Funding
Why does the project rely on community funding?
Preparing and conducting patent revocation proceedings requires substantial technical, legal and administrative resources. PatentReview aims to fund these activities through community support in a transparent manner while preserving its professional independence.
How much funding is required?
The project has established two funding milestones.
The minimum funding goal covers the essential technical and legal work required to initiate the revocation proceedings in Hungary.
The full funding goal enables the project to be carried out in its entirety, including detailed technical research, independent expert opinions, legal opinions, comprehensive documentation and full project communications.
A detailed budget is available on the Funding page.
How was the budget prepared?
The budget has been prepared on the basis of the anticipated duration of the project, the level of expert involvement required, and current market rates for the relevant professional services.
Our objective was not to define a maximum budget, but to provide a realistic and transparent estimate of the project's expected costs.
What will the contributions be used for?
All financial contributions are used exclusively to support the implementation of the project.
This includes, in particular:
patent attorney services;
technical research and analysis;
independent technical expert services;
independent legal opinions;
official fees and administrative charges;
project management;
communications and supporter relations;
IT infrastructure and software licences;
banking and administrative costs; and
independent financial auditing.
Why aren't all individual costs published in detail?
The project publishes its funding objectives, principal expenditure categories and financial reports.
However, certain contractual arrangements, professional collaborations and commercial agreements may contain confidential information. For this reason, it is not always possible to disclose every financial detail in full.
What happens if the project receives less funding than planned?
If the project receives less than its funding target, the available resources will be allocated according to predefined professional priorities.
Priority will be given to:
official fees and mandatory administrative charges;
technical research and analysis;
essential legal opinions;
the core costs required to operate and document the project;
independent technical expert opinions;
independent financial auditing; and
patent attorney services.
The scope and timetable of the project will be adjusted to reflect the funding available.
What happens if the project receives more funding than expected?
If PatentReview receives contributions exceeding its full funding target, any surplus will be used exclusively to further the project's professional objectives.
Our first priority is to ensure the complete funding of the revocation proceedings in Hungary.
If additional funds remain available afterwards, we will consider whether the available evidence and applicable legal framework justify initiating similar revocation proceedings in other countries where the patents remain in force.
Any such decisions, together with details of how the additional funding will be used, will be announced publicly.
Who manages the contributions?
PatentReview is currently not operated by a separate legal entity.
Until such an organisation is established, all voluntary financial contributions are received and administered by the Project Lead, István Benedek, through a dedicated bank account used exclusively for the purposes of PatentReview.
Regular financial reports will be published regarding the use of project funds.
How can I monitor how contributions are used?
PatentReview regularly publishes:
progress towards the funding goals;
the total amount of contributions received;
expenditure by major budget category; and
updates on the project's professional progress.
Will there be an independent financial audit?
Yes.
The project budget includes funding for an independent financial audit to ensure that the use of contributions remains transparent and independently verifiable.
What happens to any funds remaining after the project is completed?
The current funding objective is limited to financing the planned revocation proceedings in Hungary together with the related technical, legal and administrative work.
If the project receives contributions exceeding its funding target, or if funds remain after the completion of the Hungarian proceedings, we will consider whether the available evidence and applicable legal framework support initiating revocation proceedings in other countries.
Supporters will be informed in advance of any such decision, and full details will be published on the PatentReview website.
Why isn't PatentReview operated by an association or foundation?
PatentReview is currently an independent professional initiative coordinated by the Project Lead.
Its primary purpose is the professional preparation, funding and transparent documentation of a specific patent revocation project. During this initial stage, we chose an operating model that allows the project to be launched quickly and managed efficiently.
We believe that transparency is achieved not merely through a particular legal structure, but through public accountability. Accordingly, we publish our funding objectives, budget, principal expenditure categories, project developments that may lawfully be disclosed, and regular financial reports.
Should the future development or scale of the project make it appropriate, we do not rule out establishing or involving another legal structure, such as an association or foundation.
How can I be confident that my contribution supports the project?
A voluntary financial contribution is a good-faith contribution towards the objectives of PatentReview. Individual supporters cannot, of course, trace the use of each individual payment.
We therefore undertake to publish regular updates on the project's financial progress, progress towards the funding goals, and the principal categories of expenditure.
All contributions are intended to be used in accordance with the published project objectives and the publicly available funding plan.
We are committed to transparency, public accountability and evidence-based communication.
Why aren't all financial details made public?
PatentReview is committed to achieving the highest possible level of transparency.
At the same time, we must respect the privacy rights of individuals involved in the project, comply with contractual confidentiality obligations where applicable, and observe all relevant data protection legislation.
For that reason, our financial reports present the project's finances in a transparent manner without disclosing information whose publication would violate legal requirements or contractual obligations.