After several years of litigation over patents and other matters, Apple and Qualcomm recently announced a settlement. The two communications giants agreed to end a series of international lawsuits.
The case illustrates how important patent protection can be, especially in electronics.
Every startup will come up with a variety of plans. These likely include, among others, a marketing strategy, a business plan and an exit strategy.
In addition to these plans, tech startups should also consider developing an intellectual property (IP) strategy. IP is usually an important underpinning of a company's value, and time should be dedicated to thinking through and developing a detailed plan to protect it.
You have invested considerable time, energy and resources into a new idea or invention. Whether you created a new product that can benefit consumers, or one that is oriented more to businesses, you likely believe that your invention could be incredibly useful to future customers.
However, before you make the leap to start the steps toward selling your product, you may wonder about your options to protect it from competitors. As a creator, you should consider seeking a patent to protect your rights and avert the competition from using your invention for their own benefit.
The Girl Scouts are not happy.
After the Boy Scouts of America decided in 2017 to allow girls in their ranks, they rebranded themselves with new trademarks: "Scouts", "Scouting" and "Scouts BSA".
Before you file a full 'utility' application for a patent, you may first file a provisional application. What are provisional applications and how could you benefit from one?
If you are considering applying for a patent, the application process can seem murky and confusing. A key question many inventors have is - how much will it cost?
It's very difficult to go from an idea to turning it into a finished product that is ready to put on the market.
It can feel overwhelming, which is why invention promotion companies can seem appealing to inventors. Unfortunately, many of these invention companies are not the good deal they claim to be. Here are some signs an invention company may not be legitimate:
Johnson & Johnson holds the patent for Zytiga, a cancer drug used to treat prostate cancer. However, a U.S. district court just invalidated the company’s patent, which could open it up to competition from generic versions of the drug.
The company has filed an appeal and asked the court to hold off on allowing generics until the appeals process is finalized.
It's important to go into the patenting process with appropriate expectations. Whether you have an idea for a new consumer product, or want to accelerate growth at your tech startup by improving on current technology, patents serve a range of purposes.
Patents help protect your intellectual property, but are difficult to obtain. The application process can be long - the average time to obtain a US patent is about 2 years.
Creating a new process or product that helps others accomplish a task in a new way is an exciting endeavor. If your invention proves successful, you can obtain significant advantages by obtaining a patent for it.
Before you file for patent protection you'll want to investigate whether your invention is patentable. Certain types of inventions are not eligible for patenting, such as abstract ideas or products of nature, so you'll want to avoid spending time and money filing for an unpatentable invention. In addition, searching for patents on similar products is an important part of the patenting process.
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