What is a patent exactly?
Patent is a right to exclude the commercial usage and utilisation of an intellectual property from others than the owner of a patent. The owner is responsible to pay annually for the right to the patent, and the patent period is normally fixed to 18 to 20 years before the innovation comes public for others to utilise.
Why are patents important? They give you the rights to your own innovation, making the innovation still open for the public to see. This offers enormous advantages – your customers and competitors are able to observe and validate the authenticity and quality of your product, without being able to copy the methods for their own use. Therefore, having a patent is a safe way to showcase the quality of your offering.
Significance highlighted in leading-edge technologies
Technology and cryptography are fields where the amount of innovations and product developments is extensive. That is why in this industry it is even more important to guarantee the ownership of your innovation and product by patenting it.
According to CB Insights, the 5 most valuable technology companies in the world (Microsoft, Apple, Facebook, Amazon, Google) have patents related to cryptography as one of their top prioritised leading-edge technologies during the past decade. This is a clear indicator of the importance of patenting your cryptographic intellectual property, which is why Xiphera is also patenting its own cryptographic innovations.
Big benefits for small companies
For smaller start-ups and medium-sized companies, patents are often vital for the business continuity. StartupNation lists various benefits of a patent for small- to medium-sized companies, for example staying strong in competition and creating value for the company.
For a start-up, securing your intellectual property safeguards your company’s future: having a strong indicator that your innovation should not be utilised by anyone else guarantees that your particular business idea will not be directly used for as long as the patent is valid. Small to medium-sized companies also benefit from the credibility that patents bring for the company.
Xiphera’s patent is about unique identifiers for volatile FPGAs
Xiphera has entered the world of patents as well: we have been granted our first patent by Finnish Patent and Registration Office (PRH). The patent is for Method of Providing a Secret Unique Key for a Volatile FPGA. The patent is related to our ongoing project about root-of-trust for volatile FPGAs.
“I am very proud of our first patent”, says Matti Tommiska, CEO and co-founder of Xiphera. “This patent will safeguard our innovations, further increase our professional credibility, and add value to our cryptographic product offering. We look forward to utilising the patent in our product development, and intend to continue patenting our core innovations also in the future.”
