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It\'s no secret that space companies need to think about patents. But how important is patent planning? On this edition of The Ex Terra Podcast, Tom Patton talks with Patent Attorney Steve Sponseller, the author of "Cracking the Patent Code".

"The worst thing you can do is just not have a plan, and kind of randomly file a few patent applications on mediocre inventions." Patent Attorney Steve Sponseller.

Space technology companies invest considerable time and resources creating new systems. Those new systems often include valuable inventions that solve new problems faced by devices that are launching and operating in space. It\\u2019s important for your company to protect its investment of time and resources by considering patent protection for your most valuable inventions.

Obtaining patent protection can be a unique challenge for space companies given the pace at which the technology changes. Sponseller says that proper patent planning can give companies a clear roadmap to which inventions most need the protection of a patent.

Sponseller has boiled down the process into three steps:

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• Identify all inventions developed by your team.
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• Evaluate the identified inventions based on criteria that\\u2019s unique to your company.
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• Protect the highest value inventions to build a strong portfolio of patents.
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"The worst thing you can do is just not have a plan, and kind of randomly file a few patent applications on mediocre inventions." Sponseller said.

"Cracking the Patent Code" is available from Sponseller\'s website or from Amazon or as a free PDF download here. He is also the host of the podcast "Tech Leader Talk", which is available on most popular podcasting platforms, and hosts the Space Tech Innovation interview series.

How does what happens in space affect your everyday life? The Ex Terra podcast is dedicated to introducing you to many of the interesting people involved in the commercial space industry, and taking you behind the scenes with many of the companies making significant contributions to the new space economy. The podcast is available on Anchor, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Audible, Breaker, Overcast, Pocketcasts and Radio Public.