Intellectual Property

The term “patent troll” is common now.  News outlets are filled with pundits denouncing “trolls.”  But what does the term mean?  Where did it come from, and why is it used [...]

The Google Patent Purchase Promotion offer period ends Friday, May 22, 2015. But should you even consider submitting an offer? Can you withdraw one? What are the terms?

On Monday, Google announced that it will open an “experimental marketplace” for buying and selling patents.  That is an inaccurate description.  While it sounds experimental, and is [...]

I often hear the question “What will it cost to apply for a patent?”  Short answer: “it depends.” For more help and guidance on patent application cost, read on. What does [...]

Do you wonder about trademarks: what are they, and who cares?  Trademarks are a crucial asset to any business or brand, and anyone running a business or building a brand should want trademarks to [...]

A patent must name all inventors.  But, how do you know who is an inventor?  And, what is inventorship, and why is it important? Who is a patent inventor? Every person who contributes to the [...]

Getting a patent can be a slow process.  The USPTO is a government agency, staffed by engineers and attorneys (and nerds of all stripes!), and they are always busy.  It has forms and [...]

After clients ask if they can patent an idea, and what is required to patent it, they ask if they should try to patent it.  This is a question that requires input from you, because the answer [...]

People often want to know what is required for an idea to be patentable.  For utility applications, the requirements are that the invention be new, not obvious in light of what already was known, [...]

As a patent attorney, this is a question I hear often.  Anyone who has come up with an idea has wondered this.  It’s a great question: your invention could be a key component of a business, [...]