Monitoring the Filing Activities of Competitors

The monitoring of IP filings activities of competitors is money well spent for obtaining knowledge about applications and resulting possible intellectual property rights of competitors in order to avoid any adverse effects from foreign IP rights for the own business activities. Monitoring the application activities of competitors enables to file an opposition within the appropriate term. Further, infringement of foreign IP rights can be avoided. Monitoring the filing activities ensures also up-to-date knowledge of the prior art. Monitoring of competitors and appropriate patent classes of the patent classification can provide valuable prior art for freedom to operate analysis. Moreover, prior art can continuously be collected for a possible opposition proceeding or nullity action against a later filed patent of a competitor, if such patent turns to be out to be an obstacle for the own business.

The monitoring can cover the competitors as well as one or more classes of the patent classification.