“Patent Analysis with Recommendations for Action”

Assignment Summary

1. Access relevant databases to learn about a patent and draw conclusions about the technological
uniqueness, its position in the science and patent landscapes, and potential as the foundation for
a future business initiative or transaction.

2. Your 8–10 page document (details below) will be written as a report to management with a clear
recommendation and suggested next steps to take.

Background for the Assignment and Writing Prompt

All companies need to stay on top of new product opportunities and competitive threats. This is especially
true for technology companies because disruptions can occur swiftly and without warning. Unforeseen
advances in science and technology can render even well-established products, and sometimes entire
companies, quickly obsolete.
In this assignment,

• You are working as a technology analyst in the business development group of a company.
• Your supervisor has become aware of a patent that is owned by someone else, and thinks it
  might be relevant as the basis for a future product introduction or enhancement.
• Assume that the subject matter of the patent is relevant to your company. For example, if you are
  evaluating a solar cell patent, assume you are working for a company that manufactures solar
  cells. If you are evaluating “near field communication technology for credit cards,” assume that
  you are working for a company that sells “point of sale” hardware solutions.
• Your supervisor wants to get your initial determination of whether the patent is worth more
  exploration and perhaps due diligence costs. Specifically, key questions you should answer are:
  1. Does the patent describe an important advance that could help to differentiate our
     company’s products? Is the patent strong? Could we “design around it?”
  2. Should we reach out to the patent owner to engage in further discussions? What is
     the likelihood that the owner would be interested in discussing granting us access
     via license or acquisition of the patent?
  3. What specifically should our immediate next steps be in this matter?