Anthony’s Journey Towards a Deeper Understanding of Patents

Wondering about how to best approach the patent process?  I recently interviewed Anthony Chan – CEO & Co-Founder of Venturi from Edmonton, Alberta – all about his experience and approach to the patent process.  Read below to find out what he learned throughout the process and how he would advise startup founders at the beginning of their IP protection journey.


Trevor: Where was your business, from an IP perspective, before we started working together?

Anthony:

At the very beginning of everything, we weren’t sure if we needed a patent at all. I knew that getting a patent was very expensive. And this is a software patent, and I’ve heard a lot of people say “software is really hard to patent”, [so we figured] maybe we should take a look at this first – before spending all this money and trying to find a lawyer which may not understand the technology as much as someone who is probably in the trade already.  

That was one of the key points, as I think the lawyers are really good at the legalese and the legal aspects of the patent but they might not know too much about technology itself, if it is patentable, or what we can do to extract more value out of it. So, I thought that it was very important to engage someone like yourself to really understand and articulate that. And to formulate a strategy so that we can set ourselves up for success for when we are ready to file.  So that was super super important.


Trevor: What led you to decide to work with The IP Link?

Anthony:

First and foremost, I liked the fact that you have a technical background.  You’re not just a lawyer but you’ve worked in the startup space before, having previously worked at TEC Edmonton. Being connected with various companies you understand their ecosystem and the environment really well, and you have seen what was done before and that experience definitely lends itself to helping a startup like ourselves in software engineering technology. That was a huge factor in my decision. And you have some really good reviews from past clients, and I trusted my gut. I think it was very successful.


Trevor: How did your understanding of the patent process change over the course of working with the IP link?

Anthony:

Initially, when I approached patents, it was about protecting IP because I don’t want anyone else to steal from it or duplicate it. Trying to find a safe way for us to protect ourselves is critical because we’re fairly small, and we’re up against some of the big boys here and larger companies who have a lot of corporate might behind them.

Trying to understand and get protection was key.  After going through the modules and when you helped us break down why exactly we were actually filing, there were certain aspects that we didn’t consider, like if you have a patent filing that could increase the chance of closing a deal by a certain percentage and how much the deal was worth. Trying to get down into that level and understanding as to where exactly the value of the patent lies. Also the cost of maintaining these patents is something to consider because it’s not just a one-time cost, you file and that’s it.  There are also other aspects of it where you could be filing in other countries.  How many countries?  Which countries? And the list goes on.  You have to look at it as a capital investment, a total lifetime cost of that patent and what it means to the business. Is it worth pursuing and spending this money upfront and even in the future to maintain it?  Also, when are you going to extract the value out of it?  Is it now or later?  [You need to] make that decision and do those calculations.  That made a lot of sense.


Trevor: Overall, how was the program and working with The IP Link?

Anthony:

I thought it was a really good experience, the modules that we went through were very relevant.  I thought the level of engagement was pretty good too, it wasn’t too much or too little.  I think we were just spot on.  We kind of found a cadence to really set us up for success and I think that really worked well too.

I also like the fact that at the end while we were working on the patent draft, we had a chance to circle back to the beginning because it was a good reminder of what we did talk about [in the first module of the program].  That has been really beneficial to us.


Trevor: What would you say to a startup founder or someone like yourself who’s still right at the beginning trying to decide whether or not to even pursue patent protection?

Anthony:

Seek as much information as possible and don’t be afraid to ask around, especially from professionals like yourself [The IP Link].  Reach out and understand really for yourself.  Sometimes, it’s hard to ask questions when we don’t know, but I felt like you were kind of like that bridge. There are a lot of things that we don’t know that are in the legal world, right?  But we know about the technology.  

We have the domain expertise in engineering but we have no clue when it comes to who is a great lawyer for this particular type of patent, what’s their experience [for example]. Trying to decrease the amount of time spent in doing that is value in itself because you [The IP Link] already know who your preferred vendors are, who are the great folks in the local economy and industry.   I think for a founder, saving time and also getting knowledge at the same time is a win – a double whammy.


Trevor: How has your business progressed in parallel with the patent work?

Anthony:

The technology is developed and proceeding well, we’re working with [an initial customer] now, so it’s official.  Also, they’re talking about testing this technology on [a broader set of applications].  We secured funding too, I was looking back at the funding this year, and it was about $450,000 of funding, the majority of it on this project.  

With your help, we were able to get there.  We were talking with our client and [they asked], “Oh are you guys trying to file a patent?” [We said], “Yes, we are filing a patent.”  And with the government, [when they asked] “How are you guys protecting your IP?”, [we were able to say], “We’re working with Trevor and with [our patent lawyer], so we’re going to file that pretty soon”.  And all that contributes to gaining funding and investor confidence as well.  It was a lot of work, but I’m glad we did it.

