Patents & Intellectual Property

As engineering practitioners with more than 25 patents, we recognize the importance of ensuring the value of your work.

Claims review
Claims define and limit the intellectual property protection provided by a patent. Proper reading and interpretation require familiarity with the patent process and technical competence in the subject matter.

Infringement
Infringement occurs if a product falls within the scope of a valid patent's claims. Such a determination requires an understanding of claims construction, and a technical understanding of a products features and design,

Prior art
The existence of prior art can obviate the patentability of a new product or invention. At the early stages of a patent application, knowledge of the technical details of existing prior art provides the foundation for the development of a robust patent application. After issuance, new prior art may emerge. Technical analysis of the features of this art is critical to determining the likelihood of infringement.

Forensic evaluation
Forensic engineering seeks to identify a product's cause or causes of failure. The goal may be to improve or change the design of a product to eliminate the problem, or to assist a court in determining the facts relative to an accident or dispute.

Reverse engineering
Reverse engineering seeks to determine the basic operational principles of a product or design with the goal of developing new competing versions of a product or determining its flaws and weaknesses. Reverse engineering starts with application engineering first principles to a known design. At PTG, our experience in product design and our background in mechanical and electromechanical systems will ensure accurate and thorough results.