US issued patents can be found at http://patft.uspto.gov/netahtml/PTO/search-adv.htm. It can be a bit tricky at first to navigate this site (e.g., searching a patent number has to be typed in…
The claims of utility patent set the metes and bounds of protection for the invention. They define an intellectual space. If a competing product is inside of that space, it…
As an initial matter, I would note that no matter how good the invention is, there is never a guarantee that it will result in a patent being issued by…
Even if you were the first person to invent something, that fact will not preclude someone else from procuring a patent on your invention. A few years back the United…
In short, you must obtain at least one patent in each jurisdiction where you want to be protected. A United States patent will only protect you in the United States.…
Yes and no. It can’t be overlooked that getting a Notice of Allowance means that simply paying an issue fee will give your client desirable protection. This is always a…
There are three tips that I would offer when dealing with patent examiners. First, and this applies to many other contexts besides the patent one, do not be rude to…
Through at least one of four ways, namely copyright protection, patent protection, Nondisclosure Agreements (NDAs), and trade secret protection. First, source code by itself cannot be patented. However, this does…
In the beginning, the inventor alone has the blueprint for the invention in his or her head. That blueprint needs to get inside the patent attorney’s head. If the process…
It would be nice if simply obtaining a patent ended the conversation. However, any good patent attorney knows that once a first, or second or third patent application is allowed…
