Originally Published MX November/December 2004

GOVERNMENTAL & LEGAL AFFAIRS

A profit-maximizing strategy for establishing patent ownership cuts out unnecessary royalty payments.

Gregory J. Carlin

In most high-technology industries, employees of manufacturing companies develop inventions for their employers. But in the medical device industry, independent physicians—the product end-users—often develop devices in collaboration with company staff. Physicians bring the advantage of a direct understanding of the problems that might be encountered during surgery or treatment. Involvement of these collaborators in the development of a medical device generally occurs according to one of two scenarios.