: September 29, 2020
Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
Inventors: Dhruv Arya, Kevin Kao, Huichao Xue

Besides if you do have any questions give me a call: https://clarity.fm/joy-brotonath