Customer case 365id: “Patent protection adds market value and brings new collaborations”
365id has revolutionised the identification and access industry with its simple and efficient ID scanner. In a short time, it has shown that ID scanners don’t have to be large, cumbersome, and expensive or require major IT rethinks and endless maintenance.
The 365id Scanner is a device used to verify many types of ID document, such as passports, identity cards, and driving licences. The 365id Scanner can verify the authenticity of ID documents without unnecessary delays or complicated processing – all that’s needed is a network connection and a power supply. The ID is verified in real time and the 365id Scanner can be easily integrated with existing business systems.
Johan Hagelin, CEO and founder of 365id, was quick to realise the market was more than ready for this type of product. Since 365id’s first product release in the autumn of 2016, it has won every tender it has submitted, and now has over 700 satisfied customers in over 50 countries, in sectors such as banking and finance, telecoms, retail, car rental, airports, and hotels.
Patent process
Johan contacted Ström & Gulliksson at an early stage for help investigating the patentability of 365id’s technology.
– We began with a workshop for us to consider our needs and together lay the foundation for our patent platform and the strategy we moved ahead with, he explains.
365id began by applying for two patents in Sweden for the system and its method of operation, both of which were duly awarded. Alongside the Swedish application, patent applications were submitted in the US and Europe, which are generally more challenging processes. During that process, 365id gradually narrowed the scope of protection of its applications down from an initially broad position to a more focused one.
European patent attorney Ed Lobb, who spearheaded Ström & Gulliksson’s collaboration with 365id, says it is not unusual for there to be objections against applications of this kind before a Patent Office can grant a patent. He describes juggling the trade-offs necessary for each patent application:
– You need specifications that are broad enough to provide as much protection as possible, but not so broad that they can’t be granted. At the same time, you don’t want to be overly specific in case you need to change something along the way; you need to be able to adjust the scope of protection without losing the application entirely.
– For 365id, the European application procedure was the biggest challenge. The objections against a grant of a patent were particularly complex, and at one stage it seemed as though it might not be possible to obtain protection. But there was simply no question of giving up, says Johan.
– We had to sit down and put our heads together to figure it out, he adds. It was a tough assignment, but after going through several hundred pages of documentation they hit on a solution which saw 365id able to highlight the specific advantages of its solution over others in the public domain.
All the hard work meeting the challenges of the process paid off in the end. The result is that 365id’s product is now patent-protected in the US, Sweden, Germany, France, and the UK.
Value
Patent protection offers value on many levels, but Johan singles out three key things it has brought to 365id.
– First off, I’m convinced that patent protection boosts market value, if only because it’s clearly visible in the patent marking on the product label. Secondly, the boost to the company’s value has been obvious when issuing stock to finance the company’s growth. Thirdly, we believe that it will encourage potential stakeholders to seek us out for a collaboration in the longer run, rather than competing with us.
Collaboration
Johan and Ed both describe their close collaboration and mutual trust, which have been the cornerstones of the patent process and essential to 365id’s success.
– I would like to extend a big thank you to Ström & Gulliksson, and especially to Ed”, says Johan. “He has familiarised himself with our product and our system and packaged it in an exemplary way. I have complete confidence in him and his contribution to our patent journey.