Blog
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How to Find a Realistic Patent Value
Updated 15 Aug 2025. The biggest factor to determine a patent’s value: revenue. A realistic patent valuation[1][2] can be determined using many of the same techniques used to value businesses. However, it all depends on…
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Only Gullible Angel Investors fall for Provisional Patents
Provisional patent[1] applications are the worst things for angel investors. What is a provisional patent application? A provisional patent application, sometimes called a “provisional” or “PPA,” is the single worst thing a startup can do…
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Management of Patent Risk
Cipher.ai regularly releases some very interesting articles on patent risk. Their November 2021 article on “Management of Patent Risk” is available here. Cipher.ai surveyed 122 companies to look at strategies for handling IP risk. The…
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Provisional Patent Applications are Always Wrong for Your Business
Updated 22 Dec 2021 Provisional patent[1] applications are misunderstood by many inventors, investors, and even patent attorneys. There is a notion that somehow a provisional patent application is good for inventors and startup companies. Let…
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Cringeworthy statements: “There is Nothing Like it in the Market”
I hear from inventors and entrepreneurs who proudly state: “there is nothing like it in the market.” I cringe every time I hear this. There are two explanations for this statement. One is that the…
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Patents as Lottery Tickets
Patents have an asymmetry of reward. BlueIron capitalizes on this in a different way. Just like the torn up betting tickets at the race track, the patent system is littered with endless stacks of worthless…
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The Patent System Eliminates Monopolies
Every Word in a Patent Hurts You – So Be Careful The patent system is a quid pro quo[1] – an exchange – where you give away trade secret[2]s and you get back some patent…
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IP Indemnification for Small Companies
I am “too small” to get sued for patent infringement[1]. Many small companies believe, falsely, that they are too small to be sued. Very small companies can be targets for patent trolls, but what happens…
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The “Walking Malpractice Suit”
The Attorney/Client Relationship[1] for Patent Attorneys has Some Weird Nuance. The fiduciary responsibility (and the fear of being sued for malpractice) is why attorneys explain everything in dreadful detail. It is not just that they…
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Adding to the Skill Stack
One of the smartest things I ever did was to take a job with the intention of adding to my skill stack. I have recommended this to several budding entrepreneurs who are planning on launching…