Patent paralegals, as the name suggests, are professionals involved in the fields of patent laws, trademarks, and copyrights. Although they’re not legally allowed to practice law, they’re indispensable assets for patent lawyers, corporations, and individual inventors.
Receiving patents is an excruciating process. Patent paralegals make these processes easier for their clients by.
Meticulously Researching each Application
Patent filing processes can’t be kickstarted randomly. Inventors need to perform thorough background checks and research vast amounts of data to ensure their inventions are valid. Or else, they may end up accidentally infringing someone else’s invention and face unnecessary legal hassles.
1. Since most inventors don’t have the time or the capabilities to conduct such detailed researches, they depend on their patent paralegals for research-related tasks.
2. Patent paralegals conduct various searches like patent invalidity search, patent novelty search, etc., to make sure their clients intellectual properties have not been copyrighted by other people/entities beforehand.
3. If a person or a company infringes on their clients copyrighted ideas, they help with intellectual property litigation processes.
4. Patent paralegals draft pleadings, prepare court exhibitions and conduct interviews on their clients’ behalf.
Patent Proofreading, Drafting and Filing
In most utility and design patent applications, the applicants have one chance to succeed. Rejections based on small mistakes could lead to unnecessary delays that could ultimately prove to be fatal for the invention (someone else may file for a similar patent). That’s why patent proofreading, drafting, and filing are the most important tasks for patent paralegals.
1. Patent paralegals go through thousands of patent applications every year. They know what features distinguish good patents from bad ones. Their skills and experience enable them to create comprehensive and accurate patent documents for their clients.
2. Patent paralegals proofread each patent document to make sure there are no errors or omissions.
3. They notify their clients, patent attorneys, and patent agents about important application due dates.
4. Once patent applications are ready, they electronically file them with the USPTO. In addition to the patent application, they also include additional forms and documents to strengthen the application.
At each step of the way, patent paralegals ensure that all patent laws and policies are being followed correctly.
Docketing and Deadline Management System
Patent paralegals efficiently docket documents on their clients’ behalf, ensuring they avoid undue legal hassles.
1. They manage high-quality docketing systems, which enable them to competently deal with multiple patent cases.
2. They help organize timely appointments with clients.
3. Patent paralegals consistently keep track of impending deadlines, significant court dates, etc.
Patent paralegals are often the main source of information and relief for both patent attorneys and their clients. They address their clients’ questions/concerns and uphold transparency in patent application processes.
Can your Firm Afford In-House Patent Paralegals?
In 2012, when LinkedIn reached a billion-dollar valuation for the first time, it spent millions developing a strong patent strategy with the aim of reducing its risk profile. The company set up an internal patent team and partnered with Richardson Oliver Law Group to create a super-strong patent mitigation strategy. This strategy has served LinkedIn very well in the past decade.
However, pursuing patent protection in different countries is very expensive. Due to the COVID19 pandemic, reducing expenditure is the main goal for most small companies. They can’t afford to set up internal patent teams like LinkedIn or other massive firms. Hiring a top patent paralegal will cost a company $60,000-$80,000 each year. Firms also have to pay intellectual property offices significant amounts in fees.
That’s why firms with limited resources prefer partnering with online-based providers of intellectual property paralegal services. These experts provide the most cost-effective paralegal services to IP attorneys, patent attorneys, and corporations. They basically provide all the services that an in-house paralegal team would for much lesser fees.
Access to Qualified Teams – Recruiting, setting up, and training in-house paralegals involves a lot of costs and a lot of time. By partnering with online providers of patent paralegal services, patent applicants gain direct access to highly experienced professionals. These experts know all about patent filings, preparing formal documents, etc., and can start working from day one.
Advanced Tools – Top online providers of patent paralegal services use state-of-the-art tools to provide consistent support to their clients throughout prosecution processes. They use both automated and manual techniques to provide end-to-end patent filing and maintenance services.
Knowledge – The leading Internet-based providers of patent paralegal services work with IP attorneys, patent attorneys, corporations, and individual inventors from all across the world. They know how to add value to legal teams. Their experience in docketing for patents from multiple countries makes them better than most in-house paralegal teams in the world.
These trained professionals play crucial roles in countless patent and trademark applications across the world. Law firms or companies that can’t afford to spend enormous amounts of money on setting up in-house patent assistance teams can benefit a lot from their services.
