"Patent management" refers to the process of managing patents and other intellectual property rights of a company or organization. This includes capturing, organizing, monitoring, and managing patent applications, patents, license agreements, inventions, and other related information.
Typical functions of software in the "patent management" domain include:
Patent documentation: The software allows users to capture and store information about patent applications and patents, including patent numbers, filing dates, inventors, titles, descriptions, and other relevant data.
Deadline and reminder monitoring: The software provides features for monitoring deadlines and dates related to patent applications, oppositions, extensions, and other patent-related procedures to ensure timely actions and avoid deadline breaches.
Document management: The software enables users to store, organize, and manage documents related to patents such as application forms, examination reports, correspondence with patent offices, and license agreements.
License management: The software supports the management of patent licenses, including license agreements, license fees, licensee information, and license durations, to optimize the use and exploitation of patents.
Patent portfolio analysis: The software provides tools for analyzing a company's patent portfolio, including trends, strengths, weaknesses, potential conflicts, and evaluations of patents to make informed decisions about patent strategy.
Patent research: The software allows users to conduct patent searches to identify similar patents, assess the state of the art, determine potential infringements, and assess the patentability of new inventions.
Notifications and alerts: The software provides notifications and alerts for important events related to patents, such as the publication of new patents, approaching deadlines, or changes in patent status.