Patent Traps

1. Episode 1

   I didn't copy. Why did I lose?

   

   The trap

   A patent doesn't ask whether you copied. It asks whether your product falls inside its claims.

   Check your product →Read more: Patent Infringement Guide: From Detection to Successful Enforcement

2. Episode 2

   I have patents. Why can't I sell?

   

   The trap

   Your patents let you stop other people. They don't stop other people from stopping you.

   Check your product →Read more: The Pre-Launch FTO Self-Check List: Finish This Before You Brief Counsel

3. Episode 3

   I launched first. Now I can't patent it?

   

   The trap

   Every demo before you file can count as prior art against your own patent. Europe and China give no general grace period.

   See what you could file →Read more: How to File Patents Internationally: PCT, Paris Convention & Global Strategy

4. Episode 4

   My engineer left. So did my edge.

   

   The trap

   Know-how that is never written up never becomes something the company owns.

   See what you could file →Read more: Trade Secret vs Patent: How to Choose the Right IP Protection

5. Episode 5

   I paid for it. Why isn't it mine?

   

   The trap

   You paid for the work, but you never bought the IP. Without a written assignment, the code usually belongs to whoever wrote it.

   Read more: NDA and Non-Compete Agreements: Protecting IP Through Contracts

6. Episode 6

   Am I overpaying for those patents?

   

   The trap

   Thirty-two patents, but only two cover the product that makes the money. Diligence isn't counting patents; it's mapping revenue to claims.

   Read more: Patent Due Diligence in M&A: What Investors Really Look For

7. Episode 7

   They changed one part. Am I unprotected?

   

   The trap

   One word nobody thought twice about let a rival design around the claim.

   Start a draft →Read more: The Weakest Limitation: Where Design-Around Space Hides in a Competitor Claim

Season 2 is coming soon.

Patent Traps is a work of fiction. All characters, companies and events are invented, and any resemblance to real ones is coincidental. Scenes were created with AI tools. The series is general education, not legal advice. Patent law differs by country and depends on the facts.