Ruby McKenzie
Do you have hundreds of patent applications you need to keep track of? Are you having a hard time managing and organizing them? Organizing and maintaining thousands of patent applications is daunting.
As an IP owner, you’ll need to beat deadlines in all your patent applications to avoid extra revenues. Thus, an alternative for managing and organizing your patent applications is vital. Patent docketing is the best option.
Patent docketing is a vital tool for every IP owner. So, what’s patent docketing, and why is it important? Read on to learn more.
What is patent docketing?
Patent docketing involves planning and management of patent filing processes. It also consists in organizing and labeling documents for safe retrieval.
Patent docketing makes it easy for IP owners to keep track of essential patent documents. It also sets reminders on dates and deadlines for patent applications. This allows you to finish your patent application on time.
Who does patent docketing?
There are several options available for businesses when it comes to patent docketing. Utilizing an in-house team to keep track of their patent applications is one of the options. An in-house patent docketing team helps reduce operating costs. Further, an in-house team is vital in enhancing an organization’s security.
Utilizing an in-house team in patent docketing should be based on these factors:
- Available resources
- Number of competitors
- Size of the business
- Type of organization
Businesses may also outsource IP docketing to a professional IP management firm. IP management firms allow access to well-built docketing tools. With this, companies don’t have to buy docketing program tools, thus saving money.
Businesses also use patent docketing software to keep track of their docketing process. Patent docketing software generates and implements workflow within an office. This workflow helps to hold individuals accountable in the system. Further, it helps to keep vital IP data in the system.
Importance of patent docketing
Patent docketing helps to organize and manage records of applications for easy accessibility. Besides this, there are other reasons you should consider it.
Deadline alerts
One of the most notable aspects of patent prosecution is keeping time. Working with legal professionals increases the chances of missing these deadlines. You may lose your patent protection as a result. With patent docketing, you’re always on time with IP applications deadline.
Easy to use
Managing the IP docketing process requires various types of software. Patent docketing systems have a text feature where you can enter exact data into the system. Further, you can calculate deadlines and audit logs for portfolio editing. Thus, patent docketing tools make searching for your data and records in your systems easy.
Proper organization of documents
There’s a lot of paperwork involved in the patent application. Labeling each document that comes your way with a file number is quite overwhelming. Patent docketing systems organize documents in a database, hence making them identifiable. It’s also easy for a professional attorney to access specific documents.
Parting shot
Organizing and managing your IP applications can be daunting as an IP owner. Failure to observe deadlines for these applications may also deny you patent protection. Patent docketing helps you manage applications, beat deadlines, and protect your patent files.
