Ways of infringing on a patent

1. Direct infringement: professional use
   • Production and marketing, possession for such purposes etc
   • Professional use as a tool
   • Ignorance is no excuse
   • Private use excluded
2. Indirect or contributory infringement: actively/knowingly encouraging selling or supplying items. "In good faith" -excuse possible (but damages may be awarded anyway).

• Requires action from patent holder; "submarine patents"
• Sanctions: "Full damages", fines and/or prison.
• Selling "kit" of instructions and raw materials can be direct infringement.
• If "invention" is a process involving a computer program, selling or distributing the program is only indirect (contributory) infringement, its use by the end user a direct one.
• If "invention" is program by itself, distribution is direct infringement.
• Publication in the Internet is distribution!