Fun with Patents: The Irreverent Guide for the Investor, the Entrepreneur, and the Inventor
()
About this ebook
Patents don't have to be a dry and boring subject and inventors, investors and business people may (and should) enjoy using them to their advantage. However, to empower the general public to use the patent system to its fullest extent, the need remains for a book that introduces important patent concepts in a humanly understandable fashion, with down-to-earth, practical advice and, more importantly, which is not boring, as many patent books unavoidably are to readers who are not patent practitioners.
Kfir Luzzatto, a seasoned patent attorney as well as a fiction writer, has dealt with inventors and entrepreneurs for longer than he cares to admit and has assisted both start-ups and multinational companies with their patent needs, literally all over the world. He now exploits the vast experience that he has acquired working in the Start-Up Nation (Israel), to introduce the reader to important patent concepts, in a fresh and easily understandable manner, with down-to-earth practical advice that is invaluable for investors, entrepreneurs and inventors alike.
What the Experts Say
"I've worked with Kfir for many years and I'm always impressed by his insights. I'm excited he has turned his years of experience and gift for clear straight-forward prose (and a touch of irreverence) into this guide, so that the important world of patents can be better understood by inventors, investors and business people across the globe." Larry Granatelli, Chair of the Intellectual Property Practice Group Fenwick & West LLP, Mountain View, CA, USA
"In 'Fun with Patents', Israeli Patent Attorney Kfir Luzzatto shares many reflections from his career. As its introduction says, this book will not teach you everything about patent law or how to be a patent practitioner but, ranging from the critical difference between a patent and a patent application to the reasons not to rush to plough one's life savings into an invention, it offers much practical guidance on working with inventions. I hope you enjoy as much as I did this light-hearted treatment of some serious subject matter." Andrew Bentham, European and UK Patent Attorney, JA Kemp, London, UK
"Abraham Lincoln once said: 'The patent system added the fuel of interest to the fire of genius.' From now on, no inventor, entrepreneur or investor shall be able to claim that protecting an invention is a far too complex maze, to justify that he did not bother patenting his creation and then cry over his wasted R&D. This long-waited guide on patents eventually sheds light on the most passionating and entertaining area of law, which purpose is precisely to enable those imaginative risk-takers to be rewarded for their work, time and investments." William LOBELSON, Partner GERMAIN MAUREAU, Lyon, France
"I spent a whole day to read this book from beginning to end and it was well worth it! I will also recommend it to the students of the course where I teach: I am sure it will unburden my task." Giorgio Long, Partner - European Patent Attorney Jacobacci & Partners Spa, Milano, Italy
"In the bible it is stated, 'Many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first', but in patent, Who files first is who will be served. Kfir Luzzatto is among the first to use 'fun' in patent related books. You can read this book (Fun with Patents) with much pleasure. This book is easy to understand and consists of A to Z about patents. It is second to none I have seen to know and learn about patents during my thirty-plus years in the field." Bong Sig SONG, Managing Patent Attorney Y.S. CHANG & ASSOCIATES, Seoul, Korea
Kfir Luzzatto
Kfir Luzzatto is the author of twelve novels, several short stories and seven non-fiction books. Kfir was born and raised in Italy, and moved to Israel as a teenager. He acquired the love for the English language from his father, a former U.S. soldier, a voracious reader, and a prolific writer. He holds a PhD in chemical engineering and works as a patent attorney. In pursuit of his interest in the mind-body connection, Kfir was certified as a Clinical Hypnotherapist by the Anglo European College of Therapeutic Hypnosis. Kfir is an HWA (Horror Writers Association) and ITW (International Thriller Writers) member. You can visit Kfir’s web site and read his blog at https://www.kfirluzzatto.com. Follow him on Twitter (@KfirLuzzatto) and friend him on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/KfirLuzzattoAuthor/).
