Obtaining a patent allows you to exclude others from practicing your invention. It does not, however, necessarily mean that you can practice your invention. For example, a third party may have a broader patent than yours that covers your product or process. Hodgson Russ’s patent attorneys can help you identify relevant third-party patents through patent searches and patent mapping and can help you determine if you can practice your method or manufacture your product without infringing third-party patents.

It is important to undertake this analysis before investing money and resources into the commercialization of a technology. Our technical depth and breadth allows us to provide freedom-to-operate and non-infringement opinions on a wide variety of technologies covering biotech, business methods, chemical, electrical, mechanical, and software-related methods and products. Our attorneys can also assist you in design-around strategies and, when appropriate, prepare and negotiate licenses from third parties to permit commercialization of your technology.