Choosing patent foreign countries A US patent provides a patent owner with rights only in the US. That might be enough for patent owners who do not care about sales or manufacturing of infringing products done in foreign countries. But, what if you do care about infringing activity happening abroad? You will need to file […]
Articles Tagged: international patent
What to do before utility patent application is published
Utility nonprovisional patent applications are typically published around 18 months from the priority date. This event usually comes and goes without much fanfare. Before your patent application is published, applicants should consider at least two questions: Have any improvements or modifications been made? Do you want to protect those changes in foreign countries? Applicants who […]
What is a utility model?
What is the difference between a utility model and a utility patent? A utility model is a type of instant intellectual property right that is somewhat similar to a utility patent. While it is unavailable in the US, this alternative patent right is offered in many countries outside the US. This option would only help […]
Can others file the same patent in a different country?
Same patent by others in different country? If an earlier applicant obtains a patent first in their own country, can others subsequently patent the same invention in a different country? The simple answer “should” be no. The reality, however, is more complicated. What happens in the real patent world does not always follow what should […]
First file PCT or US? Which patent application to file first?
Should you file PCT or US patent application first? US applicants seeking patents worldwide will often consider filing both a US nonprovisional patent application and international PCT application. The questions is: Which application should be filed first, or should both patent applications be filed simultaneously? Let’s consider patent strategies for filing US first, PCT first […]
How to control international patent costs
How much do international utility patents cost? International patent costs can escalate quickly. When pursuing utility patents in foreign countries, you cannot ignore the cost factor. Simply put, foreign utility patents cost a lot, i.e., much more than you want to spend. You have to deal with not only the foreign patent office, but also […]
How to patent in Europe (EPO)
What is the EPO? Getting a utility patent in Europe a bit different than patenting in other foreign countries. A single utility patent application may be filed with the European Patent Office or EPO. The EPO is one of the few patent offices in the world where an applicant can file a single application and […]
How to get international utility patents
Is there only one way to get international patent rights? No, there are multiple ways to obtain foreign utility patents. While there is no such thing as an international patent, there is an international patent application called the PCT application. Eventually, you still will need to file separate utility patent applications in each desired foreign […]