How can I avoid trouble with patent or copyright trolls?

質問

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?

回答: 1 公開 & 0 非公開

Steven weinrieb
弁理士

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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