Small Business IP Protection and Management

China Patent Rights

Patent filings in China continue to rise, as reported in a recent article in the Financial Times (7/3, Waldmeir).   Enforcement of patent rights still remains an issue.  However, with the rise in filings, coupled with a few pending court cases, momentum may be beginning to swing in the direction of the patentee.  It appears the next few years will be critical in the evolution of IP in China.

Independent Inventor Conference

Registration is now open for the 13th annual Independent Inventors Conference.  The conference will be held at the USPTO in Alexandria, Virginia August 8-9. 

Additionally, a pre-conference workshop will be offered the evening of August 7 for anyone interested in learning about the basics of patents and the importance of intellectual property protection.

For additional information, click here.

To register, click here.

Decrease in Patents Issued

The number of patents issued in the U.S. in 2007 dropped from the previous year according to a recent article in the Chicago Tribune.  There has been a downward trend in recent years.  According to the article, only 51 percent of applications were allowed in 2007, which is down from 72 percent in 2000. 

Patent Applications Filed

Patent Applications Pending Prior to Allowance

Summary of Pending Patent Applications

Patents Issued

Getting a patent - has it gotten harder?

For the past few years, it has certainly seemed more difficult to obtain a patent.  Even the not so solidly based rejections have required appeal, Examiner interviews, or RCE's at an alarming rate.  Interestingly, there is proof of this trend, and now, some discussion as well.  Check out these links [1] [2] [3].

Patent Searching using Google

Jake Ward has a review of Google's patent search tool available at AnticipateThis.com.  It is worth checking out.  According to the comments, one of the nice features is that full text searches can be conducted prior to 1976, something that other services do not provide.

Toledo Patents

Here is a listing of patents from the Toledo Blade which were issued in the Toledo area in October 2006.

Patent Value

One of the most asked questions a patent attorney hears is "How much is my patent worth?".   The easy answer is "Whatever you can get for it".  However, in reality, there really is no easy answer.  The value can be approximated using sales forcasts and the like, but many variables can make or break such an approximation.  These variables can include costs of production, market swings, etc.

To assist (at least a little) in gaining some confidence and credibility in assigning a value, a number of links are provided below to articles, book titles, and other rersources.  Although no single resource will help assign a  value to a patent, the real "value" of the resources will be promoting a better understanding.

Valuing Innovation, Invention, and Patents

Determine a Patent's Estimated Value

Appraising Inventions: The Key to Technology Management

PatentCafe's IP, Invention and Business Books

PatentValuePredictor.com

Invention Disclosure Form

We are often asked to provide a form for inventors to disclose an invention.  Below is a sample basic form.

Download Invention_Disclosure_Form.pdf

IBM sues Amazon

Taking advantage of the rocket dockets in the Eastern District of Texas, IBM has sued Amazon for patent infringement.  IBM has described the patents at issue as core to electronic commerce.

Online patent information

IBM plans to make patent filing information available to the public online in an effort to minimize patent disputes.  For more, go here.