Category: Patent Strategy
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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…
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Good Stewards of Capital
The single most important thing you need to show an angel investor. Angel investors hear countless pitches from all kinds of entrepreneurs, some of which are extraordinarily capable scientists and visionaries who have fantastic technical…
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Feedback – and the Truth
Good feedback needs to hurt. Anyone who is trying to pitch a new business idea needs to hear the hard truth, whether or not you are an entrepreneur doing the angel investment circuit or you…
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Investment Grade Patents are not for Patent Trolling
They are for business negotiations. Patent trolling is the business of extortion. Generally, patent trolling is when someone sues for patent infringement[1] but is willing to settle for less than the cost of litigation. It…
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Crystalizing Your Invention
One of the many curses of a self-written provisional patent[1] application Entrepreneurs buy into the myth – perpetuated by the patent bar – that they should write and file provisional patent applications before bringing their…
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Walking Dead and Their Patents
The Myth that You Want An Early Filing Date When I studied for the patent bar exam, it seemed that every other question was about priority dates. The priority date is when time stands still. …
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Investment Grade Patents Need Investment Grade Businesses
The simple fact is that patents only have value when they are infringed. When I invest in a patent through patent financing, I need the startup company to bring their product to market, otherwise, the…