Services
Patent Procurement
The Quantum Firm provides expert knowledge of the patent examining procedures at the USPTO. Whether prosecuting your application involves submitting an Office Action response, conducting an Examiner interview, or taking the case to the Patent Trial and Appeal Board, we go the extra mile to obtain valuable patent protection for your invention. Detailed and personal attention is given to each invention.
We can also tailor our approach to the examination process to suit your objective whether it is the broadest possible protection, protection of a particular aspect of the invention, or the mere grant of a patent.
Patent Counseling and Opinion
Whether you have just conceived an invention or are about to enter the commercialization stage, consulting with a patent attorney at various stages of development can help avoid bigger expenses.
A patentability opinion is useful to evaluate the likelihood of obtaining a patent. It can uncover patents that render an invention unpatentable and will help divest the need to file for a patent.
A freedom-to-operate investigation helps detect infringement risks arising from third party patents. Since a patent grants the right to exclude others from practicing one's invention, a patentee can be prohibited from practicing their own invention by a third party patent. We can conduct a freedom-to-operate investigation to uncover third party patents and assess any infringement risk arising from these patents.
For any patent creating high risk of infringement, we can scrutinize the patent to identify any grounds for avoiding infringement or for designing around the patent. An additional or alternative approach with regard to such a high-risk patent is to conduct an extensive search of its prior art and to identify any grounds for invalidating certain claims of the patent.
Application Drafting
Great protection for your invention starts with a well-drafted application. A poorly drafted application can lead to challenges that unnecessarily prolong examination and may ultimately prevent the grant of a patent.
An effective patent application should do more than merely meet the basic legal requirements. At the Quantum Firm, we draft applications that present inventions in the best light possible so that the distinctive aspects of an invention can be easily identified by examiners. Such applications cannot be prepared unless the value of the invention is truly appreciated. By asking the right questions about your invention, the Quantum Firm will identify key aspects of your invention that will lead to an effective patent application.
Due Diligence
In situations where a company is looking to purchase intellectual property assets, it is important to identify all risks associated with the assets so that a proper valuation of the asset can be made.
The due diligence process can involve basic inquiries such as identification of the intellectual property assets at issue, review of their ownership, or identification of contracts that may affect the assets and more complex inquiries such as freedom-to-operate or possibility of invalidation regarding the IP asset, or likelihood of resulting in a patent.
Design Patents
Your invention may include ornamental aspects that can be protected by way of design patents. While a single design patent may provide sufficient protection under certain circumstances, a more complete coverage may be provided by using more than one design patent or a combination of design and utility patents. We can devise a plan that fits your situation and best utilizes this alternative form of intellectual property.
Pre-Filing Review
This service is primarily intended for foreign applicants looking to file at the USPTO an application filed outside of the United States. An application that was originally drafted to comply with the requirements of another jurisdiction might not be ideally suited for examination at the USPTO and may benefit from review/revision before filing at the USPTO.
The primary objective of the review/revision service is to identify issues that may be difficult to overcome after the application is filed at the USPTO. For instance, a written description of a patent granted in another jurisdiction might not necessarily satisfy the requirements in the U.S. We recommend this service for any particularly important invention where patent protection would lead to critical competitive advantage.
Startup Companies
Innovation is often the foundation on which the entire business is built in the early days of a startup. As a result, obtaining high-quality intellectual property for the innovative ideas is of crucial importance for the long-term prospect of the startup. Equally important for startup companies is ensuring that there are no infringement risk created by commercializing the innovation ideas before committing various resources into the commercialization process.
The Quantum Firm can tailor its services to suit the demands of startups whether the goal is to maximize the potential of their innovative ideas or to deftly maneuver around the rights of competitors. Startup companies will also benefit from our reasonable fees which are made possible by the financially lean operations of the firm.