WHY?WHAT?HOW?WHERE? Copyright © KATZAROV S.A.19/02/2007 Patents in the Electronic (and IT)...

WHY? WHAT? HOW? WHERE?

Patents in the Electronic (and IT) Industries

Olivier Sacroug

European Patent AttorneyKatzarov SA

• What is a patent?– “Contract” with the society

• You disclose your invention to the public and, as a counter-part, the government grants you with a 20 years monopoly

– Patents are national/regional• no effects outside their jurisdiction

– Right to exclude others from making, using, offering for sale, selling, importing the invention

– Patents do not provide you with the right to make, use, offer for sale, sell or import your own invention

– Patentee must enforce the patent

• Why should I apply for a patent?

– Immediate value• Grants you with a property right on your inventions • Gives you a monopoly on these inventions• Protects your developments, R&D investments• Licensing opportunities

• Why should I apply for a patent? (2)

– Indirect value• To help convincing investors / partners• To strengthen your position in negotiations

with partners / competitors

• Why are patents particularly important in the Electronic and IT industries

– Copying / reverse engineering is relatively easy

– Very active and “aggressive” environment

• Why should I not file patent application in the Electronic and IT industries

– Business is often faster than patent offices

WIPO Statistics

Source: Trilateral Statistical Report, 2005 edition; jointly produced by the EPO, JPO and USPTO; Edited by the JPO, 2006.

• What can I protect with a patent?– Almost any new and inventive technical solution

• Components (filters, connectors, ...)• Composition of matter• Machines (machine tools, electronic equipment,...)• Manufacturing methods• Services (e.g. over telecommunication networks)• Software ?!

• Example 1: connector

• Example 2: electric filter

• Example 3: comp. alignment

• Example 4: inspection module

• Example 5: billing process

• Example 6: single sign-on process

• How should I proceed?

– Start early in the development process– Identify the elements of your solution / idea

that bring a real commercial advantage– Depending on the complexity of the project,

be ready to file more than one patent application

• Patents are only delivered for NEW inventions

– DO NOT DISCLOSE your invention before you filed a patent application

• What is considered as a disclosure?– publication

• article in a journal or a newspaper• flyer• abstract• pre-print• website, blogs, Internet postings• letters, fax, emails• discussion with friends

– public use– offering for sale

• What is NOT considered as a disclosure?

– discussions inside the company, in a lab, ...– letters, faxes, emails, discussions , seminars

if they are explicitly covered by aNON-DISCLOSURE AGREEMENT

• In case of a disclosure by the inventor

– Grace period– USA, Canada: 1 year– Eurasia: 6 months– Europe, Japan, India and most countries: 0 days

• Other forms of IP protection

– Petty patents (utility models, modèles d’utilité, Gebrauchsmuster, etc.): usually more limited in time (5-15 years)

– Designs: protects only the visual aspect– Topography: protects a specific design of an

integrated circuit– Trademarks

• Where should I apply for a patent?

– The legal effects of a patent effects are limited to a country or a region

– There are no such things as “international patents”

• Where should I protect my invention?

– Own country of development / production – Main competitors’ countries of production– Main markets

• Provisional patent application

– Short deadline (before a fair, etc.)– Limited financial resources– Very early stage, details of solution unclear – Extend the life of the patent (pharma)– MUST be transformed within 12 months

• International PCT application

– Covers most countries– Postpone strategic decisions (30 months)– Postpone major costs– Search report and possible examination– MUST be transformed into regional/national

patent applications

• Direct National/Regional filings

– Cost effective– No modification of the geographical coverage

possible after 12 months from the priority date (date of first filing): requires a well-defined strategy from the start

Source: Trilateral Statistical Report, 2005 edition; jointly produced by the EPO, JPO and USPTO; Edited by the JPO, 2006.

• Adapted geographical coverage: essential

– A single patent covering one country can be as efficient as several patents covering an entire continent

– If neither the competitors’ countries nor the markets are covered : no big use

Questions?

Olivier Sacroug

Katzarov SAEuropean Patent & Trademark Attorneys

Geneva and Basel

admin@katzarov.comTel: +41 22 342 66 30Fax: +41 22 342 66 15

www.katzarov.com

Thank You!

WHY?WHAT?HOW?WHERE? Copyright © KATZAROV S.A.19/02/2007 Patents in the Electronic (and IT)...

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