Read more from Kfir Luzzatto
The City Once Awakened Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDot It With Words: Regrow Your Hair with Your Mind Rating: 1 out of 5 stars1/5Exodus '95 Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Secret Life of Your Blood Sugar: A Diabetes Skeleton in Your Doctor's Closet Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsG for Ghost Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThree for Murder Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHave Book - Will Travel Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAn Italian Obsession Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDEAD & BUSY - Box Set: Episodes 1 - 4 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Odyssey Gene Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFresh Out of Blueberries Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThink Away Your Hay Fever Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHoly Roundness Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMaximum Entropy Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Blue Sirens Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Related to Fun with Patents
Related ebooks
Summary of Ed Rush's The 21 Day Miracle Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Cost Segregation Study A Complete Guide - 2021 Edition Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsIpology: The Science of the Initial Public Offering Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Patents, Copyrights and Trademarks For Dummies Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Intellectual Property Management A Complete Guide - 2021 Edition Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHow to Pay Zero Taxes, 2018: Your Guide to Every Tax Break the IRS Allows Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHolding Companies A Complete Guide - 2020 Edition Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Battle for Your Computer: Israel and the Growth of the Global Cyber-Security Industry Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsIPO Banks: Pitch, Selection and Mandate Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsEquity Derivatives Explained Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe XVA of Financial Derivatives: CVA, DVA and FVA Explained Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsEssentials of Licensing Intellectual Property Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Cost of Doing Business Study, 2019 Edition Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Art of Developing Fans for Life: Circle of Competence Discussion Topics Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsOffshore Investments that Safeguard Your Cash: Learn How Savvy Investors Grow and Protect Their Wealth Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Founding a Nation: A Guide to the Foundation of an Internationally Recognized Country Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Italian Kid Did It: How I Turned $3K into $44B and Achieved the American Dream Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsPatent, Copyright & Trademark: An Intellectual Property Desk Reference Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsNavigating the Patent System Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Quantum Computing: The Transformative Technology of the Qubit Revolution Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsPatents, Registered Designs, Trade Marks and Copyright For Dummies Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Patents and Strategic Inventing: The Corporate Inventor's Guide to Creating Sustainable Competitive Advantage Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsUnauthorized Access Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTake the Fourth Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSummary of The Third Wave: by Steve Case | Includes Analysis Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Law For You
Legal Words You Should Know: Over 1,000 Essential Terms to Understand Contracts, Wills, and the Legal System Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5How to Think Like a Lawyer--and Why: A Common-Sense Guide to Everyday Dilemmas Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Win In Court Every Time Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Secrets of Criminal Defense Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Law For Dummies Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Legal Demand Letters: A+ Guides to Writing, #10 Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Dictionary of Legal Terms: Definitions and Explanations for Non-Lawyers Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The ZERO Percent: Secrets of the United States, the Power of Trust, Nationality, Banking and ZERO TAXES! Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Paralegal's Handbook: A Complete Reference for All Your Daily Tasks Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Win Your Case: How to Present, Persuade, and Prevail--Every Place, Every Time Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Critical Race Theory: The Cutting Edge Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Estate & Trust Administration For Dummies Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsExecutor's Guide, The: Settling a Loved One's Estate or Trust Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe LLC and Corporation Start-Up Guide: Your Complete Guide to Launching the Right Business Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Criminal Law Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Socratic Method: A Practitioner's Handbook Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/58 Living Trust Forms: Legal Self-Help Guide Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Summary of Tom Wheelwright's TaxFree Wealth Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLegal Writing in Plain English: A Text with Exercises Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5No Place to Hide: Edward Snowden, the NSA, and the U.S. Surveillance State Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Everything Guide To Being A Paralegal: Winning Secrets to a Successful Career! Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Everything Wills & Estate Planning Book: Professional advice to safeguard your assests and provide security for your family Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWills and Trusts Kit For Dummies Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Family Trusts: A Guide for Beneficiaries, Trustees, Trust Protectors, and Trust Creators Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5With Liberty and Justice for Some: How the Law Is Used to Destroy Equality and Protect the Powerful Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Everything Executor and Trustee Book: A Step-by-Step Guide to Estate and Trust Administration Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Divorcing a Narcissist: The Lure, the Loss and the Law Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Law Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Reviews for Fun with Patents
0 ratings0 reviews
Book preview
Fun with Patents - Kfir Luzzatto
Fun with Patents
The Irreverent Guide for
the Investor, the Entrepreneur,
and the Inventor
––––––––
Kfir Luzzatto, Ph.D.
