Patent Valuation
What is the cost of a cheap patent?
What is the cost of a cheap patent? It turns out to be very expensive. Airplane wreckage on black sand beach, Iceland 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…
Read MorePatent Rejection – What it takes to get a patent issued
Your patent will typically be rejected by the examiner. Do not worry. The back-and-forth process between the examiner and applicant is a necessary part of getting a strong patent allowed. We want the examiner to fully understand the invention and do a competent job of searching. If the examiner does a poor job, your patent…
Read MoreConsidering Constraints When Evaluating Patentable Ideas
When all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail. Every invention has a set of constraints, and it is imperative to uncover and evaluate them when considering patenting. This applies to an inventor or business manager who is trying to ferret out ideas contained in a new product as well as the…
Read MoreA good patent is easy to read
A good patent is easy to read[1]. If you can’t understand your patent application, neither can the patent examiner. Many people tell me that they did not understand their patent application because their attorney used “legalese”. Some even joke that it was so dense that they did not even know if their invention was in…
Read MoreWhat does a good patent application look like?
Good patents are NOT written in “legalese”. I had a telephone interview with a patent examiner a while ago and in the course of the interview, the examiner said that he really liked my patent application because I did not try to hide the ball with the invention. I was originally taught to write patent…
Read MoreCurating Inventions in the Invention Disclosure Meeting – Myopia
Since BlueIron has a vested interest in the quality and economic value of your patents – it is the only collateral that BlueIron uses – we NEED patents to be high quality. The single biggest event that determines commercial value is the invention disclosure meeting. If inventors see their inventions as too small, the resulting…
Read MoreBlueIron has a Vested Interest in Your Business
BlueIron’s interests are more aligned with your business interest than your patent attorney’s interests. How does the patent attorney tell if your invention is “good”? It only depends on whether your check clears the bank. BlueIron actually cares if your patent has real commercial value. Because your inventions are the only collateral BlueIron has for…
Read MorePatent Prosecution Highway
The fastest and best way to get your patents: The Patent Prosecution Highway. The Patent Prosecution Highway is a program available at many patent offices around the world that put your patent application on a fast track to issue. BlueIron consistently gets US patents issued within 12-18 months using the PPH, and has extensive experience…
Read MoreExpert Portfolio Curation
Selecting the right inventions for patent coverage makes all the difference in whether your patent assets will be commercially useful. BlueIron has years of experience in curating portfolios, and uses several sophisticated metrics to help identify which inventions will be successful in defending your company’s marketplace, suitable for outbound licensing, or otherwise helpful in your…
Read MorePatents that Protect a Business Advantage
A good patent is one that protects a business advantage. I often ask entrepreneurs to tell me your competitive advantage – what is the weakness in the market that you are going to exploit? This can be one or many market weaknesses. For example, a competitive advantage is that your product is “easy to use”.…
Read More