There are three types of different patents (1) Utility Patents: Issued for the invention of a new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or a new and useful improvement thereof, it generally permits its owner to exclude others from making, using, or selling the invention for a period of up to twenty years from the date of patent application filing ++, subject to the payment of maintenance fees. Approximately 90% of the patent documents issued by the USPTO in recent years have been utility patents, also referred to as "patents for invention." (2) Design Patents: Issued for a new, original, and ornamental design for an article of manufacture, it permits its owner to exclude others from making, using, or selling the design for a period of fourteen years from the date of patent grant. Design patents are not subject to the payment of maintenance fees. (3). Plant Patents: Issued for a new and distinct, invented or discovered asexually reproduced plant including cultivated sports, mutants, hybrids, and newly found seedlings, other than a tuber propagated plant or a plant found in an uncultivated state, it permits its owner to exclude others from making, using, or selling the plant for a period of up to twenty years from the date of patent application filing. Plant patents are not subject to the payment of maintenance fees.

Joseph Schumpeter, known as the Prophet of Innovation, describes the importance of inventors in his Theory of Economic Development. Inventors are the "fiery-spirits" that disrupt the status quo with their vision of doing things 'better, faster, cheaper.' In the process, their inventions represent "the heroic intervention of individual men (or women) who appear as leaders toward new economic shores." We believe that intellectual assets, commonly taking the form of patented technology, are the least-understood and most-relevant resources to stimulate economic development through innovation. To make this happen, intellectual property (IP) needs to be more comprehensively understood so that better business decisions can be executed. This is why we are in business. An invention must have economic utility to benefit society. Some times, inventions are way before their time. However, most of the time, the business execution to commercialize the invention fails. In fact, those that conceptualize the invention rarely reap the rewards of the innovation's ultimate success.

Resources are limited. Which patents should we maintain? Should we maintain international fees? Which patents pay the best royalties? Such questions are essential to perform IP audits consistently. A major limitation to make this happen is the lack of organization. With IP Street, we can help you quickly and easily search your universe of patents to get your 'House in Order.' Our patent search tools will assist you significantly.

Managing human capital is fundamental for a company's success. Merged with IP capital, a new realm of Intellectual Capital needs to be carefully considered. Alone, patents and inventors are important. But together, their synergies may be invaluable to a firm. Know which patents matter, which inventors matter, and which inventors play nice together. Whether you are searching to hire a new inventor, wanting to monitor inventor productivity, or want to analyze your inventor networks (relationships among inventors), IP Street simplifies the complex to provide meaningful insights.

IP Street is driving the innovation economy by delivering actionable business intelligence from patent documents. IP Street empowers users to Discover, Measure, Compare, and Connect to business opportunities. Designed for inventors, IP counselors, strategists, executives, investors, and analysts, the features of IP Street's cutting edge technologies simplify the complexities of intellectual property into intuitive and meaningful graphical summaries. These visualizations provide the essential "due diligence" to allow users to effectively evaluate business questions. IP Street helps you better understand patent search, patent analytics, patent value, patent infringement and how to patent an idea. Our patent search services will provide patent analytics that will revolutionize your business strategy by helping you determine the value of a patent business intelligence from an IP lens. The company is headquartered in Spokane, Washington, with a development office in Seattle. More information is available at www.IPStreet.com.