PINE TEN
Pine Ten, LLC
205 North Michigan Avenue
Chicago, IL 60601
––––––––
This book is educational in nature and does not contain legal advice. Nothing of what is said in this book can be used instead of competent legal advice taken in the jurisdiction in which the reader lives or works. The intent of the author is only to offer information of a general nature. In the event that you use any of the information in this book without qualified legal advice the author and the publisher assume no responsibility for your actions. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for every situation. The publisher and the author make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this work and specifically disclaim all warranties, including without limitation warranties of fitness for a particular purpose. This work is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal or other professional services.
First publication, February 2016
Copyright © 2016 by Kfir Luzzatto.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any form without permission, except as provided by U.S. Copyright Law or by copyright laws of the countries where this book is sold. For information, please address Pine Ten, LLC.
Book Cover Design by Dane Low / EbookLaunch.com.
EPUB Edition
ISBN: 978-1-938212-35-2
What the experts say...
––––––––
I’ve worked with Kfir for many years and I’m always impressed by his insights. I’m excited he has turned his years of experience and gift for clear straight-forward prose (and a touch of irreverence) into this guide, so that the important world of patents can be better understood by inventors, investors and business people across the globe.
Larry Granatelli, Chair of the Intellectual Property Practice Group
Fenwick & West LLP, Mountain View, CA, USA
––––––––
In ‘Fun with Patents’, Israeli Patent Attorney Kfir Luzzatto shares many reflections from his career. As its introduction says, this book will not teach you everything about patent law or how to be a patent practitioner but, ranging from the critical difference between a patent and a patent application to the reasons not to rush to plough one’s life savings into an invention, it offers much practical guidance on working with inventions. I hope you enjoy as much as I did this light-hearted treatment of some serious subject matter.
Andrew Bentham, European and UK Patent Attorney,
JA Kemp, London, UK
––––––––
"Abraham Lincoln once said: ‘The patent system added the fuel of interest to the fire of genius.’
From now on, no inventor, entrepreneur or investor shall be able to claim that protecting an invention is a far too complex maze, to justify that he did not bother patenting his creation and then cry over his wasted R&D. This long-waited guide on patents eventually sheds light on the most passionating and entertaining area of law, which purpose is precisely to enable those imaginative risk-takers to be rewarded for their work, time and investments."
William LOBELSON, Partner
GERMAIN MAUREAU, Lyon, France
I spent a whole day to read this book from beginning to end and it was well worth it! I will also recommend it to the students of the course where I teach: I am sure it will unburden my task.
Giorgio Long, Partner - European Patent Attorney
Jacobacci & Partners Spa, Milano, Italy
––––––––
"In the bible it is stated, ‘Many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first’, but in patent, Who files first is who will be served.
Kfir Luzzatto is among the first to use ‘fun’ in patent related books. You can read this book (Fun with Patents) with much pleasure. This book is easy to understand and consists of A to Z about patents. It is second to none I have seen to know and learn about patents during my thirty-plus years in the field."
Bong Sig SONG, Managing Patent Attorney
Y.S. CHANG & ASSOCIATES, Seoul, Korea
––––––––
A very well written, thorough and essential guide for inventors, entrepreneurs and for readers who are not patent practitioners. Easy to read and understand, the book summarizes the important concepts in the patenting process in a very appealing manner which keeps the reader bound to the book. And as the name suggests—a lot of fun for the readers involved.
Chetan Chadha, Head: International Department
CHADHA & CHADHA, New Delhi, India
––––––––
. .
