Patents R Us: Information and Services for Inventors and Patent Owners

Living the American Dream
Learning to speak and write English as an adult after immigrating to the United States from the former Soviet Union is an impressive feat. Becoming a published author in a language other than one’s native tongue is similarly noteworthy. But for Alexander Poltorak, those accomplishments are just the tip of the iceberg.

Dr. Poltorak grew up in the USSR and earned the equivalent of a PhD in Theoretical Physics there, but his degree was taken from him because of his anti-communist activities. He immigrated to the United States in 1982, and by 1983 he had already formed his first startup business, Rapitech Systems, Inc.

Rapitech was formed as a technology development company to develop “smart connector” technology invented by Steven Farago, a Hungarian engineer who was working as a technology consultant at the time he came up with his invention. Dr. Farago designed and produced a prototype of the “smart connector,” Rapitech invested in its development, and Drs. Poltorak and Farago attempted to license the technology to leading firms in several industries.

Although these companies steadfastly turned down Rapitech’s licensing offers over the course of a few years, Dr. Poltorak recalls that he “began to see evidence that companies were now using Farago’s smart connector as an integral component in many of their computer products.” (American Venture Magazine, July/August 2002). In fact, the smart connectors for which Rapitech could not find a single buyer had became the PCMCIA cards widely used in computers in the late 1980s and early-mid 1990s!

Out of necessity, Poltorak soon became an expert in patent enforcement, formed a company (Poltorak Associates Inc.) to undertake the enforcement of the Rapitech patents, and eventually formed a separate company – Acticon Technologies LLC – for the purpose of enforcing those patents. Poltorak Associates evolved into General Patent Corporation (GPC), a firm now known as a comprehensive IP boutique offering enforcement, valuation, licensing, brokerage and technology transfer services.

All of the Acticon patents have since expired, but not before Acticon prevailed in 26 lawsuits and signed over 150 licensees – among them industry giants such as IBM, Dell, Motorola and others. Dr. Farago was eventually compensated for his invention, General Patent Corporation is the premier patent enforcement firm in the United States, and Alexander Poltorak is a recognized expert in the intellectual property field.

Dr. Poltorak teamed up with GPC’s Sr. VP and General Counsel Paul J. Lerner to co-author two authoritative books on intellectual property: Essentials of Intellectual Property (2002) and Essentials of Licensing Intellectual Property (2003).

Here are just a few of the many articles Dr. Poltorak has authored or co-authored:

• “Thar’s Gold in Them Thar Patents” (University Business, October 2009)

• “Who Needs Patents?” (Patent Strategy & Management, March 2009)

• “First-to-File vs. First-to-Invent” (IP Today, April 2008)

• “U.S. Can't Afford to Mar Innovation: Proposed patent reforms mean less protection for the underdog” (Christian Science Monitor, Jan. 28, 2008)

• “Supreme Court Chooses the Middle Ground in the eBay Case” (Patent Strategy & Management, July 2006)

• “What You Need to Know About Patents and Their Value” (TechnologyReview.com, April 2005)

• “A ‘Real World’ Risk-Adjusted Patent Valuation Model” (Patent Strategy & Management, November 2004 and January 2005)

• “Valuing Patents as Market Monopolies” (Patent Strategy & Management, September 2003)

• “Valuing Individual Patents Comprising a Portfolio” (Patent Strategy & Management, October 2003)

• “Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about Intellectual Property Law but Couldn’t Afford to Ask” (American Venture magazine, August 2003)

• “Are Patents Bad for the Economy?” (New York Business Focus, August 2002)

• “Introducing Litigation Risk Analysis” (Managing Intellectual Property, May 2001)

• “Corporate Officers and Directors Can Be Liable for Mismanaging Intellectual Property” (Patent Strategy & Management, May and June 2000)

• “Grain, Grain, Go Away” (Intellectual Property Worldwide, February, 2000)

• “Patent Enforcement: To Sue or Not to Sue?” (Inventors’ Digest, November/December 2000)

As if becoming an expert on the US patent system and patent enforcement wasn’t enough to keep him busy, Dr. Poltorak serves on the advisory board of Patent Strategy & Management and is an adjunct Law Professor at the Globe Institute for Technology. He also served as an assistant professor of biomathematics at Cornell University Medical College where he conducted research on mathematical modeling of brain-flow circulation on positron emission tomography. He also served as an assistant professor of physics at Touro College and as an adjunct professor of law at Globe Institute of Technology.

He is a member of the Licensing Executives Society (LES), the Association of University Technology Managers (AUTM), Intellectual Property Owners Association (IPO), the New York Academy of Science, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the American Physical Society.  He was also a US co-chairman for the Subcommittee on Information Exchange of the US-USSR Trade and Economic Counsel.

And if all of these activities are not enough, Dr. Poltorak founded and serves as President of American Innovators for Patent Reform, a trade association that supports stronger patents and stronger patent protection. The organization is opposed to the Patent Reform Act of 2009 (S. 515 and H.R. 1280) currently before Congress.

www.poltorak.com