Typically, technology which includes functional products or methods of manufacture is best protected by one or more patents. Depending on the client's strategy, provisional or traditional utility patent applications will be prepared. These patent applications are filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) to maximize protection in the United States and internationally.
Once filed, Clark Hill monitors the status of the patent application. When correspondence is received from the USPTO, we communicate with the client and determine what action is appropriate. When responding to USPTO correspondence, our goal is to ensure that the client receives the broadest protection available for the invention claimed in the patent application. During the period in which the patent application is being prosecuted, we focus on the client's continued development of the technology to optimize the value of the patent application.