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Medical Device Patents
Medical devices and pharmaceutical inventions are a special case of intellectual property and are an interesting case study in the valuation of IP. They are an example of the influence of regulatory risk into a valuation analysis.
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Who Owns the Invention?
Many startups fail to have the basic agreements in place so that the company owns its inventions. Part of this is a failure to put the basic agreements in place for a startup company, and often the failure of the founders to commit to the company at all.
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Managing the Patent Process
The patent process begins with selecting an invention and evaluating it as harshly as you possibly can. Selecting an invention for patenting is an iterative process and expect to go back and forth as new information becomes available.
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Low Hanging Fruit: How Patent Searches Make Your Patent More Valuable
One easy way to spot an above-average patent is the References Cited on the front page. The references are specific pieces of prior art that the examiner considered when evaluating the patent, and they are a good look at how good the patent might be.
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Questions for Entrepreneurs: Are You The Right Person?
Entrepreneurs and inventors have eternal optimism, which is contagious. They are animated, motivated, and have relentless energy when they are striving to their goals. They can be immensely fun (and frustrating) to be around. But are the goals the right goals for them?
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Examples of Undetectable Inventions
This past week, I looked at a couple companies and their IP. Both had an interesting but fundamental problem that made their IP worthless. We will talk about one of them in this post.
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Two Parts of a Patent Application: What You Give Away and What You Get In Return
Patent applications come in two parts – the specification and the claims. The specification is where you describe your invention, and the claims is the protection that you get when the patent is granted.
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How IP-Backed Loans Work
Your intellectual property is usually the hardest-fought asset you have. Intellectual property, and particularly patents, are often the most valuable intangible assets your company owns.
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The USPTO Claims it Wants to Ensure ‘Robust and Reliable’ Patents – But Its Questions Imply Another Assault on Patent Owners
Last October, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) issued a Request for Comments on USPTO Initiatives To Ensure the Robustness and Reliability of Patent Rights. Responses to this request are due by this Wednesday, February 1, 2023.
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You – And Only You – Are Responsible for Your Patent
In 1989, Steven Byrne invented an accessory to a string trimmer – the ubiquitous ‘weed whacker’ used for landscaping. Mr. Byrne was a landscaper. He developed his invention so that he could use the string trimmer for edging a sidewalk. His accessory was a cone that help stabilize the string.[1]