Patenting Experiences
(DISCLAIMER: This page content is not legal advice, and should not be construed as such.)
Everyone -- whether attendee or not at one of the MakeSpace events in the series of “Patenting Experiences” -- shall be encouraged to contribute to the collective intelligence of this wiki.
It shall help makespacers, entrepreneurs, or inventors navigate the patenting jungle, deal with patent attorneys, save resources, and improve commercial IP value, etc.
Whatever you discover that needs improvement, please fix it ASAP, ideally by respectfully correcting what is not yet right, and by generously adding what is yet missing. Thank you in advance for your wise contributions.
Patenting Experiences, 2019-11-13, Wed, 7-9pm, MakeSpace classroom, Mill Ln, Cambridge, UK
(We can possibly later leave out the event date and time, not structuring the content at all by when it came in, but only add content (incl questions for others) and structure.)
(A few bullet points to get your creative juices flowing…please expand/add/improve at will.)
# book recommendations:
- Patent It Yourself by David Pressman
- Patent Pending in 24 Hours with CD by Richard Stim , David Pressman
# some grants, e.g. from UK Innovate, come with free IP search budgets
# possible extension of time of “patent pending” by withdrawing the patent application and then refiling anew, although this looses the priority date and risks that someone else has filed meanwhile something similar
# website: Five IP Offices has a good patent search tool, with links between patents/prior art
# website/youtube channel: InventRightTV
# various commercialization strategies mentioned:
- Own IP and produce/sell yourself
- License IP without own production or sales
- Get acquired by large firm, save time, enter new game at higher level
- Protect against competition by cooperating with adversary of biggest competitor
- Create sticky consumer brand and outsell the competition
- IP valuation: use an IP actuary or (the cynical view) patent value equals legal defense fees
- General tip: It can be an expensive process and to be worthwhile an IP strategy needs to be very closely tied to the overall business strategy. In addition to the patent research you have started you should also look at the market sizes and potential profit you might expect. Many time, perhaps most, unless there is a clear technology difference, and a large market, and a tenfold cost/benefit improvement over the competition, patents can be more expense than advantage. They can however add to the value of a company if you are looking to sell to a larger player.
# protection without patent:
- design
- trademark
- copyright
- effective commercial contracts re manufacturing or sales
- mind space (Federer) / brand equity (Coca Cola) / cult following (Apple)
# databases re patents, brands, trademarks, designs, etc:
- Derwent via Cambridge University Library or British Library London
- https://worldwide.espacenet.com
- https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/search.jsf
- https://www3.wipo.int/branddb/en/
- http://patft.uspto.gov/
- http://www.ipdl.inpit.go.jp/
- https://www.wipo.int/patentscope/en/national_databases.html
- WIPO Guide to Using Patent Information incl Search Strategies https://www.wipo.int/edocs/pubdocs/en/wipo_pub_l434_3.pdf
- WIPO IP Facts and Figures 2018 https://www.wipo.int/edocs/pubdocs/en/wipo_pub_943_2018.pdf
- WIPO Free & Commercial Patent Database Overview: https://www.wipo.int/tisc/en/ppt/Philippines/overview_of_DBs.pdf
# firms that give some free advice:
- many single or company patent lawyers will outline the whole work, give a cost overview, and timelines
- if you were buying a house you'd consult a professional, after all
- Nash Matthews, Hills Rd, CB: they offer ½ hour consultation at no cost, very friendly, bright people
(DISCLAIMER: This page content is not legal advice, and should not be construed as such.)
