General information only, not legal advice. Your patent counsel should make the final calls.
01
Product improvements customers can see
A new linkage, a faster quick-connect, a seal that lasts twice as long. If a competitor can buy your product and copy the improvement, it is a candidate to discuss with counsel. These are the ideas sales teams brag about, which is exactly why they need attention before brochures go out.
The look of a product can matter too. Design patents can cover ornamental appearance and are worth asking counsel about for distinctive products.
What to get ready
- List features that sales uses to win against competitors.
- Check which of those are visible or easy to reverse engineer.
- Ask counsel about design protection for distinctive product shapes.
02
Tooling, fixtures and process know-how
Shop floor improvements often save more money than product features, and they are usually invisible to competitors. That makes many of them good trade secret candidates, provided the company actually protects them: access controls, documentation and confidentiality agreements.
What to get ready
- Ask manufacturing engineers which process changes saved the most time or scrap.
- Decide with counsel which to patent and which to keep confidential.
- Write down the know-how you choose to keep secret and who can see it.
03
Field fixes and service feedback
Warranty returns and field service reports are an underused source of inventions. When a technician improvises a fix that works, there may be a better product hiding in it.
What to get ready
- Review recurring field fixes quarterly with engineering.
- Turn the best ones into documented concepts before the next product revision.
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04
Use expired patents as a design resource
Patents that have reached the end of their term can be a useful starting point for new designs, and research into them can show where the field has moved. Whether something is free to use depends on other patents too, so counsel should review any plan to rely on them.
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Common questions
Are mechanical inventions still worth patenting?
Many manufacturers continue to seek patents on mechanical improvements, especially ones competitors could copy from the product. Whether a given idea is patentable and worth filing is a question for licensed patent counsel.
Should process improvements be trade secrets?
Process improvements that cannot be observed from the finished product are often discussed as trade secret candidates, as long as the company protects them. Counsel should confirm the approach.
What is a design patent?
In the U.S., a design patent can protect the ornamental appearance of an article. Counsel can advise whether design protection fits a particular product.
Do you work with industrial manufacturers?
Yes. We work with mid-market and larger manufacturers to develop and document inventions. Independent licensed patent counsel handles legal assessment and filing.
Sitting on years of undocumented improvements?
We develop and document new inventions from your products and processes and prepare materials for independent patent counsel to review and file.
Schedule a Strategy CallIdea Partnership is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice. This page is general information only. Consult licensed patent counsel about your specific situation.