Companies looking for ways to cut costs as they brace for a coronavirus-induced economic slowdown should consider their patent portfolio. It's like a cupboard in desperate need of a spring clean. Businesses spend over $40bn on maintaining their patent portfolio each year, according to a new study from the UK intellectual property (IP) startup Aistemos and media platform IAM, but less than 20% of companies believe they have the right portfolio. Large companies hold tens of thousands of patents aimed at protecting the company's business from copying and legal issues. Around 4.5% of a company's revenues, on average, are vulnerable to patent litigation, according to the US consultancy Analysis Group.