Tech startup: I really do make mobile phones!

Chapter 21 Core Patents

Nanshan Industrial Park, Patent Agency.

Sister Shen took the brown paper bag containing Chen Mo's patent documents from Sasha at the front desk and prepared to take it to the technical review department to find Engineer Zhang, who was in charge of reviewing patents in the electronic technology category.

Technical Review Department.

Sister Shen, wearing ten-centimeter high heels, rushed in, her brown paper bag crumpled in her hand.

She shouted at the top of her lungs, "Where's Engineer Zhang? The receptionist said a client's electronic patent has been submitted for review!"

The constant clicking of keyboards at the workstations suddenly fell silent for a moment. Xiao Li, wearing black-rimmed glasses, peeked out from behind the monitor and gestured towards the conference room next door.

"Sister Shen! Engineer Zhang is currently discussing university-industry cooperation with those professors from Shenzhen University. He just made some tea, so it won't be long."

Sister Shen stomped her foot, almost shaking off her false eyelashes.

"I still have a client waiting for me! By the time they finish their tea, the daylily will be cold. How long will it take to finish?"

Xiao Li scratched his head: "You know the troubles involved in university-enterprise cooperation. It takes at least two hours to go from discussing the patent pool to the commercialization of the results."

Before he finished speaking, the walnut door to the inner private office clicked open a crack, and the cooler air from the air conditioner, carrying the aroma of coffee, wafted out.

"Give me the information!" A young man's voice was like it had been soaked in ice water, yet it carried an undeniable force.

Sister Shen turned around and saw him leaning against the door frame, his dark gray suit perfectly tailored, and the titanium alloy ring on his left ring finger gleaming coldly under the light.

She paused for half a second, then quickly handed over the brown paper bag: "Director Lin, you're a real lifesaver! Sasha said this client looks like he's from Huaqiangbei. Thank you for your help!"

Meeting room C203.

Chen Mo was chatting with Xiao Zhou when the doorknob suddenly turned, making a soft "click" sound. He subconsciously looked up and saw a young man walk in.

This person has a well-proportioned figure and a good temperament. He is wearing a sharp dark gray suit, just like the domineering CEO in Korean dramas.

The rimless glasses sat perfectly on his straight nose, adding to his refined and scholarly air.

The titanium alloy ring on the left ring finger gleamed coldly under the floor lamp, making it hard to look away.

Xiao Zhou was chatting casually with Chen Mo when he caught a glimpse of the man pushing the door open and suddenly his back stiffened.

She recognized the man who walked in—she had overheard the older women gossiping about him in the break room yesterday.

Xiao Zhou hurriedly stood up straight, his fingertips unconsciously twisting the strap of his work badge: "Lin"

"Alright!" The person interrupted Xiao Zhou directly, waving his hand casually and instructing, "You can go out and get back to work!"

"Ok!"

Xiao Zhou glanced at the person, then hurriedly walked towards the door, almost knocking over the chair behind him.

When she closed the door, she realized that her palms were sweaty.

The person tapped their name tag lightly with their fingertip, a polite smile on their face.

"Hello Mr. Chen, this is Lin Junfeng. I'm responsible for providing technical review and consultation services for your patent. Let me take a look at the documents for you first."

Before Chen Mo could answer, the young man had already deftly pulled up a chair and sat down. Chen Mo didn't mind the boy's abruptness; after all, he was a professional and probably used to working efficiently.

Lin Junfeng slowly spread the documents on the table. At first, his expression seemed somewhat indifferent, and he casually flipped through the papers with his fingertips.

However, when he turned to the schematic diagram of "a design patent for a capacitive multi-touch module", his movements suddenly stopped, his fingertips slammed heavily on the paper, and his pupils behind his glasses contracted sharply.

Chen Mo had been secretly observing him, and upon seeing this, a sense of curiosity welled up within her.

The suit looks expensive, and the frameless glasses don't look cheap either. Is the salary for a technical reviewer of electronic patents really that good?

Although I know that these patent examiners need to understand both commercial patent law and have a comprehensive understanding of electronic technology, they are multi-skilled professionals.

Such a person's salary must be high, but the benefits are just too good!
Chen Mo couldn't help but mutter to himself, "Are people at patent agencies all making this much money?"

“Mr. Chen!” Lin Junfeng suddenly raised his head, breaking the brief silence. He stretched out his fingertip and gently tapped the 17th page of the document, his expression becoming very serious.

"Fantasy Technology applied for a similar solution for this full-screen interactive gesture back in 2009. After comparison, the overlap rate of the claims exceeds 60%, so there is a problem with your patent application!"

As he spoke, he quickly flipped to the "Facial Radio Frequency Recognition" section and continued, "And here too. Fat Fat Windows and Doors registered a utility model patent three years ago. You can see the signal receiving module design here; it's very similar to your solution."

Lin Junfeng spoke at a steady pace, neither too fast nor too slow, clearly and precisely explaining each reason for rejection, accurately hitting the minefield of patent applications.

It's as if he's not looking at a patent document, but rather completely understanding a finely constructed mobile phone, knowing every single component inside and out.

As Chen Mo listened to Lin Junfeng's analysis, his previously relaxed body couldn't help but sit up straight, and he was somewhat surprised.

The other party pointed out that nearly 20 items were not eligible for patent application, which were precisely the issues he had overlooked when compiling the information from memory.

Although this technology is not available on the market now, it has already been developed in actual laboratories, and even the conceptual ideas have been patented in advance.

Chen Mo then realized that even if he possessed memories of his past life, he could not blindly believe in the so-called "prophetic perspective."

Because the information Chen Mo obtained in his previous life was actually very limited, it could only serve as a reference for future developments.

The two then discussed many patent-related issues, including information concerning the new gaseous lithium battery, which required Chen Mo's laboratory to send a physical sample for testing before supplementing the information.

After Lin Junfeng finished speaking, Chen Mo did not hesitate at all and immediately pushed the documents in front of him, saying sincerely, "Engineer Lin! Then we will do the remaining 60 items as you said."

Since there are still 60 core technology patents that can be applied for, Chen Mo is relieved.

Although there are fewer patents, it doesn't prevent Orange Technology from building its own patent moat.

"By the way, Mr. Lin! I also wanted to ask if your company can handle the applications for North America and Europe together?"

"Sure, sure!" Lin Junfeng suddenly closed the document, his fingertips tapping a light, rhythmic beat on the table. He raised his head slightly and looked directly at Chen Mo.

"However, I personally suggest that you handle them separately: apply for local certification for design patents and for utility technology patents through the PCT route. This way, you can save at least 40% of the application fees."

Upon hearing this, Chen Mo's eyelids twitched involuntarily.

In his mind, aren't patent agencies all about finding ways to make clients spend more money?

But this Mr. Lin actually took the initiative to help him save money, which surprised him greatly.

(End of this chapter)