Every business exists for a purpose. Usually, that purpose is to make money. However, making money is not a business strategy. Selling products or services is not a strategy, either. It is entirely possible to run a business by selling products or services to make money, without having a strategy in place. It is possible, but it is dangerous because the business will be reactive to customers, competitors, and other market forces, instead of proactively driving toward a specific posture within the competitive landscape.
Continue reading “Use these Four Factors to Assess Your Business Strategy Profile”Are You a RACE Inventor? Four Characteristics of Successful Inventors
[This post was originally published August 19, 2018, on LinkedIn by Jeff Holman.]
Inventors, like inventions, come in all shapes and sizes. Over the years, working with thousands of inventors has given me a lot of time to refine my thoughts about inventors.
Early on, I thought I could easily pick out the “crazy inventors.” Maybe I could, but over time I realized some of the craziest inventors were the most likely to be successful. Others were simply crazy.
Continue reading “Are You a RACE Inventor? Four Characteristics of Successful Inventors”Next Steps: Provisional Patent Application
[This post was originally published August 10, 2018, on LinkedIn by Jeff Holman.]
Congratulations!
Your provisional patent application is filed. You now have “Patent Pending” status.
Now what?
Continue reading “Next Steps: Provisional Patent Application”Patent Guidance: 10 Criteria for Deciding when to File a Non-Provisional Patent Application
[This post was originally published May8, 2018, on LinkedIn by Jeff Holman.]
Ironically, the tasks of preparing and filing a patent application might be less stressful than actually making the decision to file. Very often, inventors file a provisional patent application, get “patent pending” status for 12 months, and then stress over whether to file a non-provisional patent application before the provisional patent application expires. Here are 10 criteria to help make that decision easier.
Continue reading “Patent Guidance: 10 Criteria for Deciding when to File a Non-Provisional Patent Application”Patent Quality: Considerations to Draft a Quality Patent Application
[This post was originally published April 30, 2018, on LinkedIn by Jeff Holman.]
What makes a quality patent application? Utility patent applications must meet several criteria to qualify for patent protection:
- Formalities (style, format, etc.)
- Eligibility
- Enablement
- Definiteness
- Novelty
- Non-Obviousness
Are You Managing Your Patent Portfolio Strategically?
[This post was originally published February 2, 2018, on LinkedIn by Jeff Holman.]
How many times have you found yourself scrutinizing your budget for opportunities to save money, control costs, and optimize productivity? You might find a way to save $100 on travel or $15 on office supplies, because you can easily evaluate the cost/benefit analysis of these expenses.
When it comes to your legal costs, do you find yourself making decisions with very little ability to articulate the benefits you’re obtaining? In terms of your patent portfolio, can you articulate the specific objectives of your portfolio? Or do you just assume you are “protecting” your inventions, because your outside counsel tells you what everyone else is doing, without a clear understanding of what “protecting” really means?
Continue reading “Are You Managing Your Patent Portfolio Strategically?”