Patent Searching;

Invalidation Searches;
Expert in locating invalidating prior art.

FREEDOM to operate searches;

Geistschreiben;

Foreign patent filings, PCT, EPO, etc.;

Re-Examination of Competitor's Patent(s) to stop litigation;

Strategy Formulation;

Invention Viability Evaluation; &

General Invention Counseling.

Christopher J. Whewell, M.S.
& US Patent Agent
agent@inventorweb.com 

Please DO NOT email confidential info., first phone (512) 763-1142

SIMPLE INVENTION ?  What could be simpler than a funnel and a tube connected ?  Click here to download a spec I wrote, then contact me to discuss it briefly.  There is a good lesson here.

This entire website is copyright 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002,
2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 by WESTERN PATENT GROUP

Click the blue boxes above and left for info on that topic.  There may be broken links from time to time.   Our effort is directed at work product and RESULTS, not web page appearances.

     My success rate in obtaining patents is over 98%.  The national average is about 65%.   I don't publish my know-how, anywhere.  

     Some things I do include:
 

  Evaluate proposed technologies, determine whether sustainable competitive advantage can be created;

 Writing and filing patent applications; 

 Filing US Patents based on PCT cases;

  Searching prior art to help determine whether a proposed invention is patentable, or whether an existing patent is invalid;

  Risk Analysis;

  Value Assessment;   

  International issues;

  Strategy Development;

  Marketing Plans;

  Technology Transfer; and

  Technical drawings.
 

 Turning Your Invention(s) into
Money is my Business

If you want straight talk and expert advice on the strengths and weaknesses of your ideas, strategy, technology, or that of another party, and you want to be treated right, consider calling me, Chris Whewell.  I'll deliver more value for the money than you're likely to find anywhere else concerning the creation of value from your intellectual assets, or the destruction of the competitive advantage of your competitor(s).  If your invention is patentable, I can represent you before the US Patent Office in filing and arguing your case for you.  For patents, I quote a flat fee, once I know the total complexity / nature of the case.  That way, you won't get a $ 10,000 invoice at the end of the matter, as can often occur with a law firm - you know up front what you're getting into.          

Although patent procurement is an important part of what we do, turning an invention into cash flows requires more than merely obtaining a patent, and we can go to the next stage with you if you like.  Some inventions seem like a really good idea at first, but in reality, when all pertinent factors are considered, a person may be better off abandoning the idea and putting their resources elsewhere.  Our goal is to assist you to make correct business decisions.  Most developments have unique circumstances associated with them and need to be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.  

Our patentability searches are a high value, because of their thoroughness, contents, and cost.  If the search shows that your invention appears patentable, we provide a detailed cost and timeline breakdown of what we believe you should expect to experience in attempting to patent the invention.  Procuring patents is a large part of this business, and you can typically save thousands of dollars and months of time, compared to other patent practitioners. 

We can also prepare business plans and slide presentations, so you can present your invention to industry, or others such as potential investors. 

INNOVATE OR DIE

Unless you are THE lowest-cost producer of material in a commodity market, you will either establish and maintain a  competitive advantage based on features,  per chapter 13 of Michael Porter's seminal work "Competitive Advantage", or else you will not be in business long. 

Competing on price alone is a race to the bottom, and eventually, the weakest must exit.  We continue to see this even in the seemingly best-managed companies.  Most don't know or admit it, but we're presently in a  revolution.   Tom Friedman's "The World is Flat" attempts to describe it.   Fact is, that companies which exit commodity markets in this revolution are ripe for having their other revenue streams attacked, and they usually don't even realize the underpinnings of why. 

To be profitable today, you MUST establish and maintain a competitive advantage if you are to be in business, or else you need to create an asset (a patent) that has value in business towards providing them with a sustainable competitive advantage.

One means for establishing a sustainable competitive advantage is via the use of patents; however, few realize that patents are but one tool.   Often, companies and individuals place too much emphasis on this one tool.   

