Forward Rejection Analysis

About the Course:

Forward Rejection Analysis is a unique and powerful tool for assessing patent strength. This methodology indicates the extent to which a patent or patent portfolio blocks competitors from receiving patents in a similar space. The more competitors blocked–and the more assertively they prosecute their patents–the stronger the subject patents are deemed to be. This webinar demonstrates the power of Forward Rejection Analysis by reviewing iRobot’s patent portfolio. Forward Rejection Analysis is a compelling tool for:

• Assessing patent value
• Detecting infringement
• Conducting competitive intelligence
• Identifying patents to acquire
• Deciding whether or not to pay maintenance fees The following are among the metrics reviewed in demonstrating Forward Rejection Analysis:
• Patent portfolio size
• Number of backward novelty and obvious rejections
• Number of forward novelty and obvious rejections
• Incidence of specific competitors that are blocked from filing similar patents
• Incidence of patent blockage by art class
• Current status of blocked patent (application)
• Order of patent blockage in terms of office actions
• Whether the office action was final or non-final
• Rejection types relative to each blocked patent
• Hierarchy of obviousness rejections
• The extent to which competing patents are abandoned or have amend their claims

Listeners will receive a 134-page report that demonstrates Forward Rejection Analysis as applied to the iRobot patent portfolio as well as an excel worksheet that helps categorize and prioritize such findings.

Course Leader: Michael W. Caldwell, President & Co-Founder, Patent River

Prior to founding Patent River, Michael Caldwell was a patent agent in private practice for 10 years. He managed the prosecution and issuance of over 50 domestic patents as well as over 100 foreign applications in Europe, China, Japan, Korea, India and Israel. Mike was also a Vice-President , Microcontroller and DSP Business Units of Zilog, Incorporated where he had profit and loss responsibility for a $100 million business unit. Mike founded Display Network. Earlier in his career, Mike was Marketing Director, Automotive Microcontrollers, for National Semiconductor where he had profit and loss responsibility for a $100 million division.

Course Length: Approx. 1.5 hours