How do you build and manage your intellectual property?
The Intellectual Property that you licensed into your startup may or may not be all the protection you will ever need to commercialize your technology. During the course of the development of your product, you may learn new things about how your product can become more valuable and some of these new concepts may be novel and inventive leading to the attainment of new patents.
Even in the case of a single patent, vehicles such as Patient Cooperation Treaty (PCT) applications may allow you to seek protection on a world-wise basis, something large, global companies relish when considering licensing of technology and products or outright acquisition of a startup.
A growing IP portfolio is something that investors love to see as they view a strong portfolio as a barrier to others approaching, or even blocking, the space for which you have protection.
Here are a few videos that touch on these important concepts.
Why Build A Patent Portfolio? (Jeffrey Schox – Stanford)
Your IP portfolio increases valuation, deters patent-infringement lawsuits and protects you when partnering with a larger company
Foreign Patent Application Filing Considerations (Inventor’s Quick Tips)
Overview of filing patent applications in other countries