Filing a patent application has a number of legal effects.
- Competitor’s activities, which would have been Prior Art before your patent application was filled, may eventually be found to infringe your patent.
- The patent application is a licensable, transferable property right.
- Patent rights have begun to expire, and future costs approach each day.
After filing a patent, invention development or licensing plans should move forward immediately. Patent costs will continue. Patent protection is for a limited, always-shrinking time. To best leverage your investment, plans should move quick.
Licensing activities can begin immediately. A patent can be licensed before issuing. Some licensees prefer to license before a patent issues. This allows the licensee to influence or control the patent process.
About Andrew P. Lahser, Attorney