{"id":178812,"date":"2022-03-22T17:11:34","date_gmt":"2022-03-22T17:11:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/clarivate.com\/?p=178812"},"modified":"2024-11-06T02:45:50","modified_gmt":"2024-11-06T02:45:50","slug":"patent-research-its-not-just-for-your-ip-team-e-book","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/clarivate.com\/intellectual-property\/blog\/patent-research-its-not-just-for-your-ip-team-e-book\/","title":{"rendered":"Patent research: It\u2019s not just for your IP team [e-book]"},"content":{"rendered":"

Patent research can improve the quality and speed of decisions across your company. Find out how you can harness the power of patent data to gain a competitive advantage. <\/em><\/p>\n

Patent research can be used to inform a seemingly infinite array of decisions. Yet we often find that for many companies, patent research is conducted for only a few purposes, such as prior art searching, watching competitors\u2019 filing activities, or to aid in evaluating a significant investment, such as entering a new technology category or making an acquisition.<\/p>\n

With the value that patent data provides to improve the quality and speed of decisions, what holds companies back from using it widely across functions? Why isn\u2019t patent research used more frequently to inform the \u201ceveryday\u201d decisions made by people in different roles throughout the organization? Why is patent research limited only to the IP department?<\/p>\n

In my experience working with companies of all sizes, I have found a common reason for why many people outside of the IP department are reluctant to use patent data. Engineers, analysts, managers \u2013 people who could benefit from greater access to patent data \u2013\u00a0<\/strong>are, in many cases, intimidated by the complexity of patent data, the language used in patent documents, and the uncertainty of whether they\u2019ve found the right publications.<\/p>\n

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Demystifying patent research<\/strong><\/p>\n

Many of the companies I work with have overcome their perceptions about the complexity of patent data. What\u2019s more, they go on to help teams in various job functions harness the value of patent data to make faster, more informed decisions. In our new e-book, 10 common pitfalls of patent research, and how to avoid them<\/a><\/strong> we\u2019re sharing what we\u2019ve learned working alongside these organizations as they use patent data to inform a wider array of decisions.<\/p>\n

Patent research doesn\u2019t have to be time-consuming, costly or complicated. With this new e-book, our hope is to make patent research more accessible to researchers, inventors, analysts and managers to perform patent research with speed and precision, and ultimately improve outcomes across the organization.<\/p>\n

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Patents and supply chains\u2014what\u2019s the connection? \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Let\u2019s consider one particular situation where patent research offers tremendous value but is frequently underutilized. IP is probably not the first thing that comes to mind for operations or sourcing teams when they think about managing their company’s supply chain<\/a>. But in some well-known cases, patents have been at the center of supply chain vulnerabilities.<\/p>\n

\u201cIP is probably not the first thing that comes to mind for operations or sourcing teams when they think about managing their company’s supply chain. But in some well-known cases, patents have been at the center of supply chain vulnerabilities.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

In many cases, companies rely on a strategic supplier for key input to their finished product. This input could be a unique material, or a particular way to assemble a device. It\u2019s often this key component that provides the finished product with its competitive advantage\u2014and allows the company to command a premium in the market.<\/p>\n

However, all too often companies fail to assess if these suppliers have robust IP protection<\/a> for these key components, or if their IP protection has infringement risk that could result in supply disruptions.<\/p>\n

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Evaluating your supply chain from an IP perspective<\/strong><\/p>\n

Using patent research to evaluate your suppliers can provide highly valuable, actionable insight to help you identify potential risk and ensure that your competitive advantage<\/a> is protected. With patent research, you\u2019re able to find potential vulnerabilities and take mitigation action before these vulnerabilities are exploited by your competitors.<\/p>\n

Here are key questions to consider when evaluating your suppliers from an IP perspective:<\/p>\n