Patent strategy for startups
Practical answers to the questions founders ask, drawn from Jurgen Vollrath’s book and published writing.
01 / Whether to file
A filing decision should have a business reason. Ask what the patent would protect that a customer, licensee, partner or acquirer would value, and how it fits the direction of the company and its intended exit.
02 / What to cover
Claim scope connects to market value. Consider the product you plan to make, the commercially realistic alternatives and the routes a competitor would use to work around you, all supported by what you actually disclose.
From Jurgen’s book →03 / What it costs
The cost of a patent extends beyond initial drafting: prosecution, Office Action responses, foreign filing and maintenance. Planning for the full path helps decide what, where and when to file.
Read Jurgen on the full cost of patenting
Inventor Assistance Foundation fees →04 / Before you share
Confidentiality agreements have practical limits. Disclosure decisions belong in the business context in which information is shared, ideally before conversations with partners and investors begin.
05 / Commercialization
Licensing, joint ventures, acquisitions and technology transfer all go better when the patent assets were built with those relationships in mind.
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