Who is the trademark examining attorney?
Is the trademark examiner a licensed attorney? Yes, trademark examiners at the USPTO are licensed attorneys at law. That is why they are called examining…
The Largest Free Patent and Trademark Q&A Resource: 570+ Posts on IP
What is a trademark refusal?
What are the different types of trademark refusals? As much as you try to avoid it, you may receive a refusal to register your mark…
What are allowable claims?
What are allowed or allowable claims in a utility patent application? So, the examiner indicates that your utility patent application has allowable claims. Congratulations! The…
How to prepare a PCT application for US national stage entry
How to prepare a PCT application for optimal US national stage entry PCT applications are typically filed in the country of the applicant or with…
How is the US national stage different from other PCT country national phases?
How does the US national stage differ from other PCT countries? Most PCT applicants will likely consider the US as one of the potential national…
How to Trademark a Logo
Can you register a trademark for your logo? A well designed logo can mean so much to your business. It can embody not only what…
How to Trademark a Logo: Can you register a design mark similar to a word mark?
How does a design mark application compare to a word mark registration? To register a trademark without regard to style, a trademark application may typically…
Do you need a prototype before filing a patent?
Do you need a prototype before a patent is filed? No, you do not need to build a working prototype before filing a patent application.…
How To File A US Utility Patent Based On Foreign Priority Claim (Paris Convention, not PCT)
What is a conventional priority claim? A US utility patent application may be filed claiming the benefit of an earlier filing date of a foreign…
What is your design patent probability of success?
What are your chances of getting a design patent? A helpful way to estimate your probability of success in obtaining a US design patent is…
Trademark Audit: How to lose your trademark registration
What is a trademark registration audit? A trademark registration audit is a USPTO program to check random trademark registrations to see if the registered trademark…
What is nonobvious?
What does “obvious” mean in patent language? The everyday colloquial use of the term “obvious” is so simple that it can be hard to define.…
What do dashed lines in a design patent mean?
What is the meaning of broken or dashed lines in a design patent? While I’m not sure if you can call it a loophole, US…
What is the probability of a trademark rejection?
What is the probability of a trademark rejection or delay in a trademark application? According to the USPTO trademark dashboard, statistics show that about 43%…
How to Match Specimens of Use with Your Applied-for Trademark
What exactly is the applied-for mark in your trademark application or registration? One of the most common errors in a trademark application is a mismatch…
Ready to Slay Goliath?
Not sure where to start? Email US patent attorney Vic Lin at vlin@icaplaw.com.