Phillips’ Patent Procedures
28. Phillips employees are encouraged to complete a “Patent Idea Record” form to memorialize
ideas for new products or processes. GR 8-93, ¶ 4.
29. Completed Patent Idea forms are given sequential “PI” numbers as they are received by
personnel in Phillips Patent Department. GR 9, ¶ 4; GR 413, ¶¶ 4-5
30. After assignment of a PI number, the Patent Idea is assigned to a patent liaison. GR 9, ¶ 5;
GR 413-14, ¶ 5
31. The patent liaison performs an initial patentability evaluation of the invention which may
involve discussion and correspondence with the inventor and a prior art search. GR 9, ¶ 5; GR 414,
¶¶ 6-7.
32. Once the liaison is satisfied that an idea is sufficient to proceed towards filing a patent
application, an Invention Number (IN) is assigned, the inventors are informed that the idea was
sufficiently meritorious to be submitted to the Phillips Invention Committee, and the case is
transferred to a patent attorney with a written recommendation on patentability. GR 9, ¶ 5; GR 414,
¶ 7.
33. The patent attorney presents the invention to the invention committee for their consideration.
GR 10, ¶ 6; GR 415, ¶ 9.
34. The Invention Committee meets about once a month and decides whether a patent application
should be filed on the invention. Sequential Case Numbers are assigned to inventions for which
applications are to be filed and the case is placed on an attorney’s docket. GR 10, ¶ 7; GR 415, ¶ 9.
35. Phillips’ Patent Department policies specify that patent application preparation be taken up
in the order that they are assigned to an attorney’s docket. GR 10, ¶ 8.
Preparation and Processing of Patent Idea Records
Patent Idea Record 13910
36. On January 31, 1989, Dr. Rolf Geerts prepared a Patent Idea Record that was subsequently
assigned No. 13910 (PI 13910). GR 221, ¶ 72; GR 415 ¶ 10.
3 “GR” refers to Geerts’ record. The number following GR indicates the page in the record.
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