What is the result of companies maintaining older patents that lack external citations?

Answer

They experience a significant drag on administrative resources.

Keeping obsolete or unreferenced patents active creates a phenomenon known as portfolio bloat. This requires companies to spend considerable administrative effort and pay ongoing renewal fees for assets that provide minimal strategic or defensive benefit. Pruning such patents allows a company to optimize its resources and provides a more accurate reflection of its active and influential technological footprint.

What is the result of companies maintaining older patents that lack external citations?
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