Congress has decided patents owners have “the right to exclude others from making, using, offering for sale, or selling the invention throughout the United States or importing the invention into the United States…” This is a powerful right. In fact, it’s a roughly a 20-year monopoly. Patents are important because they enable a company to stand apart from its competition. In fact, patents can even make it difficult for others in an industry to compete at all. But unlike other intellectual property, the difference with patents is they have a limited application period. If one doesn’t move quickly to pursue and acquire a patent, all opportunity will be lost to protect an invention. Time goes by and with it goes the opportunity to receive exclusionary rights. Without your knowledge, a creation can take on a life of its own, sprout wings and fly off to be shared among the many in the public domain. Our attorneys have spent about a decade advising and litigating over patents. We know how to help.