Contents
Foreword
Introduction
Part I: Basics
CHAPTER 1: The Inventor
CHAPTER 2: The Inventor Who Knew Too Much
CHAPTER 3: Who Owns the Invention?
Who owns my invention after I sell it?
CHAPTER 4: What Can We Patent?
What is hindsight?
Discoveries and their inherent meaning
Universal novelty
Sufficiency of description
CHAPTER 5: The Patent Application
CHAPTER 6: Different Types of Inventions
Pioneering inventions
A new use of a known product
Selection inventions
Small
inventions
Multidisciplinary inventions
Divisional application
Provisional patent application
Continuation applications
Patent of addition
Utility models and industrial designs
CHAPTER 7: The International Patent Application (PCT)
CHAPTER 8: When Will a US Patent Expire?
CHAPTER 9: A Short Patent Lexicon
Dangerous rumors
CHAPTER 10: A Few Things Worth Knowing
Duty of disclosure
Opposition and cancellation proceedings
R&D’s Achilles’ heel
The danger of giving up priority rights
Patent information sources
Part II: The Inventor and the Patent
CHAPTER 11: The Inventor–Invention Relationship
Too broad a view
The fast
or good
dilemma
When good engineering
becomes an invention
The lonely inventor
The inventor’s own unique inventive contribution
CHAPTER 12: Desirable versus Available
The chain of invention of A. G. Bell
The inventor in love
Patents from hell
The right timing
CHAPTER 13: The Inventor and the Patent Specification
Not on beauty alone
Blowing his own horn
Silence suits them
The information revolution
An inventor in the time tunnel
Can it be done later?
CHAPTER 14: The Inventor and His Rights
A special brand of theft
Whom do I owe?
The illusion factory
Part III: The Patent and We
CHAPTER 15: All the Mistakes (and One for the Road)
The high-tech macho
Song of the sirens
The Path of the Just [Mesilat Yesharim]
Asleep at the switch
Depositing in a black hole
Do not jump to conclusions
Only [not] here
The wrong man for the job
How come I’m infringing if I have a patent?
CHAPTER 16: How to Act When . . .
Our patent application is about to be published
We discovered a relevant prior publication
We are seeking to first-file a patent application abroad
We seek to exercise common sense
We have invented a novel medical treatment
We feel that everyone knows what we know
CHAPTER 17: Some Important Concepts
Keeping open skies
Process patents
No quick fix
Patents: Not only for hi-tech
CHAPTER 18: A Little about the World around Us
NIH (Not Invented Here)
Hero or villain?
Pyrrhic victory
Part IV: Patents and Business
CHAPTER 19: The Investor and the Patent
The patent as a tool for raising capital
Stopping the clock
A patent at any price
The one who cannot explain
Are you serious?
Beware! International patent
Patents as enterprise assets
CHAPTER 20: Patents for Business
The NDA and the patent application
Eyes wide shut
The day after
The death business
Quo vadis?
Atmospheric patents
CHAPTER 21: The Competitors and Us
See no evil, hear no evil
Synergism between patents
Patents on business methods
Goliath settles
Cross-licensing
Military patents
Direct and indirect competitors
Part V: World Patent Policies
CHAPTER 22: The Impact of Patent Policies on Our Lives
Whose genome is this?
Technology versus Art
An intimate moment with the fly
An international diet
CHAPTER 23: Different Perspectives
A dialogue between deaf people
The blessing of publication
Temporary greed
Equivalents
Only a smart person is also clever
Regional solutions
China goes Western
The European Patent Office
Part VI: The Patent and Our Daily Life
CHAPTER 24: The Intertwining of Patents with Our Life Systems
To invent or not to be
Patents and war
The Love Box
CHAPTER 25: Questions of Morality
Boundaries of the patent
The parasites who live at our expense
Size does matter
A Last Word
Meet the Author
Appendix A
Patent Application for: BIOLOGIC ALARM SYSTEM
Appendix B
Excerpts from the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property
Appendix C
Excerpts from the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT)
––––––––
. .
