Patent strategy is essential for startups to protect their innovations and gain a competitive edge in their industry. Here, we present three stages of patent strategy for startups, ranging from beginner to advanced, to help ensure they maximize the potential of their intellectual property (IP).
Beginner Patent Strategy for Startups:
1. File provisional patent applications on core ideas that protect the Minimum Viable Product (MVP) and future areas for market expansion. Provisional applications provide an early filing date and can be converted into full patent applications later on.
2. Perform a freedom-to-operate (FTO) analysis to identify any existing IP that may require a license before making, using, or selling your product. This will help you avoid infringement issues and costly legal disputes.
3. Conduct patent valuation to determine the value of your IP in case of investment, mergers and acquisitions, IPO, or other financial transactions. This information will be vital in securing funding and negotiating deals. If your company has not obtained any patents yet, proceed to step 4, and circle back to this once you’ve established an IP foothold.
Intermediate Startup Patent Strategy:
4. In addition to the beginner strategy, conduct a patent landscape and analysis to identify major players in your industry, their IP holdings, and whitespace opportunities. This will help you find areas to file more patents and establish ownership in the market.
5. Invent around any blocking IP to gain more freedom to operate and create transaction leverage over competitors. This will enhance your startup’s negotiating power and overall market position.
6. Develop a robust trade secret protection plan to safeguard your confidential information and maintain your competitive edge.
Advanced Strategy for Startups with High Growth Potential:
7. Integrate all the above elements into a comprehensive IP strategy, proactively directing your startup’s invention and patenting activities from day one.
8. Expand your IP portfolio by systematically extracting invention ideas from every area of the landscape, including whitespace opportunities.
9. Host facilitated invention sessions, like ipCapital Group’s Invention on Demand® (IOD®) service, to generate new inventions in every area of the landscape.
10. Establish a recurring process to continually create new ideas and quickly file them, building an industry-changing IP portfolio.
11. Monitor competitors for evidence of use and inform them of your patent rights, ensuring you can take legal action if necessary.
12. Leverage your IP in transactions with vendors, partners, competitors, investors, and customers. Create press releases as you file and receive patent grants to enhance your startup’s reputation and visibility.
By following these patent strategies, startups can effectively protect their innovations, gain a competitive edge, and attract funding and partnerships. From the beginner to advanced stages, these strategies will help startups build a robust IP portfolio and create a strong foundation for growth and success.
