Business Law Update
April 2008

  No Protectable IP? Maybe No Funding
by Stephen Furnari

I was recently a presenter at a conference on raising investment capital for early stage and emerging companies. One of my co-presenters, John Ason, is an angel investor and the other presenter, Jonas Wang, Ph.D., is a partner in Sycamore Ventures, a venture capital fund.

In their presentations, both John and Jonas described their funding criteria, which was fairly textbook for an angel investor and venture capitalist. John invests in early-stage, pre-revenue companies where his technical and business background can provide some value-add to management, and Jonas invests in later stage opportunities, for example a B, C or D round financing.

What I found unusual about John's and Jonas' funding criteria was that they both require an investment candidate to have intellectual property that is patented (or patentable) as a condition to funding. That is, if a company seeking capital does not have patentable IP, neither John, nor Jonas, will consider the company as an investment candidate.

Quite often, early stage investors prefer investing in companies with exciting intellectual property, or the existence of unique intellectual property forms an important part of an investor's overall investment decision. However, this was the first time I had heard investors say definitively that they wouldn't even consider funding a company if it did not have patentable intellectual property.

This made a bit more sense to me with respect to Jonas, whose venture capital fund invests in only med-tech, biotech and pharmaceutical deals--companies whose success and failure rides on their scientific inventions and ingenuity. But the criteria made less sense to me with respect to John, who proclaims to be industry agnostic and has invested in deals that range from toys to new media and software.

According to Amy Goldsmith, a patent attorney with Gottlieb, Rackman and Reisman, P.C., investors prefer companies with patented (or patentable) technology for two reasons. First, in order to obtain a patent from the United States Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO), the governing body that issues patents in the United States, the company has to prove that its idea or invention is useful, new and that the technology is not obvious from what has been done before. In essence, the invention is prescreened by the USPTO to have good chance of being economically viable and that it is something that hasn't been seen in the marketplace before. Good news for investors.

The second reason investors prefer companies with patentable technology is that once a patent is issued, the company has the exclusive right to use that technology for a period of 20 years. That is, management can prevent any other person or entity from exploiting their technology for commercial gain, reducing or eliminating competition.

For an investor like Anson, who expects that only one in 10 of the companies he funds will ever produce a return on his investment, patentable technology is one of the principal ways he increases his odds for a successful exit. "Most of the companies I fund are two people in a kitchen or garage" claims Anson. The companies Anson invests in need every competitive advantage they can get to survive. A "keystone" or "fundamental" patent, business terms for very strong patented technology, keeps competitors out of the market.

As opposed to a company with an "execution" business model, where the company's success hinges on management's ability to execute their business strategy faster, bigger and cleaner than their competitors (and where, however, a competitor can easily jump into the market to compete), a company with a business model built around one or more pieces of patentable technology can stop everyone in its tracks that tries to duplicate its products or services.

Says Anson, "unlike an execution company, if a company with a business built around a keystone patent makes mistakes or even fails in the execution of its business plan, it can still survive."

Interestingly enough, Amy Goldsmith notes that she rarely, if ever, sees funded early-stage companies that have patents at the time of funding. The patent office is so delayed with respect to its evaluation of patent applications (according to Goldsmith, it can take three to four years for a patent to be issued), that companies are frequently past the early stages of their development by the time a patent is issued.

In lieu of having an actual patent issued or a patent application pending, Goldsmith suggests that VCs and angel investors may require funding candidates to retain a patent attorney to perform a "patentability search" prior to, or as part of, the investor's due diligence investigation. During a patentability search, the attorney researches the USPTO's database of issued and pending patents to see if someone else has previously applied for or received a patent for the technology in question. The result of the patentability search will determine whether a company has a good chance of obtaining a patent or if they need to scrap the idea and move on. Investors will rely on the results of this search when determining whether or not to participate in a deal.

