The Early Bird And All That…

With all corners of the globe feeling the squeeze as a result of the international economic crisis, it would be an understatement to say that the heat is definitely on for companies in the technology sphere to get the edge on their competitors.  They are doing this by investing vast amounts of money and resources in research and development in the hopes of coming up with the next big thing.  In those instances where commercially viable technological advancements do result from such investment, companies are making sure that the fruits of their labour do not fall into the clutches of unscrupulous competitors.  One way of keeping competitors at bay is by means of patent registrations.  Where once it may have been the exception to the rule to follow the patenting route, the current trend appears to convey the opposite.  Globally, industry players invest substantial sums of money in protecting their intellectual property and this includes defending that intellectual