Description

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A patent portfolio is the intersection of business, technology, and law. Small companies face especially high stakes and, therefore, must be especially judicious in developing a patent portfolio within budget constraints. Patenting for the Small Company is a short book, densely packed with tips learned first-hand in developing patent portfolios for small companies. The book guides the disciplined small company on setting up the organization and processes needed to build a strong and valuable patent portfolio. It also offers and explains common strategy considerations. For example, this book suggests ways to harvest invention ideas from busy inventors by working with managers and creating incentive rewards. The book also describes the considerations and tests for each idea to determine if it is worth patenting, such as by doing an in-house prior art search and review of the competitive landscape. The book also recommends an effective method for drafting and prosecuting applications for the worthwhile ideas. The book also discusses the use of US provisional applications and how to determine what countries to target for patenting within budget and market constraints, as well as some noteworthy differences between different countries' patent systems. The book also addresses budgeting, with some ballpark numbers for what costs are reasonable for certain strategies. The book also addresses defensive strategies for limiting the threat of competitors' pate portfolios.

About the Author

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Jonah Probell is a registered US patent agent and portfolio manager for SoundHound. Since 1998 he has worked in system-on-chip engineering, marketing, and patent portfolio management for seven small companies and has conferred with dozens of other practitioners. He occasionally professes at Silicon Valley's Discussion of Patents events. He can be reached at jonah@probell.com.