John Anson is a bit more forgiving when it comes to requiring patentability searches or pending patents when he assesses a candidate for funding. Patent applications can be costly to prepare and often start-ups do not have the cash to pay for searches and applications. In this case, John relies on his extensive technological background to make his own determination as to whether the company's technology has a reasonable chance of obtaining a patent. He researches the USPTOs database much in the same way that a patent attorney would. This information is available to the public for free at the USPTO's website (www.USPTO.gov).

According to Dr. Wang in his presentation at the conference, the type of patent you obtain is also an important factor when investors assess whether they will make an investment in your company. The USPTO issues several kinds of patents, including design patents that protect the ornamental design of a functional item such as jewelry, furniture, beverage containers and computer icons; utility patents that protect the functionality of a given item; software patents; and biological patents.

However, according to Dr. Wang, investors have a certain amount of disdain for business method patents, which are a class of patents that disclose and claim new methods or processes for doing business.

Amy Goldsmith concurred with Dr. Wang's assessment. It seems that the USPTO previously issued a significant number of business method patents and, as a result, patent owners had difficulty enforcing their rights under the patents. Further, according to Anson, because the description of the technology or method underlying the patent becomes public information within 18 months from filing, competitors can study a company's business process and fairly easily design another process to go around the patented method. This actually puts the patent holder at a disadvantage as compared to never obtaining the business method patent at all.

The public's easy access to your technology when you file and obtain a patent strikes a nerve with some entrepreneurs. I spoke with an entrepreneur recently who was holding off on filing any patent applications until he achieved some commercial momentum with his invention. He feared that once the details of his invention became public that a company in some far reaching province in Asia may try to steal his technology. Instead, he was going to rely on keeping his invention a trade secret for the time being.

Says Goldsmith, "depending on how easy your invention is to duplicate, there definitely is some truth that if your invention takes off, certain companies will copy it." If you haven't filed in Asia for a patent protection to prevent your invention from being copied, you will have little recourse.

According to Amy, the problem of enforcing patents in Asia is improving, but still isn't great. "It will be another five to 10 years before we see a legal system that's capable of enforcing patents, but it is getting better."

My conversation with Amy Goldsmith was enlightening, and I learned a number of new things that would be important considerations for companies who want to protect their IP. These include:

  • Budget. Make sure you have a budget in place to pay for searches and patent applications, which can start at $10,000.
  • Timing. You only have one year from the use of an invention in commerce to file for your patent. If you're thinking of filing, give yourself enough time to do searches and prepare the application.
  • Scrutiny. According to Goldsmith, nearly 99% of patent applications will initially be rejected by the USPTO. The applicant (or his or her attorney or agent) must then appeal to the USPTO in order to demonstrate why the invention is patentable. This second step to the patent application process can be costly and is an expense that will be in addition to the $10,000 fee for services related to the application process.
  • Expertise. Given the high percentage of patent applications that get bounced by the USPTO after the initial filing and the fact that you cannot make changes to an application (except to fix grammatical errors), even if you have a technical background, it's in your best interest to retain patent counsel to prepare your patent application.
  • Ownership. Patent applications can only be filed in the name of a person who invented the patent, not a company's name. Therefore, if your employee has created an invention for your company, then you need to have invention assignment language in an employment contract or have at will employees (those without an employment contract) sign an assignment of inventions agreement.
  • Monitoring. Because the US system for protecting patents is one of exclusion-no one else has the right to use the technology--it is the patent owner's responsibility to make sure that others are not infringing on issued patent rights. It is prudent to put a system for monitoring your patented inventions in place and have a budget for enforcing your rights.
Interested in starting or funding a company that has a business model built around a piece of patented technology?
 
Got concerns about protecting your intellectual property?
 
Consider attending the seminar we are sponsoring on May 9, 2008, called "Patents & Trade Secrets: How to Protect Your Company's IP".
 
Amy Goldsmith will be our featured speaker. Details are included in this month's newsletter.

 
UPCOMING FIRM EVENTS

Furnari Scher Educational Seminar
 
Patents & Trade Secrets: How to Protect Your Company's IP

Patent attorney, Amy Goldsmith, discusses the essentials of using patents and trade secrets to protect your IP and attract investors.

