Securing patent protection across diverse jurisdictions demands efficient coordination with local agents. However, outdated communication methods hinder this process. Learn how IP Collaboration Hub from Clarivate™ streamlines communication for a modern approach to managing a global network of agents.
In today’s global marketplace, securing patent protection in jurisdictions around the world is a crucial step on the path from innovation to commercialization. It’s not unusual for companies to apply for patent or trademark protection in 30 or more jurisdictions. Intellectual property (IP) teams tasked with managing foreign filings must coordinate with their network of local agents operating in jurisdictions worldwide. This task has grown increasingly complex as the volume of foreign filings continues to grow.
While the task of managing local agents has expanded in scope and complexity, the methods attorneys and paralegals use to coordinate and collaborate with local agents are often stuck in the past. IP operations teams and their agents rely heavily on email to communicate back and forth, creating three key issues that can hamper the international filing and prosecution process.
- Inefficient, error-prone manual tasks
Both instructors and local agents perform extensive manual work. This consumes valuable time and introduces the risk of human error. Relying heavily on e-mail communication is inefficient and creates the potential for critical instructions to “fall through the cracks.” In addition, when data is manually recorded and reviewed in IP management systems, it adds significant time to the process and increases the chance of mistakes. - Decentralized information
Attorneys and paralegals often contend with numerous systems used by different local agents. Instructors must keep track of multiple mailboxes to manage agents’ activities and monitor the progress of cases. Maintaining critical information in multiple places increases the chances that important information, including deadlines, is missed. - Lack of a standardized process
Different agents and instructors have different processes and formats for reporting similar types of information. This inconsistency and lack of standardization can create confusion, slowing down important tasks and increasing the risk of miscommunications.
Combined, these three issues create an unstructured communication system that is inefficient, does not scale well and creates the potential for costly mistakes in patent filing and prosecution.
There’s a better way to collaborate with local agents
The key to optimizing the process of local agent collaboration and coordination is replacing this unstructured system with a structured, centralized approach. The new IP Collaboration Hub from Clarivate ™ provides this structure. It transforms the way IP teams communicate and coordinate with their local agent networks.
Click on the thumbnail to watch the 90-second IP Collaboration Hub overview video:
As the name suggests, IP Collaboration Hub provides a centralized, cloud-based hub for sending and receiving instructions, exchanging correspondence, and tracking tasks across the filing and prosecution lifecycle. The result is a collaboration environment that brings all parties and activities together and accessible in one place.
A centralized hub for agent collaboration
All agent correspondence is handled within IP Collaboration Hub, eliminating the frustration of searching through email strings to track tasks. An intuitive dashboard presents information on patent filing workflows to both instructors and agents, providing a unified view that makes it easy to check status and review the progress of all cases, from pre-filing to ongoing maintenance. Deadlines are clearly flagged, helping eliminate the risk of missing critical dates.
IPMS integration
IP Collaboration Hub integrates with leading Clarivate IP management systems (IPMS). Instructions are sent directly from the IPMS, eliminating a task, and docketing is fully automated. This further increases time savings and eliminates another potential point of human error.
Delivering valuable advantages
By streamlining tasks and reducing manual processes, IP Collaboration Hub delivers valuable strategic advantages to IP teams. This structured approach optimizes collaboration, eliminates manual errors, and ensures critical deadlines are met.
Replace outdated communication methods with IP Collaboration Hub, today.
