Author: Aindrila Mitra

Most founders don’t think about design patents until it’s too late. You build something new, something that looks and feels different from anything out there, but the rules for keeping that design protected aren’t always obvious. And the biggest risk is not the time or the money—it’s forgetting one small detail that can kill your…

Keeping patent rights alive in China, Japan, and Korea sounds simple from far away. Pay the annuity. Stay protected. Move on. But anyone who has filed in these markets knows it never works out that clean. Each country plays by its own rulebook. Deadlines shift. Payment windows behave differently. Grace periods aren’t the same. One…

When you hold a patent, you’re really holding time. Not just protection. Not just rights. Time. Time to build. Time to grow. Time to win before anyone else can copy what you made. But that time only stays yours if you keep your patent alive. And this is where founders often hit a wall. The…

Keeping track of important dates always sounds easy until real life gets loud. A product launch pulls you in. A funding call shows up out of nowhere. A bug hits production at the worst time. And suddenly that “small task” you meant to do last week—renew a filing, update a record, pay a fee, check…

Post-grant work moves fast, and the stakes are high. Once a patent is granted, the race doesn’t slow down. It actually speeds up. Competitors study your claims. New filings pop up around you. Markets shift. Tech evolves. And your team has to stay alert, organized, and ready to act before small issues turn into big…

Keeping your patents alive should feel clear and in your control. But when renewal time comes around, most founders see a wave of fees, deadlines, and country choices that all feel urgent and expensive at the same time. It’s hard to know which patents are worth keeping, which ones to let go, and how to…

Most founders don’t think about litigation risk until it’s already too late. You’re busy building, shipping, hiring, raising, and trying to keep the whole machine moving. The last thing you want to worry about is someone coming after your product, your tech, or your business. But here’s the truth no one really says out loud:…

Every founder faces the same moment. You’re building fast, your product is shaping up, and then you spot a competitor inching into your space. Maybe they just launched a feature that looks a little too close to yours. Maybe they filed a patent. Maybe they raised a round and started talking loudly in the press.…

Most founders don’t think about this, but it quietly decides whether your patent actually protects anything: Are your patent claims still aligned with the product you’re building today? Startups move fast. Products evolve every week. Code shifts. Models get rebuilt. Features get added or killed overnight. But patents don’t update themselves. If your claims fall…

When a company buys another company, or when two teams sign a licensing deal, the patents don’t update themselves. Someone has to clean up the ownership records. Someone has to tell the patent office who owns what now. And if this step gets skipped, delayed, or done wrong, it can quietly damage the value of…