Patent Applications

Need an NDA to talk to a patent attorney? It’s a common question I get from startups and those new to US patent filings. In…

What is PPH? PPH stands for Patent Prosecution Highway, a cooperative program between the USPTO and participating foreign patent offices to expedite the allowance of…

What is an IP checklist? An IP checklist helps a startup company to make sure that fundamental IP rights are adequately protected. At a minimum,…

Is there a way to challenge or oppose a patent application? Yes, any third party may file a preissuance submission to oppose a nonprovisional patent…

What rights do you have while patent pending? Can a patent filer can stop copycats and would-be infringers while their patent application is pending? The…

What are patent foreign filing deadlines? A foreign filing deadline refers to a specific date by which an applicant must file a foreign patent application…

Is a Power of Attorney required to pay a maintenance fee? If a new patent attorney or law firm plans to pay the maintenance fee…

Can an Assignee also be identified as an Applicant in a US national phase application? Yes, if the earliest filing date of the US national…

Can you file a US patent application after selling your product? The US patent system is different from the patent laws of most foreign countries…

Is there such a thing as a patent renewal? Sort of. Instead of patent renewals, they are called maintenance fees. Maintenance fees apply only to…

What are the differences between provisional and nonprovisional patent applications? A nonprovisional patent application is normally considered the regular utility patent application. It is what…

What makes an idea patentable? If you have specific examples of how your idea would actually work, then your concept might be patentable if it…