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

Preliminary Review of Claims in PCT Application Every PCT application automatically receives a prior art search and a written opinion on the invention’s novelty, inventive step…

Critical Patent Deadlines If You Have Not Yet Applied If you haven’t yet filed a patent application on your invention, there are two critical deadlines…

What is the P3 Program? P3 effectively combines two after-final pilot programs into one: the After Final Consideration Pilot (AFCP) 2.0 program; and the Pre-Appeal Brief Conference…

What is an AFCP request? The After Final Consideration Pilot (AFCP) Program 2.0 is a continuing effort by the USPTO to streamline responses to Final…

What are your options for responding to a Final Office Action? When faced with a final rejection, a patent applicant has a couple of options in…

What Inventors Really Need to Know Before Filing If you’re considering a utility patent, the biggest mistake is not spending too much. It is filing…

How to Register Your Trademark If you are selling a product or service, your trademark is often one of the most valuable assets. Yet many…

Must inventions made in the USA be filed first with the USPTO? Except when permission is granted, a patent application for an invention made in the…

Does a continuing application require an IDS disclosing prior art references already considered in the parent application? No.  According to MPEP Section 609.02, it is…

How We Identify the Risk of a Trademark Rejection A trademark knockout search generally refers to a pre-filing search of the USPTO trademark database for…

What is a trademark specimen of use? In nearly all cases, a trademark must be tied to a particular product or service. Trademarks do not…

When is the nonprovisional deadline? The 1-year anniversary of a US provisional patent application or a foreign priority application may occasionally fall on a non-business…

What is a patent Office Action? After waiting one to two years (or longer) from the filing date of your utility nonprovisional patent application, you…

Is a Power of Attorney required to file a patent Office Action response? No, a power of attorney need not be filed in order to…

What is an Information Disclosure Statement (IDS)? Every patent applicant has a duty to disclose to the USPTO all known prior art or other information…