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Ask HN: Startup founders, did you regret applying for a patent?
- tomerdi 8y agoyes , wasted lot of time and $$ just to get large company like google challenge the patent - lawyers says now it will take few 100'K more - gave up
- matt_the_bass 8y agoIanal. But I hold 4 patents with more pending. My opinion of the value of patents for a small company is: - marketing (many naive customers believe if you have a unique and valuable product, then it should be patented. If you have a patent, then your product must be good. If you don’t, does that mean the product isn’t valuable?) - it can plant red herrings on what your doing to potential competitors. - it can be valuable for moral for some employees. - it potentially has value for a potential acquirer. - it prevents big companies from patenting the disclosed material in the future and reducing the chances of boxing a small company out. I do not believe it provides protection against a big company. They can litigate you to death even if you are in the right.