inovia Supports Findings of USPTO Report on International Patent Protections for Small Businesses

inovia’s Small Business Solutions Team Enables Startups and Solo Inventors to Cost-Effectively File Patents Internationally, Helping Spur Innovation and Boost Local Economies

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has issued the report, International Patent Protections for Small Businesses, examining how the capacity for American small business to create jobs is at risk due to the high costs of acquiring, maintaining and enforcing patents outside the United States. The report’s findings suggest that many small businesses may benefit from extending patent rights outside the U.S., but few are aware of the need to do so, or are unable to fund the high cost of international patenting.

“With resources extremely tight for small businesses and the need to have patent protection so high, many young companies have either not been able to file at all, or were forced to reduce the number of countries to file in, leaving their innovations exposed”

In advance of this report, inovia created its Small Business Solutions Team to address the unique concerns of inventors, startups and small businesses seeking international patent protection. As the leading foreign filing platform provider, as well as a small business itself, inovia understands the challenges small businesses and solo inventors face as they seek to protect their innovations from competitors, attract investor capital, build market share and create jobs.

These factors, coupled with the high cost of foreign filing fees, make inovia’s next-generation global instruction tool (inovia.com) and one-stop solution for Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) national stage entry, European validation and patent translations a perfect option for cash-strapped startups and early stage companies. inovia’s Small Business Solutions Team, led by Senior Patent Attorney Jeff Shieh, works with inventors and startups to educate them on the foreign filing process and assist them with using inovia.com, which can ultimately save them up to 50 percent on their foreign filing fees.

“With resources extremely tight for small businesses and the need to have patent protection so high, many young companies have either not been able to file at all, or were forced to reduce the number of countries to file in, leaving their innovations exposed,” said Jeff Shieh. “These clients have unique needs and keeping costs down is of paramount importance, which is why we created a special team within inovia to address their needs. Our goal is to make foreign filing cost-effective so inventors and startups can get the protection they need to bring their innovations to market and grow.”

The flexibility found in inovia.com, inovia’s global instruction platform, combined with its unparalleled efficiency, streamlined communications and the company’s world-class service is changing the foreign filing landscape. With pressure on intellectual property budgets leading to increased demand for fixed and/or lower foreign filing fees, many applicants and law firms are looking to outsource portions of the foreign patent filing process and are turning to specialist providers like inovia. By enabling attorneys and applicants to do more with less, inovia customers report time and cost savings of up to 50 percent from traditional foreign filing practices.

About inovia

inovia is the global leader in foreign patent filing, having served over 1,000 clients. Its global instruction platform, inovia.com, simplifies the PCT national stage entry and European validation processes. With headquarters in New York, offices in London, Munich and Sydney, and agents covering over 80 countries, inovia provides support in all major time zones and IP jurisdictions. inovia’s patented technology pioneered online foreign filing and is recognized amongst WIPO’s most notable inventions. For more information visit inovia at www.inovia.com and follow the company on Twitter @inoviaIP.