Proactive patent portfolio management
Strategic patent portfolios, well-balanced for the short and long term.
Patents are not static rights. They require ongoing review and maintenance to maximize their value to a company. The key to success in a well-managed patent portfolio is alignment with business goals, and regular monitoring against changes in the market, competitive threats and emerging opportunities. A well-managed patent portfolio protects a company’s market position, generates revenue and blocks competitors from entering markets.
From conducting patent portfolio audits to analyzing the rights in current portfolios, we examine the strength of those rights and their usefulness to our clients’ businesses, as well as develop strategic plans to monetize rights and extract value from patent portfolios. The end result for our clients is a strategic and results-driven approach to managing their patent portfolio in Canada.
Unmatched patent experience and technical expertise
Smart & Biggar has the largest patent practice in Canada, preparing, filing and prosecuting more IP applications than any other firm. Our lawyers and patent agents are consistently recognized as industry leaders and trusted business partners, and are sought after for their deep technical expertise and vast experience in the field of Canadian patents.
Many of our lawyers and patent agents also have real-world experience working in-house in business roles, including product development, engineering or research and in legal roles managing IP strategies for leading companies. We are able to proactively guide clients through the process of carefully constructing and managing IP portfolios that are clearly aligned to business needs and priorities and market forces.
Services we provide in this area:
- Conducting IP audits
- Assessing competitive strengths and risks of the portfolio
- Extracting revenue from underutilized patent portfolios
- Coordinating and implementing enforcement activities
- Portfolio mining to identify and pursue commercialization and licensing opportunities
- Developing internal IP management policies to maximize innovation and competitive strength
- Educating management and employees on strategic IP issues