Financing a Patent Portfolio
How to Find a Good Patent Attorney
How to find a good patent attorney: find two attorneys, and have each one evaluate the other attorney’s work. Here is a simple technique to find a good patent attorney: start with at least *two* candidates. Ask each attorney to give you a sample of their work, and take the sample to the other attorney.…
Read MoreWorthless Patents – How to Avoid the Biggest Pitfalls
Worthless patents: they don’t have to be that way. Worthless patents happen for two reasons: the original invention was not selected properly and the patent was poorly prosecuted with the patent examiner. Properly selecting the invention is crucial for getting a good patent. Your conventional patent attorney will tell you if there is prior art,…
Read MoreWhat Do Patents Actually Cost?
How much does a patent cost? The US average is about $60,000. There is a more detailed article on patent costs here. The patent process involves two major phases. Patent “preparation” is when the patent is originally drafted and filed with the patent office, and patent “prosecution” is the back and forth that happens with…
Read MoreStatistical Correlation Between Patent Ownership and Success
The more patents you own – and the better they are – the better your chances of success. France Brevets, a French sovereign investment fund, has published a report (in English) that correlates success of venture-backed startups with the patents held by the startup. As you would think the chances of success by the company…
Read MorePatent Holding Companies and Ownership Issues
BlueIron uses a conventional patent holding company structure to separate the ownership and control of a patent portfolio. In this construct, an operating company has full control of the assets, even though the patent assets are held in a separate company. The BlueIron arrangement gives the operating company full control of the assets through an…
Read MorePatents that are Bad Stand-Alone Investments
How BlueIron Evaluates Patent Investments. We do not invest in technologies where we don’t think there is a market for the patents alone. BlueIron treats client’s patents like collateral for loans. Our investment is protected only by the value that the patents would have on the open market, if the client walks away from the…
Read MoreHow to Finance Getting a Patent?
You can get financing for your patent through BlueIron before you raise money. Entrepreneurs are caught between a rock and a hard place: they need money to get proper patent protection, but they need patent protection to start raising money. What do you do? BlueIronIP finances getting your patent – while you are raising money.…
Read MoreAngel Funding Through BlueIron
BlueIron acts as an angel investor, co-investing in your company. The big difference: BlueIron does not dilute your shares. BlueIron invests, on average, $40,000 for each patent your company has. If you do 5 patents, BlueIron will invest about $200,000. If you have 10 patents, BlueIron invests about $400,000. BlueIron’s investment goes into assets that…
Read MoreWhat is the cost of a cheap patent?
What is the cost of a cheap patent? It turns out to be very expensive. Some startup companies do not want to spend much money on patents, so they get the lowest cost provider for IP services. The result: a cheap patent. A cheap patent that might not have the proper claim scope to protect…
Read MoreHow much does a patent cost?
A typical US patent cost is over $60,000. This is according to the American Intellectual Property Legal Association bi-annual survey. This is the average patent cost across the US for a patent on a “high technology” invention, and your mileage may vary. The patent costs are roughly half drafting (“preparation”) and prosecution. Preparation includes everything…
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