Independent Review Cuts Costs and Improves Patent Attorney Service

A leading manufacturer engaged EverEdge to help reduce its intellectual property portfolio’s management and maintenance costs, and to improve its patent attorney supplier’s service and efficiency levels.

The client is an iconic New Zealand company and one of the world’s most innovative appliance manufacturers.

The appliance manufacturer had built a significant portfolio of patents and trade­marks crossing multiple technologies, filed in many offshore jurisdictions. The appliance industry is very competitive, relying heavily on research and innovation to stay ahead.  It was therefore vital for the client to protect its intellectual property.

Intellectual property protection costs were escalating and the client suspected its patent attorneys were driving an expensive intellectual property strategy that did not always address the client’s commercial interests.  Worryingly, service levels had dropped, costs continued to escalate, competitive intelligence visibility was decreasing and the value of intellectual property to the business was falling.

We worked closely with the client’s Intellectual Property Manager to understand the situation and the client’s needs before conducting an in-depth benchmark of Australasia’s major patent attorney firms.  The study compared capability, costs and service provision strengths and weaknesses across multiple service lines and engagement models.

As a result, the client was apprised of provider options and what to require in a future service agreement.  We then helped to select a new provider and ensure the relationship would meet the client’s current and future intellectual property protection needs.

We also equipped the client to strengthen its in-house intellectual property capabilities, saving them more money and enabling them to better manage their day-to-day needs.

EverEdge has helped the appliance manufacturer to reduce its costs dramatically while ensuring its patent attorney services add real commercial value. EverEdge’s involvement directly led to the client’s patent attorney reducing its rates by seven per cent – saving the client a six figure sum per annum.