Intellectual Assets
Adequate protection of the intellectual property rights of inventors and companies is essential for the development of economies based on the exploitation of technological innovations.
Patents are granted over the basis of novelty, usefulness, non-obviousness and reduction to practice.
Patent protection must be always secured in countries that are likely to become (1) markets that are expected to drive the revenue generation (US, EU and Far East), (2) main outsourcing markets, those were production and assembly are likely to take place, and (3) intermediate pass-through countries, those in which shell business operations are likely to be established. These three type of countries can be used to successfully disrupt the improper exploitation of a patented product.
WIPO and countries around the world grant the right to prosecute patent cases to the inventors themselves acting on their own behalf (pro-se), and to Patent Attorneys and Patent Agents as legal representatives of the inventors and assignees.
Due to the highly specialized nature of the technologies involved, patent attorneys and agents often hold technical degrees in fields relevant in the scope of their patent activity.