Guys,

From the perspective of both and investor and entrepreneur, I’d say that,
although all investors are different… it’s not the patent that
matters – it’s the patentability.
(And that is why the first question is what it is)

To be honest, as a start-up investor – I’d prefer that a company
spent its money on securing a route to market than a full patent – there’s
not much point in having something protected if you can’t do anything
with it!

Kind regards,

Tim Dempsey
Director, Epiphany
Capital Ltd.

T: +44 (0)161 918 6716 | M: +44 (0)7771 74 78 74 |Twitter:
tim_dempsey
E: [address removed]  | www.epiphanycapital.co.uk
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—–Original Message—–
From: [address removed] [mailto:[address removed]] On
Behalf Of Barbara
Sent: 24 March 2009 09:49
To: [address removed]
Subject: Re: Re: RE: [entrepreneur-1056] Patent Attorney

 

Hello all,

 

I read many good comments in this thread so far.
Unfortunately, they

are all from Entrepreneurs. I know there are Business
Angels Networks

managers on the list and I hope they will participate and
give their

opinion also.

 

It is true that patenting and protecting the IP can be
very time and

money consuming but it is also true that this is the
first question

asked to technology start-ups and although there are
examples of very

successful web start-ups that did not have any IP and
made it because

of other competitive advantages, critical mass,etc…
most of the

investors I met are not willing to put their money in a
business that

does not own any protectable IP…

 

Regards,

Barbara

 

2009/3/24 david j w bailey <[address removed]>:

> The best patent advice I received was "do you
have £300k to fight a patent

> action right now?"

> 

> Patents can, however become useful later in M&A
and they can be used as

> bargaining chips to swap when you come up on the
radar of a megacorp who

> then "discovers" you are
"infringing" on one of theirs (just to put you

> under pressure).

> 

> Outside of biotech or "hard engineering"
I, personally, feel them to be a

> distraction for most Start-ups.

> 

> IANAL, YMMV, etc.

> 

> Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device

> 

> ________________________________

> From: David Whitewood

> Date: Tue, 24 Mar 2009 05:01:50 -0400

> To: <[address removed]>

> Subject: Re: Re: RE: [entrepreneur-1056] Patent
Attorney

> Hi Andy.

> 

> I am just picking up on this thread.

> 

> The whole field of Patents is a very expensive
journey. Before you head out

> on this journey you really need to ask yourself what
is unique about your IP

> and whether patents will really  deliver the
protection that you think you

> are paying for? The better route maybe to invest the
money on gaining

> competitive advantage through business development
activities.

> 

> If you really need to go the patent route then you
also need to consider how

> you will engage with potential partners, clients
without disclosing the IP.

> Some large organisations will attempt to INVENT
around your patent in order

> to ring fence it or render it useless without their
IP. This could include

> manufacturing or application patents.

> 

> Happy to share my experiences 1:1 if you like.

> 

> David Whitewood

> 

> 

> 

> 

> –

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