Do not expect service providers, such as patent attorneys, to provide the necessary commercial advice -- they're trained only in law.  Similarly, commercial businessmen aren't trained in the intricacies of patent law.   Successful commercialization requires, inter alia, a special relationship between the two, and THERE IS AN INHERENT CHASM BETWEEN THESE GROUPS THAT FEW ORGANIZATIONS HAVE OVERCOME OR BRIDGED.  Bridging this gap is essential to your success, whether you are an individual or a large corporation.  I am the bridge.

This lack of attention has contributed to the dwindling competitive position of the US in the global marketplace today, compared to just two generations ago.  Even Dr. Vijay Jolly takes one close to the threshold in his "Commercializing New Technologies", but doesn't quite reach the door.  Clayton Christensen's Open Innovation describes empirical behaviors, but doesn't give the secret either.

Many companies have taken the bait of seeking cheap foreign labor, either pioneeringly, or in response to similar moves taken by the their competitors previously.  The cheap labor turned out to not be so cheap after all, except the followers don't learn it until long after the leaders have, and the cumulative effect represents the largest technology transfer in human history, over the past 17 years.  Offshoring is NOT the answer to creating a sustainable competitive advantage.

Part of the answer is temporarily putting someone on your team who has substantial knowledge and experience with the tricks of patent law AND in means of technology commercialization.  After surveying your company and industry landscape, a system can be devised for your invention(s) or company which is unique, based on your organization or invention, and is not readily duplicable by others.  This will lead you to the essence of a sustainable competitive advantage that is unique to your business, its capabilities and plans.  It gets to the heart of why none of the competition can copy Southwest Airlines' business model.

If you're an individual inventor, there is a good chance that one or more of your competitors will be a large company at some point.  Understanding your competition is necessary before an appropriate and effective long-term strategy can be developed.  The Teledesic case from the Harvard Business School is one good example of one analysis technique.  Without these considerations, you're exposing yourself to damage.

Large companies often have the weakness that their vice presidents and other members of management only need to "tow the line" to keep their jobs, i.e., their own personal well-being is not individually affected by the "innovate or die" mantra that the organization as a whole faces.  Under this scenario, all seems well, day to day, to the managers, but often only because they have no knowledge or experience of the better alternatives which are practicable.  In order to be the best, you have to beat the best.  If you're the best, then you have to beat yourself, constantly, or someone else will.  How do you set up your company so that you are always beating yourself? 

There can be said to be two types of companies: 1) those founded by individual(s) without regard for creating long-term sustainable competitive advantage owing to initial phenomenal profitability; and 2) those founded by individual(s) with savviness in creating a long-term sustainable competitive advantage machine at the onset.  Companies in category 1), unless they are THE low cost producer in a commodity market, will eventually reach a point where they realize a wholesale cultural change is the only effective means for remedying their defects, or else their revenues will continue to shrink in real dollar terms.  Often, as in all sickness, they are unaware of the illness until after it manifests itself visually, in repeated quarters of diminishing, stagnant (or even in the extreme, negative) Owners Equity (OE) or Retained Earnings  numbers.  Other times, managers with foresight will take action in time, but in organizations where people have learnt too well to habitually only "tow the line", successful appropriate change is not possible without A Good Hard Kick in the Ass, to quote the title of a book by Austin venture capitalist Rob Adams.   Companies in category 2) don't have to worry about it.

People are creatures of habit, and most corporate management, after the company's founder leaves, typically does not know how to innovate, having not been bred into it.   As a result, most management teams, by habit, are staffed by those having years of tenure in a company, but who have little to no experience whatsoever in successful product development within the revolution we're experiencing, or in habitually creating new sustainable competitive advantages.  Rather, their greatest successes are not in what they do, but rather in what they don't do, viz, not making waves (or any big splashes).   Eventually, this leads an organization to suddenly find itself shrinking in market share, with seemingly no way out of it.  You can identify these companies (they're plentiful) by the low revenues they generate which are based on new products they introduce successfully, versus the company's total revenue.  I call this the Adaptability Index ("AI"), which is an indication of the company's ability to adapt its revenue stream to an ever-changing marketplace.  Increasing the AI is something the president of the company will demand, but which few know how to pull off, because it's impossible to unlearn the bad habits they've developed over the past decade(s), and it is more difficult to suddenly and spontaneously begin to engage in commercially-valuable behavior. especially by people who have been conditioned, and who have conditioned themslves, to "tow the line" and lay low.  As Bruce Lee said, they need to "empty their cup".

