Exponential Technology Counsel

CFOs, VCs and investment bankers are ignorant of the vast array of tools available that could take much of the guesswork out of company valuations - whether for IPO, funding, licensing or acquisition.

Whether you're seeking funding, acquisition, or IPO, you will have to value your company - and a large part involves your patents.

The judicial exceptions to s 101 of the Patent Act are no longer limited to software or business method or medical process patents - so it's time to deal with the problem once and for all.  Understand what is required to get and keep a valid patent.

If you want to make America Great Again, Mr. Trump, look no further than the US patent system – The system is broken and will hurt our economy.

Understand how patent examiners think and how they interpret the concept of obviousness in rejecting your patent application.  Then look at how the Supreme Court interprets patentable subject matter and the effects of review proceedings under the America Invents Act.

I'll be looking at Gene Quinn's blog on IPWatchdog – entitled "The Inventors' Dilemma: Drafting your own patent application when you lack funds." - and will add my own comments and experiences.

When the Supreme Court handed down its ruling in Mayo v Prometheus on the patentability of certain medical device patents, the USPTO went ahead and revised its guidelines to examiners

For every $ billion acquisition there are countless smaller acquisitions in the $20-30 million range.

The value of your patents is as much about the buyer as it is about what you bring to the table.

You need a place to work, you need equipment, and you need people…they don't have to be three separate line items or three separate costs.

What options are available to you as you try to avoid making costly mistakes when launching your startup?

Don't be too eager to leave and don't forget who's been funding you so far.

Looking at different company models from LLCs to C-corporations to S-corps, and what makes sense for a tech startup.

When it comes to defending your patents you have to use your head rather than your muscle – especially if you're a startup or SMB and the other guys have deeper pockets.

Whether you are negotiating a license, an acquisition or settling a cross-license, you need foreign patents to optimize your ROI and for freedom to operate.

Some of the brightest minds in the world are doing research work as professors or post-graduate students – devising technology that could disrupt everything from renewable energy, clean water, food supply, transportation …but unfortunately we are squandering that opportunity with short-sighted academic regulations that are dis-incentivizing researchers.

Just because you diligently pay maintenance and annuity fees doesn't mean that your patent will necessarily be there to support you when you need it.