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Patent Continuation Strategy

Patent Continuation Strategy & Long‑Term Protection

Strong patent portfolios are rarely built from a single filing.

A well‑designed continuation strategy is what creates long‑term leverage, protects against competitors, and supports a company’s evolution over time.


Why Continuations Matter

Continuation applications allow companies to:

✔ adapt claim scope as the product and market evolve
✔ respond to competitive threats
✔ strengthen and broaden coverage over time
✔ preserve optionality for future expansions
✔ build layered protection around core technology

Without an intentional continuation plan, valuable opportunities disappear as the technology advances.


Our Approach

We design continuation strategies that:

✔ align with your product roadmap and technical trajectory
✔ anticipate future competitor behavior and market movement
✔ maintain flexibility for new embodiments, features, and use cases
✔ strengthen the portfolio with each successive filing

And this planning begins at the first filing, not later in the process.

A strong continuation strategy ensures your patents grow with your company—not behind it.


Protect Your Innovation for the Long Term

Continuation strategy is not something to figure out at the last minute.
It’s a plan that should be built from day one.

Schedule an IP Strategy Session

About the Author

Babak Akhlaghi is a registered patent attorney and the Managing Director of NovoTech Patent Firm, where he helps technology companies build investor‑grade patent portfolios that support fundraising, defensibility, and long‑term competitive advantage. His practice centers on patent strategy, portfolio architecture, and high‑leverage drafting for companies developing AI, machine learning, quantum computing, advanced software‑driven systems, robotics, and other emerging technologies.

Babak is also a permanent Adjunct Professor at the University of Maryland, where he teaches Legal Aspects of Entrepreneurship, bringing real‑world IP strategy experience directly into the academic environment.

He is a co‑author of the Patent Applications Handbook, published annually by West Publications (Clark Boardman Division) since 1992, and widely used by practitioners as a technical and procedural reference.

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