Archives

Software can be protected with patents.  The source code of the software is not protectable with patents (though it may be protectable with copyright), and neither is the object code or the [...]

You have a registered trademark – well done.  But your work isn’t over.  Now, you have to do several things to keep your trademark registration alive, and you must avoid a few other [...]

“Patent Marking” means putting a notice on your product that your product is patented.  By marking your product with “Patent” (or “Pat.”) and your patent number – such as [...]

A patent examiner at the USPTO will sometimes send an Election/Restriction Requirement in response to a patent application.  This is an assertion by the examiner that the application claims more [...]

After you’ve filed a PCT patent application, what are the next PCT deadlines?  Your next steps are to decide on which countries you want to pursue patent protection in, and on what makes [...]

After filing a patent application, you will often receive patent scams: letters demanding payment.  The same thing happens after you file a trademark registration application.  These letters look [...]

Patent prosecution is the process of applying for a patent with a national patent office, such as the USPTO, assessing their responses, and following up on the application to have one or more [...]

The USPTO defines three categories of applicants and inventors: you can apply as a large entity, small entity, or micro entity.  Why does this matter?  The entity size affects the fees owed to [...]

The Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) allows patent applicants to relatively easily apply to protect an invention in one or many countries.  Note that a PCT patent application is not an [...]

The right patent application strategy will depend on what your goals are for your business, and for the intellectual property you’re developing. You’re running a company.  Where to [...]