W.L. Gore is an example of a company with a high AI.   Other companies may look at Gore and say: "We need to be more like them."  Obviously.   But, trying to be something that you cannot ever become is a weak mindset, that of a follower.  Only "following" companies think this way, and they will never realize their destiny.   To be the leader, by definition, one cannot be a follower.  Providing suggestions for changing a corporate culture from that of follower to that of leader is part of what we do, using our proprietary process.  I am a Change Agent.  Understanding this and its implications is of enormous value to you in eroding the market share of "following" companies, and propelling your businesses' success by sustaining your competitive advantages.   A "following" company can take advantage of another "following" company and become a leader.

While the above may make some sensitive types feel bad, it is by no means bad news.  Quite the contrary, its' realization leads to the beginning of foundations for new opportunities.  He who defines wins, and every negative situation can be turned around into a positive one.  Remember Gladwell's Tipping Point, in which he reminded us that big changes are made by small numbers of people in very short time spans.  The sickest companies can be cured, and new companies can begin on and maintain the right track through our methods.

If you are starting a company or launching a product, you must initially make the venture one which is cognizant of, and practices, in one form or another, the essentials of monetization ("EOM's") regularly, even if you are just an army of one:

1) Early invention feasibility examinations;
2) IP Protection;
3) Business Plan / Presentation writing;
4) Market Validation;
5) Projected Financials, NPV, IRR, ROI, Payback;
6) Risk Analysis;
7) Logistics and Process timing;
8) Technology Vision and Strategy;
9) Internal and external advocacy Promotion; and
10) Internationalization considerations.

The way to do these best, must be according to an established framework.  We can take your existing business, observe it for a little while, and provide suggestions for a framework for the above which is appropriate for your assets, capabilities, history, vision, and life cycle status.  We also can assist pioneers at the launch stage of their business to assure that as they grow, they will encounter the least pain in adapting to their environment, to have a company which can constantly change to meet the new demands of customers, and create new market segments - one with a high AI.

An established business should perform the same tests for new products to be launched, as if the company were just starting out its original venture, based on that one product, absent other over-riding considerations.

If you've gotten this far, you now realize that large companies do not necessarily have more advantages over smaller ones.  Large companies' weaknesses can make them more vulnerable than small companies' strengths make them strong, but only to the extent that smaller companies understand what makes the big boys weak, and what makes them strong.

Early on you will often need a business plan and a Powerpoint ^(TM) presentation to deliver to potential investors, either internal or external to your organization.  We can help you put together a business plan and presentation that is geared towards the audience you anticipate delivering it to.  You can try this on you own, but I can almost guarantee you it will be a large mis-appropriation of your time if you don't have experience.

Making money on an invention (monetization) is usually a complex endeavor, and you should definitely get some experience on your side.  There is a high risk of failure for most innovations.  I can quickly identify the toughest challenges you are likely to face, early on in the process, to increase your probability of financial success.  This is of enormous advantage in terms of the money, and more importantly perhaps, time it can save you. 

REFERENCES AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST

CALL US TOLL-FREE @ (888) 301-6774
 

Patenting

We prepare and file patent applications, on a Flat Rate Basis.  

You will save time, headaches, and expense in protecting, patenting, and commercializing your invention when you use our services. 

You can receive a written cost commitment from us, so you know up-front with very high certainty what it will cost to patent the invention.  

In addition to 13 years aiding private inventors patenting their inventions, and 7 years experience as top patent agent in a $12B international corporation, Chris Whewell also possesses a Master's Degree in Science and Technology Commercialization from the University of Texas (2006), with honors.    

When you hire WESTERN PATENT GROUP, you gain access to a unique skill set that is not generally available from either law firms, or from "Invention Marketing" outfits, or other patent practitioners.   THIS UNIQUE SKILLSET MAKES US INNOVATIVE ENTREPRENEURS IN HELPING INVENTORS COMMERCIALIZE THEIR INVENTIONS.  The vast majority of my clients are making money on their inventions. 

