Recent advancements in artificial intelligence have caught everyone’s attention, and Apple CEO Tim Cook has noted that AI is a “major focus” at Apple, adding, “it’s incredible in terms of how it can enrich customers’ lives.” We will explore how AI can enrich patent lawyer’s life next.
As patent counsel for your client, or your company if you are in-house, getting your client’s invention patented is the first step to ensuring that the client gets full value from your work. Whether your idea is worth millions or only a few hundred dollars, it’s important to quickly secure the rights to your idea before others do. If you are in-house, you also need to control your budget. This is where software technology comes in to help.
History of Patent Workflow Tools
Many lawyers have been using outdated tools for patent preparation and prosecution. This can include manual processes for document management, communication through email or in-person meetings, and the use of paper or outdated software for tracking patent applications. This approach can be time-consuming, inefficient, and increase the risk of errors or miscommunication.
However, with the advancements in technology, there are now a range of patent management software and tools that can help to streamline the patent preparation and prosecution workflow. These tools can provide improved collaboration, automation of repetitive tasks, enhanced accuracy, and streamlined communication, which can help to increase efficiency and reduce the risk of errors.
Software can be used in a variety of ways to speed up the patent preparation and prosecution process.
Automated document Management
Patent management software automates many aspects of document administration, such as filing, organizing and tracking patent applications. This software can be used to automate the patent preparation and prosecution process.
Collaboration can be improved
The software can facilitate collaboration between in-house counsel and inventors. This can make it easier for all parties to work together effectively.
Software automation can increase efficiency and offer a central platform for all information about patents. This reduces the amount of time and resources needed for patent preparation and prosecution.
Increased accuracy
Patent management software can be used to make sure that all information is included in patent applications. It also ensures that applications are up-to-date and accurate.
Streamlined communication
Software provides a central platform for communication among stakeholders. This improves the flow of information and reduces the risk of miscommunications or delays.
Software can be an effective tool to speed up the patent preparation and prosecution process by improving document management, collaboration, efficiency, increasing accuracy, streamlining communication, and increasing efficiency.
Lawyers who adopt these tools can benefit from improved workflow and more efficient processes, which can help to save time and resources and increase the quality of the patent applications they prepare. Additionally, these tools can help lawyers to stay up-to-date with the latest developments in patent law and provide access to valuable analytics and insights.
Automating the first draft for lawyer review
Patent lawyers are used to expanding the usual two-page invention disclosure into 20-30 pages of patent specification. For new lawyers, this process can take a week to do. However, this is now becoming uneconomical when billing rates for first-year associates approach $300-500 an hour.
Software automation provides a solution
inventors can provide information in the background and a summary of how the invention works, along with drawings to explain the operation of the invention. The software can analyze this information and automatically expand the description. This can save time and resources, as the software can automatically identify important information and provide additional details that would have otherwise required manual effort.
Additionally, this can also help to improve the consistency and accuracy of the patent application, as the software can ensure that all relevant information is included. A skeleton patent application can be created in a few minutes, ready for value-added work by patent lawyers and experts.
Using a software assistant to help you with your next patent application can save you a lot of time and money. The software can be customized to meet your firm’s unique needs, from annotating the oh-so-important claims and specifications to a full suite of document review services. You can even have your junior associate or assistant create a first-pass legal review, allowing you to focus your attention on the more strategic parts of your job, like ensuring the claims are as broad as possible.
A skilled patent drafting professional like you can ensure that the client’s invention is fully protected. The use of the patent workflow software enables you to spend more time on the strategy and validating the work-product to improve application quality and avoid problems at a later stage, either during examination or litigation.
The best part? Having the right software to assist you with your next big patent application can be a game changer for your busy law firm. You’ll be able to spend less time worrying about the minutiae and more time putting your mark on the deal of the day, making it all the more likely that you can hit the ground running with your next high-profile client.
Examples of Patent Automation Workflow
Having a clear and clearly defined workflow is key to improving efficiency, work-cycle times and quality control costs. As a result, many law firms and corporate patent teams are now embracing advanced workflow technology.
In one approach, the automated patent application drafting platform allows drafters to visually arrange method or device claims and then have the system automatically create a patent application shell based on those claims. This means that the patent application is created in a fraction of the time.
Another tool automatically produces patent applications that allow practitioners to offload rote parts of the drafting process without sacrificing their unique input. The program transforms 2-3 pages of claims into an application shell that typically contains 20-30 pages of text, basic system and method figures, and any additional figures or details a practitioner wants to add.
The software also support patent firms who enforce a uniform writing style across the firm, use a well-organized and uniform second attorney review structure, have attorneys exclusively draft or prosecute applications to focus on and maximize each attorney’s strengths, and incentivize efficiency with a pay-per-production compensation model.
Patent software can help improve the quality and consistency of patents in many ways.
- Standardization of processes: Patent software is able to standardize and streamline patent application processes, which can ensure consistency in format and content.
- Accuracy can be improved: Patent software can help reduce the chances of errors and increase the accuracy of information in patent applications.
- Enhanced analysis and searching: Patent software can enhance the analysis and searching of prior art and other relevant information. This allows for a better understanding of the state-of-the-art and helps to avoid potential infringement issues.
- Patent software automates and speeds up patent filing and processing, which reduces the time and effort required to obtain a patent.
- Collaboration can be improved: Patent software facilitates collaboration between inventors and attorneys. This allows for a faster and more efficient patent application process.
Patent software can improve the quality and consistency in patent applications by standardizing processes and increasing accuracy. It also enhances searching and analysis. It speeds up processing and facilitates collaboration.
In sum, the age of advanced patent preparation and prosecution software is here. Explore how the software works by getting a free trial today!