Foreword
––––––––
I first encountered the author of this tome back in the 1980s, when we were both considerably younger, patents were a niche area of legal practice and most members of the public knew little, and cared less, about them. The year is now 2016 and the main difference between then and now is that we have both aged considerably; the ignorance and indifference surrounding patents remain largely unscathed by our efforts to attract and retain the attention of the average citizen of Planet Earth for long enough to persuade them that patents actually matter.
Fun with Patents represents a cunning attempt to sell patents to readers by telling them the truth: patents can indeed be fun. Getting a patent is not just a bureaucratic exercise like applying for a passport or seeking planning permission for a new building; exploiting it commercially requires a variety of skills, up-to-date information and a degree of intuition too. Litigating a patent has all the ingredients of an interactive multi-actor real-time battle of wits (and occasionally half-wits), while investing in the innovation that may lead to a new patent, or to something that will render a competitor’s patents valueless, combines the intimate buzz of personal and informed involvement with the apparently random spin of the roulette wheel. But for those of a nervous disposition, the easiest way to enjoy the thrills and spills of patents is to read a book like this one.
One of the most enjoyable aspects of the patent system, which patents shares with other types of intellectual property right, is that it offers the chance—admittedly not a great chance but a chance nonetheless—for the little man to succeed where the big corporations do not. An occasional flash of insight can lead to an invention so simple that people assume it must have been patented years before, just as a holiday photo, a basic tune with banal lyrics or a fortuitous brand name can suddenly capture the mind of the public at large, leading to fame, fortune and visits from the tax man.
If you are looking for a Patents for Dummies
-type publication, providing a step-by-step do-it-yourself manual for readers who make their inventions and then set out to do all the legal and bureaucratic stuff themselves, this is not the book for you (incidentally, filing your own patent application when there are skilled, trained experts around to do it for you is not much different from choosing to perform your own appendectomy when there’s a hospital around the corner with a trained medical staff waiting to do it for you). Nor is this book an investment guide for the pundits, analysts and would-be gurus whose verdicts on the innovation economy can have startling effects on stock prices, personal savings and pension funds. If however you want to enjoy, become familiar with and maybe even get to love patents, warts and all, Kfir’s book is a great place to start.
Professor Jeremy Phillips
Founding editor, Journal of Intellectual Property Law & Practice; Emeritus Kat
. .
Introduction
––––––––
Before you start reading this book, you may want to read this introduction. I have kept it short in the hope that you will.
First of all, let me say what this book is not. It is not a practical guide for filing and prosecuting patent applications. Those are activities that call for practical knowledge and organization, which are best left to professional patent law firms. You will not become a patent attorney by reading this book, but you will end up having a good understanding of what the patent system is about, what it can and cannot do for you, and how you should work with your patent practitioner to maximize the results that he can fetch you.
As the title of the book implies, patents don’t have to be a dry and boring subject, and you may (and should) enjoy using them to your advantage. Unfortunately, for us patent practitioners, there is no efficient way to operate without relying on jargon that makes a lot of sense to us but more often than not sounds like gibberish to you. As a result, while we enthusiastically expand on first-to-file,
priority rights,
sufficiency of description,
and other similarly boring and confusing subjects, you let your attention wander to those nice pictures we keep on our walls, and you eventually walk out more clueless than you were when you walked in. This book seeks to remedy that problem.
On a personal note: I have been dealing with inventors and entrepreneurs for longer than I care to admit and have assisted both start-ups and multinational companies with their patent needs in Israel (the Start-Up Nation
) and literally all over the world. When, at the turn of the century, I realized that small companies, individual inventors, and high-tech entrepreneurs did not have a full grasp of the meaning and importance of the patent system, I decided to do something about it. This resulted in a series of educational articles that evolved into a weekly column in Israel’s financial newspaper, Globes. Encouraged by the positive feedback from readers, I eventually published The World of Patents, a book that presented the information that I thought was vital for the general public, in a light and readable form, which also rewarded me with highly satisfying readers’ feedback.
