The Largest Free Patent and Trademark Q&A Resource: 600+ Posts on IP

Has trademark examination become more inconsistent? Trademarks share a common feature with patents in that a trademark must be different in order to be registered.…

What is an invention funded by the federal government? Certain rules pertain to any private companies or persons seeking to patent a federal government funded…

What is laches? Laches is a fancy legal term meaning delay. If there has been delay in filing a TTAB trademark cancellation, laches might be…

What is a TTAB summary judgment motion? A TTAB summary judgment motion is a pretrial filing made to request an earlier decision in a trademark…

How do you challenge a granted patent cost-effectively? Not everyone has at least $1,000,000 to spend challenging a patent. With such a sizable budget, you…

Design patent or utility patent? One of the most common questions we get from startup entrepreneurs is whether they should apply for a design patent…

What is a PCT prior art search report? Patent examiners review PCT applications in the same way that the USPTO examines utility nonprovisional patent applications.…

Why does an early trademark filing date matter? Why would it matter to be the first to file your trademark application with the USPTO? US…

How should you file your trademark application? A word mark refers to the type of trademark that can be registered without any graphic design or…

Is an international company required to use a US attorney for US trademark applications? Yes, the USPTO requires all international companies (i.e., domiciled in a…

Has your utility patent application been rejected? If your utility patent application has been rejected, welcome to the club. Approximately 90% of utility patent applications…

Where do you start if you have been accused of patent infringement? Disruptive and disconcerting – two of the most common emotions experienced by one…

Amazon APEX: Utility Patent Infringement Program for Amazon Sellers Amazon’s Neutral Patent Evaluation (NPE) program is their own version of patent court to resolve patent…

What kinds of trademark clothing specimens are acceptable? An acceptable specimen of use for trademark application covering clothing items can be especially tricky. USPTO trademark…

Can you refile a provisional patent application? You can file the same provisional patent application as many times as you want, and whenever you want.…