Help! Where to file national and/or regional patent applications?

1. Patent Strategy 9
Help! Where to file national and/or regional patent applications?

2. The Starting Point
product
perfection
100%
idea functional
model
prototype product 1.0 product 2.0
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A
B
C
D
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A
B
C
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B
A

3. RECAP: How to further prosecute your non-provisional PCT patent application
non-prov.
PCT filing
01.10.2015
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A
B
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D
01.04.2017/
01.05.2017
National/
Regional Phase
Entry
SG national
phase
(30 months
from earliest
priority date)
01.10.2014
earliest
priority
30/31 months from earliest priority date
US national
phase
(30 months
from earliest
priority date)
EP regional
phase
(31 months
from earliest
priority date)

4. non-prov.
SG filing
01.10.2015
+ + +A B C D
How to directly file national foreign non-provisional patent applications after the end of the priority year
01.10.2014
non-prov.
filing
prov.
filing
official
search result
~ 06/2015
01.07.2015
01.09.2015
prov.
filing
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B
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non-prov.
EP filing
01.10.2015
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non-prov.
US filing
01.10.2015
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Scenario 1: Simultaneous national filings on
the same day within the priority window non-prov. Filing in
JP/KR/CN or other
contries, such as TW etc.
01.10.2015
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priority claim
priority claim
priority claim

5. Where?
Patents are territorial, and there are more than
160 countries in the world that have a patent
registration system.
Problem: costs are an issue.
Answer:
„Poisoning a region“ vs „patents everywhere“

6. Where to file patents?
- Market driven filing strategies
- Competition driven filing strategies
- Enforcement driven strategies

7. ABC Analysis, then check how far you go with your
budget
Typical case:
A: USA, China, EU (DE-UK)
B: Japan, South Korea, Taiwan
C: India, Brasil

8. Examples:
• Mobile phone vs. Pharmaceuticals
• Ship Installation
• Car parts (brake pads vs. hoods)
• Water process measurement device (locked away)
• Computer Program

9. Food for Thoughts
Can you avoid patenting?
Strategy to not file a patent at all and to do a Defensive Publication!
But publish where?
Question: where would you hide a tree?

10. Exactly.
In a forrest.

11. Conclusion
For selecting the countries where you want to obtain a patent:
1. Set a budget
2. Provide an ABC analysis of the countries of interest
3. Prioritize national filings according to budget and ABC analysis
4. Double-check: would a defensive publication do the job, too?