We learned about an interesting social technology application. We read “Are Patents and Intellectual Property the Next Gold Rush?” in the HighGainBlog, published by Stephen E Arnold. He interviewed one of the founders of ArticleOnePartners.com, a fast growing online crowdsourced expert advisory firm. Mr. Arnold spoke with Cheryl A. Milone, Esq. about AOP’s social platform for connecting those with a patent-related question to experts who have particular expertise in the complex field of intellectual property.

One of the passages which struck us as particularly interesting was Ms. Milone’s answer to the question, “Can you give me an example of how the social method works?” Ms. Milone replied:

There is the engineering or technical aspect of a patent. There are financial and business issues. There are risk factors that must be considered and evaluated. In Manhattan, it is possible to locate the expertise needed to tackle a patent matter. However, if one lives in a smaller city, expertise may not be a couple of blocks or a taxi ride away. We tapped the social capabilities of the Internet and assembled an unrivaled, world class team of experts in law and the necessary disciplines to provide the advice, counsel, opinions, and facts our clients require. With our crowdsourcing platform, we can tap the expertise a client requires in a fast, secure, and agile way. Distance is not a factor. Reaction time is accelerated.

What’s interesting is that the AOP approach blends the speed and flexibility of time shifting with the social approach of a large pool of specialists. If you want to know more about the Article One approach, point your browser to www.articleonepartners.com.

A misstep in patents is, as Ms. Milone said, “The present business climate has raised the stakes in what historically has already been a very high stakes game. Obviously a company can be sued and have to pay very sizable damages. The loss in research and development  investment is another risk.”

Kenneth Toth, July 25, 2011