EP&C has 10 qualities that make us unique, which is why our clients like to work with us. In a series of blogs we explain more about these qualities. This is #3 in the series: we keep in touch.
A client recently told me: All this paperwork is driving me crazy!" He was referring to the amount of paperwork involved in protecting intellectual property. The solution is simple: keep in regular touch with your patent attorney. Doesn't that just cost time? No, it actually saves time and often also money. In this blog you can find out more about the four advantages of keeping in regular touch with your patent attorney.
1. Time saving
A patent holder is presented with quite a few reports. Results of searches, opinions on the feasibility of the patent, the draft application, and so on. They are often not easy to read and are full of legal jargon. It is often difficult to separate main issues from secondary ones. That is why keeping in touch is so important. It means that you do not have to go through everything in detail yourself.
I get in touch with my clients once a month or once every two months to explain the dreaded paperwork. I guide them through the text, explain the important issues and discuss whether there are any upcoming decisions to be taken. This saves you a lot of time, because you no longer have to read everything. Reports can also be shorter as a result and there is no need to send e-mails back and forth with all kinds of questions about what you have read. You can immediately focus on what is really important.
2. Better advice
The quickest way for me to get to know your organisation is by speaking to you on a regular basis. That way I know what you are doing when it comes to innovations. You may be engaged in talks with investors or may be working on an improvement to your current innovation. Keeping in regular contact enables me to give you direct advice on the potential steps you could take and puts me in a better position to advise you on current issues.
Being in contact lightens your load and ensures that the process runs smoothly and without delays. If there is a looming deadline for the choice of countries, I will give you immediate advice on this as we are talking to each other anyway. If I am still waiting to receive information from you to proceed with the filing, then we can get that over and done with. It means that my advice is not only more in line with the current situation, but the lines of communication are also much shorter.
3. Budget left over for newer innovations
Another important point of discussion is the annual evaluation of your patent portfolio. Together, we will take a critical look at the patents: which ones do you still need and which ones are no longer required? By cutting back on what is less relevant, you can save money.
Think, for example, of the countries in which your innovation is protected. For a patent, you pay an annual renewal fee per country. After ten years, the total amount becomes considerably higher. This takes a major chunk out of your budget, while you could also be spending that money on other things. So during our annual discussion, I will take a look together with you at where you could make some savings.
If there are any countries in which you do not operate, or countries where the results are disappointing, it is worth considering not renewing the patent in those specific countries. This will free up budget for the protection of more recent innovations, the development of new innovations, research into ways of circumventing competitors' patents, etc.
Insight into your competition
Taking a regular look at what your competitors are doing is another reason for keeping in touch. Many innovative companies use patent monitoring. Recent patent publications that are relevant to your company are then brought to the attention of colleagues within the company. A monthly list of publications that you can click on for detailed information. Although it gives you a valuable insight into what your competitors are doing it is not an easy read for many. If you would you like to know more about patent monitoring, you can download our free brochure here.
The main advantage of our discussion is that these allow you to quickly get to the heart of the matter and discuss possible further steps immediately.
In short: for me as a patent attorney, regular client contact is essential. Of course, every patent attorney has his or her own way of working and every client has different preferences. For me, it makes my work interesting, but above all it means that I stay well informed. This ensures you get even better advice and that things run smoothly. We make the most of each other's strengths through good interaction.
Chatting
Incidentally, did you know that EP&C can also be reached via a chat function? On working days you can ask your questions between 2pm and 5pm. If you go to www.epc.nl, the chat function will open automatically. It is also possible to ask questions by e-mail. Our patent attorneys are there to answer your questions and will get back to you within one working day.
If you want to find out more about the protection of your intellectual property or want to set up patent monitoring, please feel free to contact me.
