Third Quarter 2011 Rochester Patent Index Released

ALBANY, NY (10/12/2011)(readMedia)-- Hoffman Warnick LLC (HW), an intellectual property law firm with offices in Albany, Rochester, and Boston has released the Rochester Patent Index for Second Quarter 2011. The "Rochester Patent Index" includes both (1) patent issuances and new this quarter (2) patent applications filed for Monroe and Ontario Counties with and without XEROX and KODAK.

While the number of total patent issuances increased in the third quarter of 2011, it can be seen that the number of new patent applications filed dipped. This was the case across the board, i.e., with and without Kodak/Xerox. "One way to look at this," states Michael Hoffman, "is that issued patent data generally reflects R&D that companies were investing in a few years ago, while new application data reflects R&D that companies are currently pursuing. The fact that the number of new applications has decreased is somewhat troubling, but there can be any number of reasons to explain a single quarterly dip. On one hand, it may be that the effects of the economic downturn are causing companies to slow down filings. On the other hand, it may be nothing more than a timing issue, as filings often slow down in the summer months and then pick up again in the fourth quarter. It will be interesting to see how the fourth quarter plays out."

"On a positive note, the number of patent issuances has rebounded after falling off in Q2" stated Carl Ruoff, a patent attorney in Hoffman Warnick's Rochester office. "Hopefully we start to see all of the R&D investment over the past few years begin driving the regional economy in a positive direction."

"The Rochester area remains a leader in many technological areas," according to Mr. Ruoff. "For example, recently issued US patent 7,968,688 'Antibodies that Bind to the C35 Polypeptide,' which was assigned to the University of Rochester, deals with a potential cancer vaccine."

To obtain a pdf of this quarter's Patent Index, please e-mail hwemail@hoffmanwarnick.com or visit www.hoffmanwarnick.com.

About Hoffman Warnick LLC: Hoffman Warnick LLC is an intellectual property law firm focusing on biotechnology, nanotechnology, computers and software, electrical, mechanical, chemical, and materials engineering. Hoffman Warnick is committed to providing the highest quality services including: domestic and international property rights procurement, dispute resolution, and licensing.