ALM Global

June 2009 Issue

Cover Story

Best Legal Department — 2009

Once again, we read submissions, we talked, and we argued-and we came up with three winners. But only one can grab the brass ring.

On The Job

You Better Shop Around

Filing a patent application in the United States starts the process for protecting an invention in the U.S. But it does nothing to protect it overseas. Patent applications must generally be filed on a country-by-country basis to secure foreign patent protection, but filing applications in all of the world's patent offices would cost close to $500,000. Going forward in just five or six countries, a more modest approach, can cost $20,000-$30,000. Foreign filing decisions can therefore have a big impact on a company's legal budget.