Checking patent applications: an important IP management step

It may take over two years to get a patent approved by the USPTO, so if you haven’t checked your patent application since you filed, now may be the time. “The problem is that while your applications have been sitting in the Patent Office queue, your technology has continued to evolve, notes attorney Steve Hansen. “You may have made improvements or refinements to the technology.  However, it is important to check pending applications and see how well they cover the technology now.” 

Patent holders want patents to keep competitors from copying their particular products. If a design, or formula has been modified, claims you are pursuing may no longer protect your commercial products.