Book Review: "Patents for Business"

Patents for Business: The Manager's Guide to Scope, Strategy, and Due Diligence, M. Henry Heines (Praeger Publishers, 2007) (195 pp.)

This is a good book for business/R&D managers who want to become more knowledgeable in the field of patents, and to understand the basics of patenting strategies and infringement. Written for non-lawyers, the book sets up the fundamentals of patenting in an easy-to-understand way.

Eschewing formalities, the book quickly starts with claiming strategies that explain through examples how "the right to exclude" applies to various claim formats. Using some nice 2-D diagramming, Heines shows how claims "cover" elements of a product, and how infringement can be determined. The book also explains concepts of Prior Art, Novelty and Nonobviousness (chapters 5-6), Freedom to Operate (chapter 7) and Patent Portfolio Referencing (chapter 8), along with other practical considerations for due diligence and setting up a patent regime for a company (including a short section on dealing with inventors/employees).

There's even a glossary in the back that explains most every term you need to be conversant in IP, making this book a handy reference for anyone involved in product development, corporate strategy, or intellectual property.