In a survey conducted on a variety of businesses, with employee numbers ranging from 25 to 1,000, a recent study suggests that patents are well liked and beneficial to a myriad of different enterprises. The survey was based off of the market research of American C-level executives by Intellectual Ventures, an invention capital company.
Less than 10% of CEOs, CFOs, and CTOs were dissatisfied with the overall perception of patents, especially involving their businesses. 70% of the people interviewed claimed that patents were beneficial for means of innovation, and that these patents should be respected.
It’s not just the largest and most prestigious companies that file for patents, the smaller companies only grossing about a million a year, as opposed to one-hundred million a year can benefit greatly from protecting their intellectual property. This comes as a surprise, given the often negative rhetoric surrounding issues like “patent trolling” and waging wars with technology and pharmaceutical juggernauts.
The new survey, however, suggests that many professionals think quite the contrary on the issues of patents; stating that they are better off with patents than without. The study was blind, so none of the companies were listed directly, the only things listed were the names, positions, and locations of each enterprise.
The survey might be in part due to the influx of upcoming patent infringement lawsuits against AT&T, Canon, Ricoh, and Toshiba by Intellectual Ventures. If you are seeking legal assistance to fight for your innovations, be sure to contact an experienced attorney today with knowledge and experience in the field.