Author: Vic Lin

What is the cost of filing a US national stage application? The initial cost of filing a Us national stage application based on a PCT…

Should you file PCT or US patent application first? When you need patents in the US and foreign countries, you must eventually file multiple patent…

Prior art cited in patent Office Action When prior art is cited in an Office Action to reject your claims, the typical reaction of applicants…

What is a patent publication? A patent publication is a published utility patent application which is not the same thing as a patent. While a…

What is a color claim in trademark application? Color is an issue only when dealing with design marks, such as logos, that have elements of…

What is a suggestive mark? A suggestive trademark has wording that suggests characteristics of the underlying goods or services without saying it outright. As stated…

What is a trademark audit? The USPTO has recently started a process to audit the maintenance or renewals of trademark registrations, called the Trademark Post…

Can a patent be renewed? No, you cannot renew a patent in the US. Technically speaking, US utility patents are maintained, not renewed. The connotation…

Is it too late to patent a product after it has been sold or publicly disclosed? Maybe not. Ideally, you would have filed patent applications…

Foreign patent costs Foreign patent costs are high. If we’re talking about utility patents, expect about $2,000 to $6,000 for the initial filing in each…

A Problem The journey to a granted patent starts with a problem. You search for a satisfactory solution, but can’t find any. Others may have…

What is a trademark with acquired distinctiveness? Some trademarks are inherently distinctive from the start and others are not. Inherently distinctive marks generally include marks…