

Patents a priority for startups - briandear
http://www.sfgate.com/technology/article/Patents-a-priority-for-startups-3780203.php?cmpid=twitter

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bsenftner
Today's business landscape has the added issue of global commerce, meaning a
US Patent can easily be sidestepped with off shore servers. So, international
patents are needed, which are exponentially more expensive in both finances
and time to acquire. Then, the patent(s) need to be enforced, with your own
financing.

Patents are a rich man's game with an industry (patent attorneys)
professionally trained to leach the maximum amount out of the disputing
parties. As an international patent holder, I urge everyone to consider trade
secrets and gaining market traction the higher priority. So what if you
develop a business that some small startup has a patent? It's too expensive
for the startup to enforce their own patent, and if the startup aligns with a
deep pocketed ally, chances are they will be consumed and that deep pocketed
ally's interests pursued.

Make the business and the business community will align with you. Go after the
patent(s) and be financially and (as a result) organizationally drained to the
degree that your business is not receiving the focus and attention it
requires.

