1. Deutsches Museum, München
Patent experiences
Driek Rouwenhorst,
Jakob Hermann
Tango Meeting
Deutsches Museum, München
May 17th 2016

2. Overview The “Invention” Motivation for patenting Patent structure
Requirements
Patenting Process

3. Acoustic amplitude is a poor precursor
Instability requirements
Energy input
Positive feedback mechanism
Common strategies
Acoustic amplitude
Autocorrelation envelope decay rate
Energy
Coupling
Acoustic Resonator
Amplitude

4. Modal behavior needs to be taken into account in annular setups
Annular geometry:
Two complex amplitudes
Two eigenmodes
(per acoustic eigenmode)
Monitoring strategy:
Observe two modes by measuring at several points around the circumference to come to
Modal amplitudes or
Modal decay rates

5. Conflict in interest: to publish or to keep secret
Why patenting?
PhD Project:  Share academic findings
Company:  Confidentiality obligations
Patent live time 20 years. Hard to find infringements!

6. A patent protects intellectual property
Grants the exclusive rights to use an invention
In return for detailed disclosure of the invention
Patere [Latin], to lay open
Protection for 20 years in the country that granted the patent
as long as the fees are paid…
Prohibits commercial use by others
Manufacturing, importing etc.
Own responsibility to find infringements and take legal action!
Permissions can be granted by the patent holder (usually in the form of license in return of a payment)

7. Claims form the basis of a patent
Title
Figure descriptions
Body
Description
Technical background
Examples
Claims
Summary
Figures

8. Claiming requires careful consideration
Claims must be supported, i.e. explained in the body
Claims do not have to be supported academically
Non-sense claims can be included to mislead competitors
However, more than 15 claims will yield additional fees
Keeping the claims general to avoid workarounds
Hierarchy, using dependencies

9. Not everything can be patented
Requirements for a patent:
Invention
Excludes some products/processes
Novelty
Not part of the state of the art
not disclosed before filing
Inventive step
to prevent forming barriers to normal and routine development. 

10. Patents only have national protection
Patent grants are provided nationally only
Virtual application in a group of member countries:
Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT)
European Patent Organization (EPO)
European patent convention Munich member states
PCT (Washington 1970) cooperates with 148 countries, single filing for the inventor

11. The application for several countries over the world is a time consuming process
Receiving Office : (sets priority date PD) National/Regional filing of the patent/invention International Searching Authority: (12 months after PD) Researches patentability of the invention International search report and written opinion (16 months after PD) Publication: (18 months after priority date) Of the filed document, including the search report if available. International Bureau: (18 months after PD) Central administration and publisher Possibility for amendment in those 2 months (Supplementary ISR) Designated/Elected Offices: (30 months after PD) National/Regional phase entry

12. Concluding remarks Expensive and time-consuming process
Countries have to be chosen deliberately
Exclusivity should be actively utilized

14. PCT Application Process
Receiving Office : (sets priority date PD) National/Regional filing of the patent/invention International Searching Authority: (12 months after PD) Researches patentability of the invention International search report and written opinion (16 months after PD) Publication: (18 months after priority date) Of the filed document, including the search report if available. International Bureau: (18 months after PD) Central administration and publisher Possibility for amendment in those 2 months (Supplementary ISR) Designated/Elected Offices: (30 months after PD) National/Regional phase entry