Are you a startup or an established R&D organization? 

What you both have in common is the need to innovate.  Even if you have a blockbuster product on the market, you must be looking toward the product of the future.

Are you searching for Whitespace?

The whitespace steps:

1. Freedom to Operate (FTO) – this is the first search you need to do when you have an idea.  If no one else has a patent on your idea, make sure you look at pending applications as well.

   If you do find a patent, do not give up,  there may be something missing that your idea can build on – THIS IS WHITESPACE.

2. Novelty – you have not found a patent, however, before you spend money and use resources, make sure someone else has not published your idea without benefit of a patent. If this is the case, you might be able to do something with this published information to make something novel – THIS IS WHITESPACE.

WHITESPACE EXAMPLE

You own a company that makes dyes using 4-cyanoquinoline.   You would like to expand into new markets and diversify your product offering.

Producing and testing new derivatives takes time and costs money.  It would be great if you could find some information on competition and the areas they are working in,

Here is where your patent attorney should be brought in.  Your patent attorney suggests that a WHITESPACE search will let you know where you have Freedom to Operate and where there may be an unmet need in the marketplace.

4-Cyanoquinoline is used in the following areas:

1. Agonist, Somatostatin Receptor Subtype;
2. CCR-5 Receptor and Antagonist; and
3. Semiconductor composition and substrate.

You decide to focus on semiconductors.

Patents are held by:

EKC Technology;

Dow Chem; and

Mitsubishi Rayon.

The value of the patents in the semiconductor  area is between $100.000.00 and $400,000.00.

Working with your patent attorney can save you time and resources,  The patent attorney is a partner in your R&D organization when you are looking toward the product of the future.