Patent Maintenance Brochure

and complexity of maintaining patents.Our comprehensive program includes: www.ladas.com Patent Maintenance Program Æ Making the periodic tax payments required to keep patents and patent applications in force. Æ Renewing design registrations and tracking different renewal cycles. Æ Advising clients on patent working requirements.<br><br> Æ Maintaining client patent portfolios and providing status reports and analysis in a variety of formats. Æ Preparing short or long range patent tax estimates for budgeting purposes. Patent Maintenance N EW Y ORK · C HICAGO · L OS A NGELES · L ONDON · M UNICH L adas & Parry 9s patent tax maintenance specialists have a comprehensive,in-depth knowledge of patent law based on years of experience.They are backed by a network of local agents around the world and by the full resources of Ladas & Parry.For 90 years,Ladas & Parry has been securing and enforcing intellectual property and related rights throughout the world,helping clients ranging from start-up companies to the largest multinationals.<br><br> Our proprietary computer program provides precision record keeping,accurately tracking all required tax payments.The program has the built-in flexibility to meet the varied needs of clients who may have hundreds,even thousands,of patents or just several dozen.This sophisticated computer program is enhanced by the intelligence,skill,and experience of our highly trained patent maintenance tax specialists who work to accommodate individual needs and to create customized reports and analyses. The Ladas & Parry Approach 3 Knowledgeable, Thorough, Flexible T ime,effort and money has been spent acquiring a patent right and therefore a high level of consideration should be given to maintaining that right. Even the best computer systems for renewing and paying patent taxes occasionally fail.Ladas & Parry,with its system,attempts to mitigate these problems to the lowest level in the cindustry dby its utilization of a combination of computers and trained profes- sionals,including patent lawyers practicing in this field,some for more than 30 years.<br><br> It is,as a result of the firm 9s expertise,and computerization that we are able to offer a highly effective,efficient system at a competitive cost. The Ladas & Parry program is designed with one overriding goal: to safeguard your patent rights in a manner that is as easy and cost-effective as possible.To that end,we have put in place a step-by-step process that stream- lines data input and reporting, allowing us to issue timely,up- to-date reminders to ensure that taxes are paid accurately and promptly. The Patent Maintenance Program Our program includes the following steps: Æ Data Input 3 We work with clients to format their data 3 in whatever form it cur- rently exists 3 so that it can be most easily and cost-effectively entered into our computer database.We then provide clients with a full inventory of their patents, sorted in any order requested.<br><br> Æ Patent Schedules 3 We prepare schedules 3 printed,on request,according to country,application number,or patent number sequence 3 listing the amount of tax and date due for each patent,or in any sequence desired by the client. Æ Tax Instruction Requests (TIRs) 3 About four months before the start of each quarter,clients are sent a TIR,a form that lists the patents and patent applications that have an annuity tax due during that particular quarter.A cover letter describes any changes in patent law that may affect tax payments,and includes the latest date for clients to indicate cpay dor cnot pay dinstructions for each patent.For interested clients,we can arrange to proceed with paying all taxes listed on the TIR in the absence of instructions by that date. Æ Payment of Taxes 3 To expedite processing and reduce costs,Ladas & Parry makes payments directly to a country 9s patent office whenever possible.In coun- tries where this is not possible,we have representatives who make the payments on our behalf.Because of the volume of work we process,the rates we are charged are substantially lower than standard rates.Once tax payments are made,we monitor the return of confirmation receipts and forward the receipts to our clients.<br><br> Æ The Block Rate Payment Option 3 Ladas & Parry 9s most cost-effective service is the block rate payment option,in which clients are invoiced at a bulk rate,rather than a single-unit rate.To qualify for this block rate,clients must have a certain minimum number of cases in our system,and must send instructions and pay- ments promptly.There is no charge for maintaining a patent on our records or for sending due date reminder notices.We can invoice for taxes due in a given month or for the entire quarter,and can render invoices in local currency,if appropriate. Æ Projected Payment Report 3 To help clients structure their long- or short-range budget,Ladas & Parry can prepare an estimate of patent taxes for one year,five years,or the term of each patent 3 subject to changes in fees and foreign exchange rates,which can occur without notice. Patent Maintenace Australia Austria Canada (for issued patents) Denmark EPO Finland France Germany Netherlands (for issued patents) Norway Sweden Switzerland United States United Kingdom Worldwide Coverage Belgium Bulgaria Ireland Italy Japan Mexico Netherlands (for pending applications) Romania Russia South Africa We send payments through special arrangement with foreign agents in countries such as: Ladas & Parry makes direct tax payments to patent offices in countries such as: Ladas & Parry pays maintenance fees in all countries in which such fees are payable.Where possible,we pay directly to national patent offices.Where this is not possible,we have a network of agents in place to effect payment in the most cost-effective manner.<br><br> Our Staff: Unmatched Expertise, Worldwide Network www.ladas.com 26 West 61st Street New York,NY 10023 Tel 212.708.1800 Fax 212.246.8959 224 South Michigan Avenue Chicago,IL 60604 Tel 312.427.1300 Fax 312.427.6668 5670 Wilshire Boulevard Los Angeles,CA 90036 Tel 323.934.2300 Fax 323.934.0202 52-54 High Holborn London WC1V 6RR England Tel +44.71.242.5566 Fax +44.71.405.1908 Dachauerstrasse 37 80335 Munich,Germany Tel +49.89.269077 Fax +49.89.269040 Patent Maintenance For further information Tel 212.708.3478 patents@ladasparry.com The Ladas &Parry Advantage L adas & Parry 9s patent maintenance program draws on years of experience,stability,and broad-ranging expertise in patent law.Our expertise enables us to tailor an annuity payment system to the client 9s needs in each applicable jurisdiction and to thus avoid wasting a client 9s time and resources providing extraneous infor- mation or input. With a comprehensive knowledge of patent laws and practice in the U.S.and abroad,the resources to track rapid and complex changes in regulation and tax requirements,and the flexibility and dedication to meet every client 9s needs,Ladas & Parry 9s system provides thorough,cost-effective maintenance to protect the most valuable of your assets,your patent. O ur patent maintenance program is administered by an outstanding group of highly experienced patent maintenance specialists,many with years of experience at Ladas & Parry.Our staff works with clients to under- stand their individual needs and to provide the informa- tion they need to manage their patent programs.<br><br> Headquartered in New York,with offices in Chicago,Los Angeles,London and Munich,Ladas & Parry has a net- work of agents throughout the world who provide invaluable support to our specialists.Our knowledge of both U.S.and foreign patent law enables us to keep on top of constantly changing regulations,foreign currency fluctuations,and other details affecting patent mainte- nance in countries around the world. cThe Patent System added the fuel of interest to the fire of genius. d Abraham Lincoln www.ladas.com cA country without a patent office and good patent laws was just a crab and couldn't travel anyway but sideways or backwards d Mark Twain

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