Changes in patent law could provide a financial break for some companies and individuals, along with opportunities to expedite the process, additional ways to challenge patents and easier patent notification through virtual marking.
Is now the time to consider changing your company’s patent strategy? Possibly.
As the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act is implemented in coming months, the four most notable patent law changes could affect when organizations and individuals decide to file for a patent, how they challenge competitors’ patents, and the speed at which the patent process is expedited.
“The patent law changes affect anyone who has an idea and wants to patent that idea,” says John Skeriotis, Chair of the Intellectual Property Group at Brouse McDowell in Akron. “The legislation was designed to improve the quality of patents, to reduce litigation that occurs by time or by filings, to decrease patent backlog and bring inventions to the market faster, and reduce costs for qualifying applicants.”
Smart Business spoke with Skeriotis about the new patent law changes and how this legislation will affect individuals and organizations seeking patents.
What are the most notable patent law changes?
There are four key changes that could affect the patent strategy at some companies. First, the legislation changes the patent filing process from a First to Invent system to a First to File system. Second, companies now have the ability to more actively participate in their competitors’ patent applications by submitting prior public documents challenging and arguing against those patent applications. Third, there is an expedited patent process (prioritized examination) and some qualifying filers could pay lower fees. Last, there are easier patent notification methods available, such as virtual marking.
How will a First to File system change the patent process for companies?
This is the system that much of the world uses, and, given our global market, a change to this system is beneficial for U.S. companies and individuals filing for patents. In a First to File system, a patent is awarded to the first to file and not necessarily the first to invent.
For example, let’s say you and I invented the same product. You invented it first, but I was the first to file for a patent. In the previous First to Invent system, you could prove you were the first inventor and then be awarded the patent, despite the fact that I filed first. Now, regardless of who invented the product first, the inventor who files first gets the patent.
Some advice: file early and file as often as needed. Remember to file for a patent for product updates and upgrades — small improvements of any kind.
How will the patent challenging process change?
Companies now have more opportunities to participate in their competitors’ patent process in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office rather than doing so via litigation in federal court. The idea is that managing patent challenges earlier in the patent filing process, and handling them at the office level rather than in federal court, will save time and money.
Here’s how a patent challenge scenario could play out: Your competitor is filing for a patent on a product and your company has public documents that challenge whether that competitor should receive the patent. You can argue why that idea should not be granted a patent. This could change the way companies strategize against competitors’ patents. It’s a good idea to talk to an experienced patent attorney about the benefits and potential downfalls of this patent law change.
How will an expedited patent process help businesses?
Prioritized examination allows companies to speed up the patent process, and doing so involves a rather steep fee of $4,800 for large entities and $2,400 for individuals and small businesses. However, with patent law changes, there is a fee reduction of up to 75 percent for independent inventors who meet certain criteria. There are a number of qualifications for this fee reduction, but the reduced cost and expedited patent process could be highly beneficial for some.
What patent change will make notification easier?
The new legislation takes advantage of technology available today and allows for virtual marking. This means a company can use the Internet to notify competitors and the general public that a patent was granted on a product or service. The patent marking no longer has to be physically included with a product.
In the past, some companies had difficulty determining where to place the actual patent number on the product. Using a tire as an example, should the patent number be embedded in a mold so that it is stamped in the rubber of every tire? Or, should a sticker containing the patent number be applied to every tire? Should the patent number be included in the owner’s manual? With the new law, a virtual marking provides more flexibility through utilization of technology.
How will these patent law changes affect a company’s ability to get a patent?
The changes correct concerns and issues that surfaced with the previous patent process and are supposed to reduce federal litigation. The new law is supposed to make the patent process faster and more affordable for some companies, and will align the application process (First to File) to that of other countries around the world. It’s a good idea to discuss with an attorney how these patent law changes could affect your company’s patent strategy, and to find out what opportunities may be realized in terms of challenging and expediting patents.
John Skeriotis is chair of the Intellectual Property Group at Brouse McDowell in Akron. Contact him at [email protected] or (330) 535-5711.
