Spring cleaning your patent portfolio

There are days when it feels like the attorney correspondence is overwhelming and patent costs are out of control. My clients find it useful to take a hard look at their patent portfolio twice a year. Ask the question, "Are the pending patent applications aligned with our company's business plan?" It is helpful to list which patent applications cover the different aspects of your anticipated commercial product, its underlying technology, new ideas that support next generation products and those applications that cover technology not being currently developed.

To get you started, we have developed a straightforward Excel template (see figure above) that allows you to carryout an initial review your patent portfolio. This simple exercise will help you develop a list of questions for your patent counsel and assist you in making patent prosecution decisions. Contact me and I will provide a copy of the template.