What prior art documents should be included in an Information Disclosure Statement (IDS)?
Why is an IDS required? The USPTO places an obligation on each patent applicant to disclose any known prior art references that are relevant to…
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What are minimum USPTO fees that must be paid at the initial filing of US national stage patent application?
Bare Minimum Fee for Entering US National Stage The bare minimum official fee due upon filing a U.S. national phase patent application is the basic national fee. As of the…
How long is the trademark grace period for a registration renewal?
Is there a trademark renewal grace period? If you miss a trademark registration maintenance deadline, there is good news. You have a 6-month trademark registration…
US Customs Trademark Recordation: How to Block Import of Infringing Products
How to Make US Customs Your Ally Did you know that US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) can serve as your trademark police? An owner…
What are the consequences of a patent owner’s delay or inactivity against an infringer?
Before initially contacting a business believed to have infringed a patent, the patent owner should have a strategy for following through if the accused infringer does not respond favorably.…
Patent Search: What are differences between Novelty, Validity and Freedom-To-Operate Searches?
What are the different types of patent searches? A patent search can mean different things. So when you’re talking to a patent attorney about a…
What is PDX (Electronic Priority Document Exchange)?
When a U.S. national stage patent application or direct filing claims priority to a foreign application, a certified copy of the foreign priority document is required.…
What are differences between the Principal Register and Supplemental Register?
Principal Register vs. Supplemental Register By default, most trademark applications seek registration on the Principal Register. When an examining attorney determines that a mark is…
What happens when your trademark in use is different than the mark in your registration or application?
Does your mark in use match your applied-for or registered mark? Trademark use and registration are two different issues. In an ideal world, your trademark…
Can a provisional patent application be filed in a foreign language?
Can a provisional patent application be filed in a non-English language? Provisional patent applications with non-English specifications can be filed with the USPTO. In order…
Are Provisional Patent Applications Published or Made Publicly Available?
Are provisional patent applications published? No, a provisional patent application is not published by the USPTO. However, they made be made publicly accessible under certain…
Should you file a trademark first before using it?
Use or file trademark first? You do not have to apply for a trademark prior to using it. In most cases, trademark rights in the…
What is the Full First Action Interview Pilot Program (FAI)?
What First Action Interview is not Let’s first clarify what the First Action Interview (FAI) program does not do. The FAI program does not apply…
Where to find flat fee patent attorneys for filing patent and trademark applications at fixed rates
Flat fee patent applications Flat fee patent attorneys provide greater transparency and certainty for clients seeking to budget patent applications. Our firm can provide fixed…
What is a TTAB trademark Notice of Opposition?
What is a trademark Notice of Opposition filed with the TTAB? After a trademark application has been preliminarily approved by the USPTO examining attorney, the…
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