More companies rely on technology to fuel their growth and profitability today than ever before. In 1990, the United States Patent and Trademark Office granted 99,077 patents. A decade later that number had nearly doubled to 175,980. It continues to grow in the new century, with 183,975 patents granted in 2001.ii In today’s technology- and service-based economy, it is important for companies to possess a clear strategy for managing and protecting their technology and their ability to advance and employ their technology to their advantage. Our advanced economy has made patent strategy a central part of any quality business plan. The race to patent new technologies is on. An ineffective plan for dealing with patents can leave a company unable to penetrate new markets, or, even worse, pushed out of markets in which it presently participates. An effective plan, however, can help enhance a company’s profitability. Download the article.