Patents have a maximum life of 20 years and, therefore, a 20-year potential monopoly. Patents that are just beginning their life and which have longer to run on the their potential monopoly position understandably will have more value. It is rare that a patent nearing the end of its term will cause a great threat to its competitors. It is almost certain that they will have devised technologies or products of their own by then that will not interfere with the patent owners monopoly position. In addition, one has to take into consideration the potential business life of a patent, i.e., the duration, which a patent is likely to be economically useful, if other subsequent patents are providing better alternatives to it.
Although subtle, there is a keen difference between invention and innovation. Utility represents this distinct difference between innovation and invention. Albeit important, inventors generally spend their fortunes on their ideas whereas innovators create fortunes from their ideas. Our goal is to help you become more than an inventor. Since innovation is generally considered the actualization of an invention, and we claim as a promise to innovate continuously, are we hypocrites? If we don't listen to you and develop tools, reports, and lenses that have meaning to you, indeed we would be. Only you can decide that for yourself. However, our commitment to you is to continue innovating tools and services that help you rationalize IP asset class. While previous analytical tools focused on finding data, our tools are built to help you both find and then undertand what you found. Our data and technologies are only vehicles to help us deliver on our promise — we create actionable business intelligence from patent documents.
Take the quiz and test your intellectual property intelligence. For example do you know, Which of the following mechanisms provides to an inventor the right to exclude others from making, using, or selling the invention? Would the answer be copyright, trademark, non-discloser agreement or patent? Take the quiz on www.ipstreet.com and find out!
A utility patent application can be filed provisionally or unprovisionally. The non-provisional application establishes the filing date of your patent application and begins the examination process. Your patent application will be examined by the USPTO. A provisional application only establishes your filing date and expires automatically after one year. You may file a provisional application when you are not ready to enter your application into the regular examination process. A provisional application establishes a filing date at a lower cost for a first patent application filing in the United States. A provisional application allows the term "Patent Pending" to be applied to your invention.
Ignorance is not bliss. Before any significant moneys are spent on R&D or Product Development, a basic FTO (freedom to operate) search you be performed to ensure the idea, technology, or product is not infringing the IP rights of another party. IPstreet.com's search tools will help you avoid third-party infringement.