By Megha Anand
Fear of the unknown or realization that you are responsible for what happens next in your life provides the adrenalin rush felt during a blind date.
Similar is the experience when one embarks on the patenting journey, being “blind” on what’s already existing as “prior art” for his/her invention and yet proceeding with the filing of a patent application. However, unlike real life, the after-effects of the “blind date” aren’t experienced immediately, but after gaps of three (3) to five (5) years. By that time it may sometimes be too late to take any corrective action and the patent application may have to be abandoned, not to mention the loss of money spent for filing and maintenance of the patent application.