I attended a manufacturing trade show in NYC and was speaking with a vendor (let’s call him Joe) who showed me an intricate product that required precision machining to manufacture.

I told him I was impressed and asked if he had patented the machinery/methods used to create the product. He said “no”. I proceeded to tell him there was a Chinese manufacturing company a few aisles away.  I asked the vendor, “If I take your product to the Chinese manufacturer, how long do you think it would be that they will be making the same product for half of the cost.”  He was honest and replied, “About three months”.

I informed Joe that owning a patent prevents others from making, using, or selling a patented product in
the US. A patent also stops infringing goods from being imported into the US. Essentially, the US
Government can prevent boats from unloading infringing products. Many US manufacturers complain
about competition from cheap foreign knock‐offs but do not file for patents which would reduce this
problem.

LESSON: Don’t be like Joe, file patents to protect your products from US and foreign competition.

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