Laser Marking: Common Patent Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them

The book provides practical advice on patent searches, directions for technological improvement, and legal risk prevention, helping companies to avoid infringement disputes and realize safe innovation.

Why are laser marking industries so easily caught in patent traps?

Anyone who works in laser marking equipment should know that in this line of work, the technology is updated rapidly, and the patent landscape is crowded.Many manufacturers bury themselves in R & D, only to find that when they bring their products to market, the optical path design, control software, and even the structure of the outer shell have already been patented by others.What's even more troubling is that some patents are written so broadly that it is very easy to infringe on them inadvertently.

Three major "minefields" of high-frequency patents.

The core light source technology.

For example, the pulse control scheme for fiber lasers and the application of specific wavelength combinations are key technologies that have been preemptively acquired by larger companies.In one case, a domestic company developed its own Q-switching technique that was similar to the power control logic of a foreign patent, and the goods were seized at customs.

Personalized design patents.

Don't underestimate the importance of the arrangement of heat dissipation holes on a device's outer casing or the layout of a control panel. Some manufacturers will apply for patents on the design of the exterior.Last year a company in Shenzhen had to pay over 200,000 yuan in damages because the location of a knob on a control panel infringed on a competitor's patent.

Software protection algorithms.

Today, even the path-planning algorithms for the laser marking machine and the graphic processing procedures can be patented.One business made a second development using open source code, and it turned out that the original code contained a patented algorithm from a university.

Three ways to avoid pitfalls.

Patent searches should be thorough.

It is not enough to just look at Chinese patents; you have to go over the databases of Europe, America, Japan and Korea from top to bottom.The important thing is to look at the technical features described in the claims. I suggest searching for "laser marking" and combining it with specific technical points.

Innovation is the key to improvement.

What if there is no way to get around a patent? Try adjusting one or two parameters by 20 % or more, or replace an unnecessary structure.For example, a company changed the cooling system of a traditional galvanometer system from air-cooling to semiconductor cooling, successfully avoiding the scope of the original patent.

Seek legal advice early.

Before finalizing the design, don't think that it's a bother to find a knowledgeable intellectual property attorney to do an FTO (Freedom to Operate) analysis.They can help you to map out the minefield of existing patents, and can advise you on which technologies you can apply for patents on in order to form a protective wall around your products.

Long-term planning is less stressful.

Provide regular patent training for R & D teams, and establish your own patent database.If you suspect that someone is infringing your rights, first make sure that you have a good record of your own research and development efforts and test data--these can prove that you developed your product independently.In the patent wars, the battle is not just about technology, but about the chain of evidence.