Now, some 13 years after the publication of that book, the world has changed, and many of the ideas that we championed then are no longer valid or, at least, had to be revisited. However, the need remains for a book that introduces important patent concepts to regular people in a humanly understandable fashion, with down-to-earth, practical advice and, more importantly, which is not boring, as many patent books (including ones to which I contributed) unavoidably are to readers who are not patent practitioners. I believe and hope that this book is that book.
A disclaimer is in order here. This book is educational in nature, and its contents should not be taken as legal advice. None of the matters discussed in the book should be used instead of qualified legal counsel taken in the country where you live and operate. The purpose of this book is to help you to get better-focused advice from your patent practitioner, not to help you to skip it.
You can read the chapters of this book in any order you like, because it is organized by topic. Nevertheless, a lot of thinking went into organizing it the way it is, so I believe that reading it sequentially would provide the best reading experience.
I have added as Appendix A
the annotated text of a (mock) patent application. Its purpose is not to teach you how to draft patent applications, but rather to explain the logic of their structure so that the next time you read a patent, you will have a better understanding of the meaning of its various sections. In the appendices, you will also find excerpts from two international treaties to which I refer in the book. Those are the most interesting parts of the treaties, but if you wish, you can read the complete texts at the provided URLs. If you do, try not to fall asleep.
One more thing: to avoid turning this book into an unreadable, politically correct exercise littered with he (and she)
and with his (or hers)
or similar obfuscations, I have written it in the masculine form simply because, being of the male persuasion, it comes more naturally to me. However, everything said here applies equally well (and often better) to our better halves.
That’s all for now. If you feel like commenting on any matter discussed in the book, you are welcome to connect with me at www.kfirluzzatto.com. Otherwise, I hope you enjoy this read.
Kfir Luzzatto, Omer, February 2016
––––––––
. .
Part I:
Basics
Egad, I think the interpreter is the hardest to be understood of the two!
[Richard Brinsley Sheridan, The Critic (1779) act 1. sc. 2]
CHAPTER 1
The Inventor
––––––––
The inventor is an almost mythological figure. Think of Albert Einstein, Alexander Graham Bell, Leonardo da Vinci, and many others. Besides the big names in science and technology, you will find in the inventors club
many well-known people who advance and modernize our lives and, in doing so, improve its quality. The inventor is the one who will take us to the road that leads to the development of an invention and, as a result, to a patent that protects it. It is, therefore, appropriate to start our journey to the land of patents by allowing the inventor to introduce himself and his world to us.
Simplistically, we can define the inventor as one who contributed to an invention that is the subject of a patent application.
Inventions can be made by a sole inventor or by joint inventors. A joint inventor is an individual whose contribution to the invention is substantial and without which the invention would have looked different. A patent application may name a number of inventors, who may have contributed differently to it. It is possible, as an extreme example, to have a patent application with, say, 30 claims and two inventors, in which the first inventor invented the subject matter claimed in 29 claims, and the contribution of the second inventor was limited to the single remaining claim. Regardless, they will both be the inventors named in the patent application. For example, let’s assume that the invention is a novel dispensing machine and the main inventor designed all the electronic elements and the mechanical parts that make it work smoothly. Those elements are claimed in claims 1 through 29. However, the second inventor discovered that since the machine is to be located outside, it is expedient to paint it white so it doesn’t heat up too much during the day. This is important because heat may cause some of the mechanical elements to malfunction. Claim 30 will claim the dispensing machine of claims 1–29, which is white in color.
Being mentioned as an inventor does good to your ego (and, in some cases, also involves remuneration). Therefore, it is not uncommon to get requests to mention a person as an inventor in a patent application because he worked hard on the project and it would be impolite not to include him.
This is common practice with scientific articles in academia, but doing so in a patent application is courting trouble for a number of reasons that will become apparent as we proceed in peeling the many layers of the patent system.
