Sometimes the best defense is a good offense. Clients often assume that they are entitled to a patent because no single piece of prior art shows all of their invention. In that case the invention may be novel. However, it does not
Read More
In our role as patent counsel to big companies, small companies, and individual inventors, we are fortunate to see how certain patent holders are able to obtain strong, valuable patents. Based on our experience, here are five key attributes of those who
Read More
Renewable energy technologies such as those that use biomass, solar energy, wind energy, etc. are of great interest due to the volatility of the oil market and concerns about the country’s dependence on foreign sources of oil. In this post, we look
Read More
Software has perplexed the intellectual property community for some time. It seems beyond dispute that companies invest a great deal of money in developing software and that it can have great value. Most would agree that the investment companies make in software
Read More
When is the last time you took a look at the claims of your patent applications that are still pending? Was it when you filed the applications? How long ago was that? If you are waiting for a first office action from
Read More
Cosmetic products often involve “formulation chemistry,” which is the chemistry of combining various compounds with different functions to achieve an overall desired effect. This contrasts with “new molecule” chemistry in which patent protection is sought for new chemical species, such as in
Read More
Design patents can be a powerful, and often underutilized tool, for protecting your products and market position. Design patents protect the ornamental features (think appearance) of an article of manufacture, as opposed to protecting its structure and function. Some items are obvious
Read More