What is a priority date?
What is a patent priority date? Priority date refers to the earliest filing date in a family of patent applications. Where only a single patent…
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What Foreign Applicants Must Know About US Design Patents
Reasons for Procuring US Design Patents Chinese design patent owners will already know the benefits of design patent protection in the US. Unlike US utility patents,…
What are negative claim limitations?
What are negative claim limitations? A negative claim limitation is language recited in a patent claim that speaks to the absence of a feature, as…
How to Transfer Patent Ownership
How to Transfer Patent Ownership Patent ownership starts with the inventors. It is fairly straightforward, however, to transfer ownership to a company. Every patent application…
How much does a US design patent application cost?
What is the initial filing cost of a US design patent application? Excluding USPTO fees, our initial filing cost of a US design patent application…
Freedom To Operate (FTO) or Infringement Search: How to Sell Your Products Safely
What is a freedom to operate or patent infringement search? A freedom to operate search or review is basically an analysis to see if you…
How To Patent in Europe (EPO)
What is the European Patent Office? Getting a utility patent in Europe a bit different than patenting in other foreign countries. A single utility patent…
What is prior art?
Drawing the line between old and new The term “prior art” is frequently used in the patent world to refer to what already exists. It’s the…
What are Section 112 indefinite rejections?
What is a Section 112 indefinite rejection? Patent claims must follow certain rigid rules in terms of format and language. For this reason, claims will often…
What are the 2017 TTAB rule changes?
Effective date New TTAB rules for trademark oppositions and cancellations take effect on Jan. 14, 2017. ESTTA Electronic Filing All submissions must be filed through the…
What is a geographically descriptive trademark?
What is a primarily geographically descriptive trademark? If you apply for a trademark that contains a geographic location, there is a risk that your application…
What are USPTO excess claims fees and multiple dependent fees?
What are excess claims? In a US nonprovisional utility patent application, the USPTO will charge additional government fees for claims that exceed certain limits. The…
Patentability Search: Right and Wrong Reasons for Searching Prior Art
What a Novelty Search Does Not Do In most cases, a novelty search will not answer the question of whether your concept or product is…
Is software patentable?
Yes, software can be patented. However, the road to a granted patent may be long, frustrating and expensive. Let’s dive into the factors that can…
Why conduct a patent examiner interview?
What is a patent examiner interview? Patent examiners are human. This simple truth is often overlooked in the back-and-forth written communications with the USPTO. An…
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