Curating a Portfolio

What to Consider When Filing Patents Internationally

Updated 1 Jul 2021 Most Foreign Patents are a Vanity Project Many entrepreneurs like to go after foreign filings.  The normal course of business is to file a PCT application, then enter “national phase,” typically about two and a half years later. (“PCT” means Patent Cooperation Treaty, often mistakenly called an “international patent application.”  The…

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Patent Myths – “Broad Claims are a Good Thing.”

Inventors like to think that their patents are “broad” and somehow that is good.  It is not. The risks with broad patents are that they are more easily invalidated, but it is basically a sales pitch that patent attorneys use to make more money. Narrow patents are bad, too. (Learn more about this and other…

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Inventions Where BlueIron Does NOT Invest

There are some inventions where BlueIron will NOT invest. I see an obnoxious number of inventions and patents from startups. I estimate that I encounter 10-20 inventions per week lately, and many are not good candidates for us to invest. It is heartbreaking to say “no” to inventors where the invention does not seem to…

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So You Have A Patent? Now What?

For many entrepreneurs, life goes on. The nasty secret is that now that they have this new asset, they don’t know what to do with it. They spent a lot of money, time, and energy getting the patent, but struggle with the value of it.

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Why Startup Patents Are Doomed From The Start

Patents for small companies are fundamentally different from patents for large companies.  The decisions made – and skills needed – to develop the two are very different. There are several problems facing a startup company when getting patents.  The biggest problem: the skillset needed for a startup’s patents is not practiced in the conventional law…

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BlueIron is Changing the Legal Industry

BlueIron was formed in response to a weakness in the way patents are prepared.  My personal experience was that I needed a patent attorney’s advice and experience – and I paid for it – but he had continually refused to give it to me. It wasn’t until after I took the patent bar and began…

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Is the Ethical NDA too harsh?

BlueIron has been using the Ethical NDA from the Ethical Collaboration Association for all new engagements.  The Ethical NDA is available here. TL;DR: The Ethical NDA is perfect for the intense, collaborative environment of trust and innovation that we have with our clients. The Ethical NDA changes the rules of engagement with clients.  Rather than…

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Investment Grade Patents Do Not Have “Broad Claims”

Broad patents can hurt you. Inventors like to think that their patents are “broad” and somehow that is good.  It is not. The risks with broad patents are that they are more easily invalidated, but it is also a sales pitch that patent attorneys use to make more money. Narrow patents are bad, too. Narrow…

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What Does A Quality Patent Look Like?

What does a quality patent look like? We evaluate patents every day.  We underwrite investments in intellectual property, either for financing patents before they are written or for providing loans against patents that already exist.  After doing this for a long time, there are certain elements that we evaluate every time we pick up a…

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