What Is a Design Patent? A design patent covers only the ornamental design of an object of manufacture. This means essentially that the design patent protects the appearance of a product. And to be eligible for a design patent, the object’s appearance must be novel and non-obvious. So, there must be something unique about the […]
Up until recently, software patents accounted for about half of all patents issued by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). The U.S. Supreme Court has since made it more difficult to receive a software patent. However, the tide is shifting back in favor of inventors and patent owners. In fact, since the initial […]
35 USC §101 Rejections Since the U.S. Supreme Court decided Alice v. CLS Bank in 2014 there has been a drastic increase in 35 USC §101 rejections. The decision emphasized that inventions “directed to an abstract idea” are not patentable. The U.S. Patent Office has used this decision to reject a majority of software utility […]
You have a great idea and you are ready to take the next step and have a prototype built. This may require the expertise of a draftsman, engineer, or manufacturing house, maybe even an investor. While the best way to protect any invention is often a patent, there may be considerations that prevent filing for […]
Students are increasingly running into issues where they create innovations while as a student at a University and the University has a policy in place stating that the creations belong to them, or partially belong to them. This is a serious issue that is taking away from the creations of our youth and Caleb Carr […]
Patents are paper documents and records that grant ownership of an idea to a person. In other words, if you come up with a brilliant idea, such as a gasoline powered engine, you can create a patent, or a detailed description of your invention, and then file a patent surrounding it. The patent is held […]
Many people believe that they understand certain words when in legal documents they could be used in another manner. Understanding legal definitions has been the downfall of several documents as many parties will sign them and believe that they understand entirely. With a licensing agreement, that could be a very costly mistake. Many who create […]
The digital world we live in has made many things complicated. With the internet, the whole world is connected. Technology is moving at such a fast pace it is often difficult to determine who came up with what idea first. This is why trademark and copyright laws have become so important. Even the most seemingly […]