Thanks again for the help, it’s been amazing.


If you’re in a similar situation as Anthony was at the beginning of his journey, let’s hop on a call and see if we can pull together the beginnings of a proper IP strategy!

Can you defend your patent in court? Would you even want to? 🤺

Super Soaker

Many entrepreneurs I talk with shy away from filing a patent because they have heard that “in their industry” or “for their technology” or simply “because they are a small startup” it would be difficult to defend their patent in court.

Although this may be true, does it immediately imply you shouldn’t file a patent? Should getting into a bunch of lawsuits really be at the core of your IP strategy, or is that just what your lawyer would like to see happen? Could there be a better, more business-focused strategy for extracting value from your patent?

YES!

For many businesses in many industries (especially technology and software startups), yes, there are many other strategies for extracting value from a patent or even a patent application.

In fact, for smaller companies, attempting to prevent their competition from manufacturing or selling their product by defending their patent in court would not be a great approach. Even if you could win such a court case, the legal fees required to get you there may cause you significant financial woes (to put it mildly).

Plus, as the founder of your business, should you really be spending your time in court arguing over patent infringement or should you be continuing to innovate, looking for investment, finding customers, and selling your solution? Your time is limited and it’s important to choose every action you take carefully, because taking one means you won’t have time to take countless other actions.

Consider your reasons for wanting a patent very carefully. If the primary (or only) reason you’ve considered for filing a patent is to defend your patent in court, then it may not make sense to file until you have a much larger legal budget. Although, even on this point, if you file an application now and all goes well, your patent may not be accepted or defendable for 2-4 years, by which time you may have an increased ability to defend it.

If you are filing a patent for other reasons such as improved credibility, increased investor confidence, licensing or partnerships, improved net worth, or others, then patents may start to make much more sense earlier in the life-cycle of a startup or innovative business.

We do a deep-dive into the business strategy and benefits of filing a patent in Modules 4-6 of The Product Protection Playbook. I’m happy to give you a preview of what this looks like and determine which strategies make the most sense for your business specifically.

Let’s chat: https://theiplink.com/book/

Three Steps to Avoid Patent Mistakes

For the last couple of weeks, I’ve been working on a new presentation that really highlights the differences between the typical approach of going straight to a lawyer to get a patent application and the new and improved approach that The IP Link has developed.

Watch this video if you would like to avoid all of the common mistakes and roadblocks that tend to arise with the old approach to getting a patent.

In this video, you will also learn how to get a better patent and make the most out of your investment into patent protection:

In this video, I talk about:

  • How to get started with patent protection,
  • The three steps to getting a better patent that will bring value to your business,
  • How much patent protection costs,
  • How to avoid common pitfalls,
  • How you should prepare for filing a patent application BEFORE contacting a lawyer,
  • The typical timeline of the patent process (including costs) AND a timeline of our improved approach,
  • How the typical approach of going to a patent lawyer first can cause issues (and how to avoid these issues),
  • And MUCH more!

So don’t miss it!

Focus on the near-term benefits of patents, not enforcement

Enforcement is the process where you start sending cease-and-desist letters and even suing infringers for manufacturing or selling products that overlap with your patent.  

Worried about having to enforce your patent once you file?

You might be worrying about problems you won’t have for many years, if ever. Instead, focus on the near-term benefits of filing a patent application! Watch the video below and let me know your thoughts by commenting on this post!

Engaging With a Patent Lawyer

When filing a patent application, it’s important to have a high-quality legal professional working with you when the time comes. Potentially even more important than this, you need to be well prepared FIRST.

Through The IP Link’s new program we help founders, entrepreneurs, and innovators who may be intimidated by the prospect of paying for and working with a patent lawyer find and engage with the right person.

We give clients access to our email templates and lists of recommendations, ensure they know what questions to ask and what instructions to give (and how to articulate them), and let them know in advance what information the lawyers will need so that it is ready to go. This saves time, results in a better patent, and in many cases keeps costs more manageable.

Preparing in this way and taking this approach ultimately enables our clients to stay in charge of the process and costs, directing their lawyer to work for them on their timeline.  

Just last week I was helping a client through this process with a new lawyer (that I hadn’t worked with before) and the lawyers were pleasantly surprised at how well prepared my client was to move forward with the patent application. So much so that they agreed the introductory call was not needed, and they were able to provide a far lower quote for drafting and filing the patent!

If this sounds like a better way to work with a lawyer to you, I would love to discuss it in more depth! Book a call here: https://theiplink.com/book/

For more info on how we help, watch this video:

PS To my lawyer friends: if you wish your clients came to you a bit more prepared, we should also talk!

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