Intellectual Property

Intellectual Property (IP) laws contribute toward economic growth and stability. Economists estimate that two-thirds of the value of large businesses in the U.S. is in intangible assets. IP-intensive industries are estimated to generate 72% more value-added per employee than non-IP-intensive industries. Due to the value of IP, infringement, copying, counterfeiting, and pirating have become increasingly difficult problems. 

Alleged infringement of a competing device can be perceived to mimic a patented market device, but actually arrive at the result in a different manner. Conversely, a competing device can derive the same results as the market device.  Without its own patent, the likelihood of the competing device’s infringement becomes great. Only by investigating the relevant patent and an exemplar competing device, can any allegation of infringement be made. Proper identification of infringement of a patent can be difficult and often requires a person qualified in the device technology.

RTI and its multidisciplinary staff have been providing expert services to intellectual property litigation for many years. Our team of highly skilled technical professionals is uniquely qualified to reverse engineer competing devices to compare their functions to that of the patent in question. Additionally, RTI’s computer simulation software (ANSYS MultiPhysics™) can be used to virtually test a device’s function to better establish the potential of infringement. Collaboration with RTI’s Anamet, Inc. laboratories provides information regarding material composition and characteristics, and methods of manufacture and performance. If a case of infringement can be made, additional collaboration with RTI’s forensic visuals division, Magic Motion Studios, can provide a comprehensive and educational graphical presentation to compliment the expert in their discussion regarding methods of infringement.

RTI’s team of technical experts and resources can provide the following services:

• Patent search and review
• Patent claims analysis for obviousness and claims duplication
• Comparative review of an alleged infringing device and the Patent claims
• Reverse engineering
• Laboratory testing and materials analysis
• Performance testing
• Written reports
• Graphical products for courtroom presentations
• Three-dimensional computer-generated animations for courtroom presentation
• Tutorial aids for presentation to the trial of fact

The tedious complexities of intellectual property litigation are very familiar to RTI engineers and scientists who, as a class, generate the majority of IP technologies and industrial property, and stand ready to help resolve conflicts in rights to copy and distribute.