As a rule, the rights to a patent application—and to the invention—are assigned to the patent applicant by the inventors, who are the original owners of what they have invented. If the applicant and the inventor are not the same person, the rights can be assigned to the applicant by the inventor, as a matter of law, if the inventor is an employee of the assignee (more on that later) or as a result of an agreement between the inventor and the assignee. However, in some cases, the development of an invention is done by a team that includes persons who are not employees of the applicant and who, as such, are under no obligation to assign their rights to him. In such cases, it is even more important to be precise in determining the identity of the inventors.
Please make a note of this: A corporation cannot be an inventor; only an actual person, with a brain, can make an invention. You wouldn’t believe how often this simple truth has to be repeated to people who think they have found a clever way around the need to mention an inventor.
Then we have to deal with the inevitable paperwork. When filing patent applications in different countries, the inventors are often required to sign formal papers that include declarations as to their status as inventors and deeds of assignment transferring their rights to the applicant. If, after the filing of a patent application, it turns out that the list of inventors was wrong, this may cause substantial costs and undesirable administrative complications.
Moreover, a willful false statement on the part of the inventors, omitting the name of a rightful inventor or adding someone who is not an inventor to the list of inventors for a specific patent application, may have serious consequences and should be avoided at all costs.
How, then, should we determine who is and who isn’t an inventor? The answer, at least on the first level, is not complicated: as explained, an inventor is someone who made a real contribution to the invention. This contribution is not measured quantitative
but rather qualitative
: one inventor may have invested one hour to come up with an idea and to plan how to carry it into practice, while a technician who follows the inventor’s instructions may have to work for months in a laboratory to turn that idea into a practical result. In this example, only the first person is the inventor; the technician is not an inventor, because he did not make any original contribution to the invention, in spite of the long hours that he worked at the project. However, if during his laboratory work, the technician comes up with an idea that changes or substantially improves the direction in which the invention is developing, it is possible that the technician has contributed to the inventive process and that his name will, therefore, have to appear in the list of inventors on the patent.
Since the question of whether a person who participated in a project made an inventive contribution is not always a simple one and is often influenced by emotional and personal considerations, the applicant would be well advised, whenever questions arise in this respect, to place the task of investigating the names of the inventors in the hands of a neutral person, who can make that determination on the basis of professional considerations that are not tinged by foreign influences. In any case, one should not be tempted to include in the list of inventors individuals who didn’t make an inventive contribution, just to avoid confrontation or to make someone happy, because this mistake may come back to haunt him in the future.
. .
CHAPTER 2
The Inventor Who Knew Too Much
––––––––
Every patent attorney is sick and tired of having his clients complain to him in these words: I don’t understand how they gave him a patent on that. It’s trivial!
This sentence often punctuates the unpleasant discovery that we had an important invention in our hands some time ago, and while we were busy sitting on our fannies, contemplating the universe, a competitor got a patent on it. This always reminds me of John Lennon’s clever saying: "Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans."
It’s ironic that, in many cases, this should have happened because the speaker excels in his field. This problem, which I like to call the experts syndrome,
is a result of the lack of ability of an expert to detect the value of the intellectual property (IP) he has developed.
You don’t need to be an expert in patent law to know that you cannot obtain a patent for a development (be it a product, a process, or a method) that is obvious,
because it will lack inventive step,
which is a basic requirement for patentability (more on inventive step in Chapter 4). What happens, then, is that when the expert feels that he got the result easily, or if he immediately saw the solution to a problem that was put to him, he may feel that whatever he developed is not worthy of a patent because he didn’t work hard enough
on the way to creating it. This is where the big mistake lies: the yardstick by which the inventive step—in other words, the non-obviousness—of the invention is measured is based on the difficulty encountered by a man of ordinary skill in the art,
and what is to be determined is whether such an ordinary
man (not an expert) will view the invention as obvious.
Defining a person of ordinary skill in the art
is a problem in itself, because it is not a universal definition that