Intellectual Property

Bringing a new product to market involves more than innovation—it requires strategic protection. As design patents gain importance in safeguarding the aesthetic aspects of a product, conducting a Freedom to Operate (FTO) search for industrial designs has become a crucial step. A design FTO search helps companies: Avoid legal risks, licensing costs, and forced redesigns                                                                              Navigate design rights across global markets                                                                                        ...

Should you patent your innovation or keep it under wraps? It’s a question that has shaped the strategies of industry giants like Apple, Coca-Cola, and Google. Patents offer strong legal protection — but require public disclosure and hefty costs. Trade secrets, on the other hand, are free to keep — but risky to lose. Choosing the right path isn’t just a legal decision — it’s a business strategy. From tech to pharmaceuticals, and from manufacturing to software, different industries lean on different IP tactics to gain a competitive edge. In this quick-read guide, I break down: Key differences between patents and trade secrets Industry-specific trends and best practices Global legal impacts (like GDPR and the Defend Trade Secrets Act) Strategic questions to help you decide what’s best for your business Sometimes the smartest move is a hybrid approach. 🧠 Want to dig deeper into how companies like Tesla and Pfizer handle this decision? 👉  Read the full guide here  — How to Decide...

Since its launch on June 1, 2023, the Unitary Patent System has aimed to simplify processes, reduce costs, and unify legal protection across participating EU countries. In its first year, over 27,500 Unitary Patents were registered, covering 80% of the EU's GDP. Germany and France led adoption, though the absence of key economies like Spain and Poland shows harmonization is still a work in progress.   The system's Unified Patent Court (UPC) has quickly become a central venue for patent litigation, handling over 500 cases in diverse tech sectors. Businesses appreciate the faster resolution times and streamline legal processes, though some SMEs remain cautious due to perceived cost risks. Meanwhile, traditional litigation has declined, raising questions about local court roles in the evolving ecosystem.   Cost savings are significant maintaining a Unitary Patent for 10 years costs less than €5,000 compared to nearly €29,000 under the old system. However, challenges persist, ...

 If a company accuses you of patent infringement and demands royalties, your best move might not be a courtroom battle—but a patent invalidity search . Also known as an opposition search, this process helps determine whether a granted patent (usually a competitor’s) can be challenged or invalidated. The goal? To uncover prior art —existing publications, products, or patents—that could have been missed during the original examination. Why Invalidity Searches Matter Invalidity searches carry major strategic value in both litigation and intellectual property (IP) management : In court, they can defuse an infringement claim , potentially saving millions. For IP strategy, they help assess the strength of existing patents , spot competitor threats , and reinforce your own patent portfolio by fixing weaknesses before others exploit them. When and Where They're Used In the U.S., invalidity searches are essential for Inter Partes Reviews (IPRs) —a key trial process under the ...

Patent professionals need sophisticated tools that go beyond basic data visualization to navigate complex intellectual property datasets effectively. Standard business intelligence tools lack the specialized capabilities required for comprehensive patent analysis. Essential Tools for Directed Patent Analysis Co-occurrence Matrices - Reveal hidden connections between assignees, terms, or inventors Customizable Dashboards - Personalize analytics views for specific research needs Multidimensional Charts with Nested Filtering - Pack more information and enable deeper insights 2D Spatial Maps - Visualize technological clusters and competitive positioning Enhanced Custom Metadata Types - Design custom fields and hierarchical categories Thesaurus Support - Combine values and synonyms to ensure comprehensive analysis Qualitative Metrics - Evaluate patent significance beyond simple counts Seamless Sharing Capabilities - Deliver customized insights effectively Integration of S...

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has significantly transformed patent search processes, marking its transition from an experimental tool to an integral component of intellectual property (IP) management systems. PatSeer's AI search, introduced in mid-2023, now accounts for 20% of all searches, with this figure rising monthly. Unlike traditional Boolean searches, AI searches can understand contextual relationships and subtle nuances, speeding up and enhancing the accuracy of IP searches. Combinational AI: A Hybrid Search Approach PatSeer's platform exemplifies the adoption of Combinational AI, which blends AI and Boolean search capabilities within a single framework. This approach not only conserves time and reduces costs but also minimizes errors related to data handling and system integration. By enabling a seamless integration of AI tools with Boolean results, Combinational AI facilitates more sophisticated search and analysis strategies, thereby enriching patent analytics and de...