Blog
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Managing the Patent Process
How Entrepreneurs Need to Think About Patenting 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…
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Low Hanging Fruit: How Patent Searches Make Your Patent More Valuable
References and Information Disclosure Statements 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…
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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…
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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. I…
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Two Parts of a Patent Application: What You Give Away and What You Get In Return
Patent applicants are told that they are getting a “monopoly” on their invention, and that leaves out half of the equation. Patent applications come in two parts – the specification and the claims. The specification…
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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. There are several ways to use your IP in finance,…
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The USPTO Claims it Wants to Ensure ‘Robust and Reliable’ Patents – But Its Questions Imply Another Assault on Patent Owners
All of the suggested changes to continuation practices are extraordinary in their breadth and reach, and place severe and staggering restrictions on an Applicant’s ability to craft meaningful and useful claims. Last October, the United…
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You – And Only You – Are Responsible for Your Patent
The sad story of how an inventor was taken advantage of by his patent attorney. In 1989, Steven Byrne invented an accessory to a string trimmer – the ubiquitous ‘weed whacker’ used for landscaping. Mr.…
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The Importance of Patent Searches
The easiest way to make your patent more valuable: do a patent search. One of the first things everyone sees, including me as I start a patent valuation[1] analysis, is the list of references on…
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Patents on Vision vs Patents on Inventions
There is a big difference between an entrepreneur’s vision and the entrepreneur’s inventions. Often the entrepreneur (and their investors) confuse the two. Entrepreneurs are fond of having big, bold visions of the future. A future…