May 9, 2008
8:30AM - 10:30AM

The Association of the Bar of the City of New York
42 West 44th Street
New York, NY 10036
Program Fee: $49 (free for clients)

Space is Limited to 50
Click HERE to reserve your spot!

Practice Development Seminar

Adrian Miller, a highly recognized speaker and sales consultant, will lead a fast-paced, interactive roundtable where she discusses tips and tactics to make practice development a reality. Adrian will discuss:
  • Using subtle but strong practice development techniques
  • Influencing prospective clients' buying decisions
  • Persuading clients to offer referral business
  • Using your services as a practice development activity
  • Turning every call in to a value added call

April 23, 2008
8:00AM - 9:30AM
Furnari Scher LLP
11 Broadway, Suite 615
New York, NY 10036
Program Fee: $20

Click HERE to reserve your spot!

2008 Life Sciences Industry Summit

The 2008 Life Sciences Industry Summit is a premier one-day gathering for key industry professionals to interact and discuss issues of strategic importance to the future of the life sciences industry.

Stephen Furnari is moderating the Panel Discussion on Marketing & Fundraising
June 5, 2008
8:00AM - 5:00PM

Hilton Huntington Long Island
598 Broadhollow Road
Melville, NY 11747

Click HERE for more information



IN THE NEWS

Stephen Furnari appears in an article featured in Compliance Week

"Going Private Wisely and Profitably"
April 7, 2008

Companies struggling with Sarbanes-Oxley compliance, shareholder activists, and turbulent credit markets often dream of a private equity firm swooping in and whisking them away from it all. It takes a lot of hard work, however, to go private, the right introductions must be made, companies must face tough questions from analysts and often times have to satisfy a myriad of regulatory and other legal obstacles.
 
 Click HERE to see the Full Article


QUICK TIP:

Getting into bed with someone...professionally speaking?

In the last month, we've fielded no fewer than five calls from entrepreneurs who were desperate to get out of problematic business partnerships. 
 
Problems have ranged from partners not putting up their fair share of "sweat equity", divergent viewpoints on business direction, partners who disappeared and went incommunicado, to one instance where a minority partner was removed by the majority partners from an LLC without notice or a meeting of the members.
 
Thankfully, most of these issues settled amicably, but two are heading to litigation, a costly and time consuming endeavor.
 
A business partnership is fraught with uncertainty and risks that you might not be aware of. Have you considered what would happen to your business if a partner dies, becomes disabled, gets divorced or goes bankrupt? What if a partner wants to withdraw from the business or sells his or her equity in the business to someone you didn't want, or expect, to be partners with? What if a partner prevents you from selling your equity in the business? Have you considered who will have control over major business decisions or what may happen to your business if you and your partner have equal control and you have a stalemate on a major decision? No matter what legal form your business is in (corporation, partnership or limited liability company), business partners must have an agreement which protects the business and each partner from these uncertainties and provides a framework for how these situations  may be resolved.
 
Get a jump start by taking a look at our Business Partners Questionnaire, a useful tool to help you get the conversation started.
 
Click here to access your free copy.


ABOUT THE FIRM:

Furnari Scher's attorneys are entrepreneurs, so we understand what business owners need from a law firm.

At Furnari Scher, our expert team of corporate and securities lawyers specializes in helping business owners with the legal aspects of raising capital, buying and selling businesses, structuring corporations and partnerships, protecting intellectual property, and reviewing and negotiating contracts.

Our business-oriented approach to the law is why we take a special interest in startups and emerging growth companies and the needs of their investors, broker-dealers, investment advisors and investment funds. In short, we work with the kind of people who make things happen.

It's also why we're proud to stand behind this one simple pledge:
  • Your money will not be wasted.
  • Your time will be respected.
  • We will add real value to your business.
  • You will always get superior service.
 

Furnari Scher LLP
11 Broadway, Suite 615, New York, NY 10004

www.furnarischer.com

Tel: +1 212.480.8800
Fax: +1 212.480.4208

© 2008 Furnari Scher LLP. All Rights Reserved. Use of this correspondence is subject to disclaimer.



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