Until recently, patents have not gotten much attention on the Internet. However, now that more and more people realize the importance and the power of patents, this situation is changing tremendously. It is certainly possible that some algorithm or technique on your Website is patented. As infringing on someone's patent can be very costly, it is important to be careful.
More information on patents, copyright, trademarks and other Internet-related law is available on Iusmentis.com.