Your core technology may be the key to your future success.

Start-up companies with valuable innovations need to take full adavantage of patent protection and other intellectual property rights. The failure to do so can ultimately result in lost opportunities and can be costly in disputes with competitors.

Attorneys at McNeely, Hare & War LLP understand that start-up technology companies need to develop and protect their intellectual property assets. In large part, the cornerstone of an IP strategy centers around the development of a comprehensive patent portfolio. This can provide a new company with substantial marketplace advantages — both offensive and defensive.

Here is what you can expect from McNeely, Hare & War LLP:

• An interview. Patent counsel will interview the inventors to gain a thorough understanding of potentially patentable features.
• A thorough search. A search of relevant inventions, referred to as “prior art”, will be conducted.
• Filing of a provisional patent application. Frequently, a “provisional” application is filed to establish a priority date and to preserve foreign rights to the invention. This is especially true where the company desires to publicly disclose or to make commercial use of the invention prior to the filing of the actual patent application.
• Patent application. Depending upon the prior art uncovered and the complexity of the technology, preparation of a patent application typically takes around three to six months. However, the application process can be expedited when necessary.

Building a patent portfolio, which may include business method patents, starts with these initial steps to protect your business’ innovations and core technology. As your patent portfolio grows, it enhances your company’s value and position in the market.