Assignment Summary

1. Access relevant databases to learn about a patent and draw conclusions about the technological uniqueness, its position in the science and patent landscapes, and potential as the foundation for a future business initiative or transaction.
2. Your 8–10 page document (details below) will be written as a report to management with a clear recommendation and suggested next steps to take.

Background for the Assignment and Writing Prompt

All companies need to stay on top of new product opportunities and competitive threats. This is especially true for technology companies because disruptions can occur swiftly and without warning. Unforeseen advances in science and technology can render even well-established products, and sometimes entire companies, quickly obsolete. In this assignment,

You are working as a technology analyst in the business development group of a company.
Your supervisor has become aware of a patent that is owned by someone else, and thinks it might be relevant as the basis for a future product introduction or enhancement.
Assume that the subject matter of the patent is relevant to your company. For example, if you are evaluating a solar cell patent, assume you are working for a company that manufactures solar cells. If you are evaluating “near field communication technology for credit cards,” assume that you are working for a company that sells “point of sale” hardware solutions.
Your supervisor wants to get your initial determination of whether the patent is worth more exploration and perhaps due diligence costs. Specifically, key questions you should answer are:
Does the patent describe an important advance that could help to differentiate our company’s products? Is the patent strong? Could we “design around it?”
Should we reach out to the patent owner to engage in further discussions? What is the likelihood that the owner would be interested in discussing granting us access via license or acquisition of the patent?
What specifically should our immediate next steps be in this matter?