Patent rights expire 20 years after filing. And the cost of maintaining a patent becomes more and more expensive as it approaches expiration.

Therefore, if we do not plan to exercise our patent rights, I may have to go through a procedure called "abandonment".

Lately, I've been getting inquiries about this "abandonment" procedure, frequently.

Well, it is natural if I am the lead inventor, but I get inquiries even when I am not.

Today, I received an inquiry about a decision to "abandon" a patent that I was not a co-inventor on.

However, the decision to abandon a patent is quite a daunting one.

Even if some other company exercises the patented technology after the abandonment, we will not be able to collect the patent fee.

This is because we can never be sure that we will not miss out on hundreds of millions of dollars after the abandonment.

-----

However, in the world of technology, it is almost a different world today than it was 20 years ago.

It is hopelessly unlikely that a patent can be enforced.

In addition, I can't love patent of others.

When judging the value of someone else's patented invention, there is no "love" in it.

There is only "money (calculation)".

-----

So, lately, I've been a

"Death Penalty Executioners of patent right"

Well, it's a piece of cake compared to the Justice Minister's signature on the death penalty order.