I have only failed twice in 14 years to obtain a patent on a client's invention, and have authored over one hundred US patents.  Most of my clients are making money.

     *  PATENTING STRATEGY COUNSELING - Put our experience to work to arrive at a proper and effective strategy for protecting your intellectual property ("IP").

     *  INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY VALUE ASSESSMENT - Put our experience to work to arrive at an accurate value for your inventions and IP.

     *  PATENT VALUE BUILDING - Put our experience and abilities in motion towards increasing the marketable value of your inventions and IP.  Visit out other site at :    http://www.inventorweb.com

US Patent Search is often just  $ 645.     This is a high quality search, based on 15 years searching experience !!!  You receive: * a formal written search report; * copies of all relevant patents found; * if the invention appears patentable, then we also provide a detailed cost and timeline breakdown of what we expect you should pay to obtain a patent on the invention; * completed within two weeks, often quicker. Yes, you can find cheaper searches.  You will get what you pay for.   (We reserve the right to revoke this offer at any time. ) Affordable Services We charge a flat rate for preparing and filing US patent applications, and give our clients a price commitment up-front.  You can know your total cost before we even begin; there are no "surprises". (except in very rare cases) I can get your patent through the patent office in the quickest time possible, by writing the application so that the point of novelty is readily apparent to the Examiner.    To learn how much it would cost to patent your invention, contact us for a price commitment by clicking on "email us" below, or by calling the toll-free number at the bottom of this page:	If you have a good enough invention that you will make money selling it, others will definitely copy it.  The patent laws were designed to protect inventors by providing a limited monopoly on your invention so that only you can profit from your labors, if you take proper full advantage of the Law. transmission overdrive Click on the links above and at the left for good information.
Provisional, Utility, or Design Patent Applications - We can help you with any part or all of your patenting needs, and at every step of the way, from conception of your idea to the day we receive the patent from the government.  All at your discretion - you're the boss.   "Value-minded inventors will recognize our affordable rates and quick service as a smart business use of resources.   Preparation of a utility patent application for as low as $ 1750 ?  Yes we do, and sometimes for even less ! One low-cost method of marketing an invention is to have a color website created for it.  Check out inventorweb.com/indes.html below: inventorweb.com An Invention Home Page is an extremely low-cost way to reach millions of potential buyers and contacts.  For about $ 500 your invention can get world-wide exposure, in full color and easy to understand.		Personalized Service We don't treat our clients like "just another number".   Most inventors are creative, and we want your repeat business.  You can use us as a "sounding board" for your manufacturing/marketing ideas, and save a lot of time/hassle.  We're diligent and very responsive.  Just ask any client, or look at the short time it takes us to get patents through ! Consultation Get a second opinion from us, or discusss strategic options.  Our experience provides a good sounding board and is a strong asset for you.  We can answer any of your patent-related questions. PROTECT YOURSELF !!! We believe that you should consult with a professional patent practitioner before making any disclosures of your invention to anyone, to avoid forfeiting or waiving your rights.  I have seen many inventors make mistakes by acts and omissions they made prior to seeking advice.  Don't be in that crowd.  It really is worth the little money you would spend in seeking advice.
Email link below:   chrisw@patentsearcher.com Thank you for visiting, Yours very truly, Christopher J. Whewell, M.S., & US Patent Office Bar # 37,469 WESTERN PATENT GROUP 6020 Tonkowa Trail Georgetown, Texas  78628 (888) 301-6774  TOLL FREE or (512) 763-1142 Important Notice:   Use of this website will not establish an attorney-client, agent-client, or other commercial relationship, and such a relationship will only exist if and after an engagement letter has been signed.   No representations or warranties are made with respect to any of the information contained within this website, and particularly in reference to its accuracy or suitability for any purpose.  The material contained within this website and its links is for general information purposes only, and shall not be construed as legal advice; nor should it be relied upon in place of seeking legal advice relative to your individual situation from a qualified Patent Practitioner or Counsel.    Since the law is always evolving, the information contained within this website may not always be current with the most recent changes.   Feel free to send comments or questions by phone or e-mail but please do not send confidential information in any initial contact.   Copyright 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 by WESTERN PATENT GROUP