   Is it possible to legally setup a free version of classmates.com?
  Is it possible to legally setup a free version of classmates.com or does classmates.com have some sort of patent that protects them.THX 
  I dont think that a business idea is patentable.  As long as you don''t steal their code and use it in your site you should be fine. ;  The reason there arent many classmate/freinds reunited sites (I assume there isn''t) is because they have a hold on the market.  Who wants to sign up with 12 different sites to find people they went to school with.  having it in one site is benificial to the end user.  Also as for running it for free.  I believe friends reunited started out as free and they had to turn to paid alternative as it was costing too much.  To operate it for free youd have to pull in some serious advertising or have alot of desposable funding. ;  and in that case, i''d really say "screw it."  agreed? 