Question
I'm a bit afraid of opening my own company. I have a great idea but it's hardly revolutionary. I'd rather not spend loads of money on lawyers or go broke early on if a patent already exists for my product, but I'm not sure how I can protect myself.
What steps can I take to stay safe from patent trolls, and does it matter what country I'm based in? Could I, for example, be sued in the UK for unintentionally infringing a US patent?
Answers: 1 public & 0 private
Patents are territorial - meaning, that they are only effective within the country or region within which the patent is issued. So, if there is a US patent for a particular invention, you cannot be sued in the UK unless the patent holder likewise has a patent covering the UK. In order to provide yourself with some degree of comfort re infringing any patent, consult a patent professional with respect to having a right-to-use or infringement study done in connection with your invention - such a study should uncover patents similar to your invention and then the patent professional can also provide you with his/her opinion as to whether or not you are likely to infringe any of the patents uncovered.
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