Patentverwerter – companion for your idea
Your idea
You are an inventor? Your idea is new and commercially applicable? We give answers on how to do it.
Your patent
You want your idea to be protected? And to be one step ahead of competitors? We look after your patent.
Your concept
You have been knighted: Your patent is granted. Now you want to conquer the market? We develop the roadmap.
Your market
You are equipped with a concept. Now you are eventually ready for take-off? We are your implementation partner.
Your prolongation
Your patent expires. But you want to expand the lifetime of your idea? We assume the aftercare.
Your strategy
You have a patent portfolio. Or you want to build one? We analyze your holding and plan the next stroke.
- Together we find out whether your idea is patentable. The law demands that an invention must fulfill certain prerequisites for this purpose. Some good ideas do not fulfill them. In other cases, however, the inventor is not aware of having conceived a patentable idea. We evaluate your chance of being granted a patent.
- Inventors pursue a certain goal with their idea. They work on their dissertation or are solving a technical problem for their institute or employer. In doing so, they are results-oriented. We help you to step back from the context of your invention. In an idea workshop we explore the possible applications of your invention by asking the right questions.
- As an external partner with experience in different industries, we can abstract from the original challenge. We think out of the box and discuss application scenarios or possible modifications with you. That is how we stake a maximum claim for you in the market.
- We assist you with the invention description – the first necessary step on your way to a patent. We help you drafting a complete and formally correct description. Done with care, this can considerably speed up the next steps. A proper description, for example, facilitates the work of the patent attorney. It is also advisable to clarify the ownership at this early stage.
- We work closely together with patent attorneys to ensure a proper registration procedure. If necessary, we can recommend the right office from our network.
- We support you in the correspondence with your patent attorney. And help you to gather all the necessary documents in time.
- We give advice with respect to all application parameters, such as costs (fees for patent office and attorney, patent search, translation, renewal fee), timing, term, country selection, etc.
- Like an insurance holder, the patent applicant neither wants to be underinsured nor overinsured. We take care of the right dose for your patent to cover the target market.
- There are two basic ways of monetizing a patent. First, the assignment or licensing of a patent. And second, the founding of a company. Put differently, you distinguish between “have it done” and “doing it yourself”. We discuss the optimal path with you. It is highly dependent on the market and the inventor’s willingness to be involved.
- If you opt for assignment or licensing, we help you to find an interested party.
- If you opt for founding a company, we develop a basic concept to begin with. The goal is to put project stakeholders in a position to make fundamental decisions about the business model. Important elements are the documentation of the starting situation, a common vision and precise aims.
- Building on the basic concept, we elaborate a detailed concept. The goal is to thoroughly work out all (sub-)concepts necessary for founding the company.
- Important elements of the detailed concept are:
- Concept for production
- Concept for marketing
- Concept for sales
- Concept for financing
- We undertake project management. At the interface between project stakeholders we coordinate internal and external players. We coach participants and act as a sparring partner for project management. For structuring the project, we rely on tried and tested project management methods.
- Preparing the relevant project plans is an important milestone. Work breakdown structure (WBS), precedence diagram (PD), Gantt chart and the respective resource plans are established instruments of control. We monitor the time schedule and find solutions for deviations.
- A convincing concept is important, but ultimately it is only half of the battle. It is our ambition to also put this concept into practice. We roll up our sleeves and take operative action.
- If you opted for assignment or licensing, we support you in negotiating the contracts.
- If you opted for founding a company, we arouse the detailed concept:
- Implementing the concept for production
- Implementing the concept for marketing
- Implementing the concept for sales
- Implementing the concept for financing
- We work together with a fine-meshed network of partners (scientific, production, sales and strategic partners) and investors. We connect partners and take care of contract negotiations.
- We do not consider ourselves as brokers. Instead, we assume responsibility for the success of every single project. Bringing partners together can be one important step. Equally important is to build up a company organically and to equip it with an identity of its own. That involves, amongst others, the setup of a headquarter and the recruiting of skilled staff.
- The expiration date of a good idea and a patent’s lifetime do not always match. An invention can remain attractive also after a patent has expired. We point out possibilities to achieve further revenue.
- If you have monetized your idea by means of a license, we analyze your contracts. And we enter into negotiations with the licensee. Often a solution can be found that is advantageous for both parties.
- If you have created a company around your idea, you must develop your intellectual property – the backbone of your company – strategically. Patents can build on and complement each other. Products and processes can be the subject of patenting activity. Get to know the variety of combinations with us.
- Other intellectual property rights (trademarks, designs, copyright, etc.) can also help to safeguard ideas. An aligned strategy delivers the best protection.
- Research institutes and companies often hold a variety of patents. It is the executives’ duty to maintain and develop the portfolio. Together with you we draft the fitting patent strategy. And help you to entrench it in your research culture.
- An analysis of the status quo is always the starting point for the strategy development. We take up your patent landscape: Where is the focus? Which growth areas are promising? Which ideas are in the pipeline? And how can gaps be closed?
- With the aid of analysis and visualization techniques, we obtain an overview.
- Patents are not only shields to prevent others from imitating your technology. They are more and more seen as tradable assets. All the more important it is to know their price. We estimate their value with established valuation methods.
- Only if you know the value of your intellectual property, you care for it. A culture of appreciation must be defined and lived accordingly. We question your internal processes: Are inventions systematically and broadly protected in your organization? Who is responsible for patents? Are employees sufficiently aware of the topic? Frequently, the strategy defined on paper and the living practice fall apart. We want to change that.
- We impart knowledge about patents and monetization options. That is how we create the consciousness in your organization that is necessary to reap the fruits of your work.
- Future research projects should be scrutinized with regard to their monetization potential. Preferably before the start. That is how you get the most out of funding. And that is how you lay the foundations for financing your future research.
