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Patents

The majority of successful world class companies hold large number of patents. For instance, IBM earned a record of approximately 9,100 U.S. patents in 2018, Samsung placed second with 5,850, whereas other tech giants such as Microsoft and Apple also placed in the top ten, with over 2,000 patents each.

Therefore, failure to recognize the existence or importance of patents or to handle patents issues in your business could lead to substantial loss or incur legal liability with astronomical financial consequence. For example, in 2018, Apple was awarded over US$533 million in damages for Samsung’s infringement of three of Apple’s design patents, covering various designs of the famous iPhone and iPad respectively. It is important to note that you may infringe a patent not only by making a patent product, but also selling and even using it.

We have assisted our clients in drafting over 180 patent specifications in a wide range of different sectors, including network transmission system, method of generating energy, automatic folding fan, battery adaptor, an automatic motor-output-redirection system, lead acid battery, civil engineering method, garment strength enhancement, tailoring method, chemical method for disinfection, face ID method, etc. We have also prosecuted the relevant patents in various countries including the US, Europe, PRC, South Korea, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and others.

Some of our recent work include:

  • Advising and assisting a major conglomerate in applying for and obtaining patent protection over new technologies in relation to the construction and engineering sector;
  • Filing and prosecution of patent applications in the U.S. for a local Hong Kong company in its innovative research and creations in relation to ion batteries; and
  • Drafting and filing patent PCT, EU, and New Zealand patent applications for local entrepreneurs and companies, including leading companies in environmental sciences. 

If you would like to know more about our intellectual property practice or how we can help your business, please contact us at (852) 2810 1212 or at ip@onc.hk.

Please refer to our articles in ‘Knowledge’

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