Enforcing Patent Protection

So you’ve secured a patent for your invention and business is moving along nicely. Then out of the blue, you find out another company is stealing some or all the patented invention you worked so hard for.

What do you do? What are your options?

Not to worry, with so many tinkers and inventors out there a little overlap is bound to happen. This happens more than you might think, and while sometimes it’s unintentional, there are other times when it is absolutely intentional and malicious.

If this happens to you the first step you should take is to call a patent lawyer. This is not a legal battle you can fight with a few Google searches and YouTube videos. Patent lawyers are a different breed than other lawyers, so we understand how the system works and what needs to happen to protect your invention.

Sometimes a strongly worded letter from an experienced Arizona patent lawyer will take care of the problem. This doesn’t always work, but it’s worth a shot to avoid a long courtroom battle. If the letter doesn’t work, you and your lawyer will have to prove two things in court.

1. You own the rights to this invention and have the patent to prove it.
2. Your patent makes claims that this other invention infringes upon.

A “patent claim” is just a fancy legal word that means your patent outlines certain parameters and establishes a scope of what is rightfully yours. If the other invention makes use of or copies any of the claims in your patent, you have a good shot at successfully suing for patent infringement.

The most common defense against patent infringement is proving the patent is invalid and should never have been issued in the first place. This tactic works a surprising amount of time, which is why it’s so important to work with a patent lawyer who knows what they’re doing.

Setting up a patent right is your best defense against future patent infringement. Be sure to call Arizona patent lawyers Parsons & Goltry to draft the best patent protection for your invention.