1. What advantages does a company gain by filing a patent?

Why might a
company decide not to file a patent on an intellectual asset?

Through filing a patent, companies are given the right to stop others from copying,
manufacturing, selling, or importing your invention without permission and use the
invention or intellectual property solely for the good and benefit of the company or to
whom it would allow using the same. Moreover, the company can also potentially recover
the incurred costs for research and development expenses, increase the share in the
market, create a premium for product pricing and get protection for a pre-determined
period to generate a barrier for the entry of the competitors.
Some companies decide not to file for a patent on an intellectual asset because in
filing for a patent, there is also a publication. With the publication of a patent, the owner
gets legal protection however, society also benefits because others learn about the
invention and can try to devise a different, original way to achieve the same outcome.
Because of this fear of copying, some companies choose not to patent some of their
products, services, or other intellectual properties.