Patenting inventions that involve web-based interactions between a business and customers or other third parties can be particularly challenging because of a problem called “divided infringement.” The problem is that in order to distinguish the prior art, you often have to identify system
Read More
Inventors typically come to us with an idea of what they think is new about their invention. Usually, they have not done a prior art search, and as a result, are sometimes overly optimistic about the breadth of a patent they might ultimately
Read More
Patents are not cheap, and the process can be frustrating and time consuming. So, it is important to think about why you want a patent in the first place. It may turn out that patenting is not an optimal way to achieve your goals. For
Read More
In our experience, many clients are under the impression that the naming of inventors on a patent application is discretionary and that they can simply select whom they wish to name. We have seen situations where, for internal political reasons, someone wants
Read More
Lately, we have had several inquiries about whether it is possible to patent a new way of using an existing product. The answer is “yes”. This type of patent is typically called a “method of use” patent.” A method of use patent
Read More
I want to talk to you today about how to get technical help for your business without losing your patent rights. I want to start out with a quiz. Let’s say you have an employee and that employee does some technical work
Read More
Today, we want to discuss something you can do in your patent applications to drastically increase your chances of getting them granted as patents. In order to get a patent, an invention has to be novel, and it has to be non-obvious.
Read More
One very powerful aspect of US patent law is its continuation practice. The patent statute allows applicants to file an additional patent application based on an earlier still-pending application and pursue different claims as long as those claims are supported by the
Read More
Over the years, we’ve seen what works and does not work for companies who are trying to develop a valuable patent portfolio, meaning one that actually enhances their market share. We recently published a list of 5 key strategies that we have
Read More
With many businesses closed or having scaled back operations, now is a good time to revisit your intellectual property strategy. One good starting point is to look at how you distinguish yourself from your competitors. Here are some key questions to ask:
Read More