Maintaining a Patent Following Issuance

To keep a patent in force, maintenance fees must be paid to the United States Patent and Trademark Office.  Each time a maintenance fee becomes due, the patent owner should look not only to present considerations but also the long-range view in deciding whether or not to make the payment.  The case of In Re: Rembrandt Technologies LP Patent Litigation shows what might happen when the long-range view is not fully taken into account.