Have you heard of design patents? If you haven’t, you’ve missed a great deal of intellectual property drama. In the United States, a design patent is a patent granted on the ornamental design of a functional item. So a great number of things can, in theory, get design patent protection. For example, Nike has thousands of design patents for its shoe designs.
Read articleCurrently getting a patent in European Union countries is a somewhat cumbersome process, regardless of the fact that there is a well established system to file only one application in European Patent Office (EPO) and eventually get the issued patent ratified in each member country.
Read articleIf you have a patent in the United States and someone tries to sell your product in China what happens? What rights do you have as a patent holder? What qualifies as patent infringement and what can you do about it? All these questions and more are answered by Richard Gearhart of Gearhart Law.
Read articlePlant breeders may protect a new plant variety with a plant patent or through a plant variety protection. In the United States genetically modified plants may also be protected via utility patents.
Read articleAside from patent protection, a trademark may be a good alternative or addition to protect your product or service.
Read articleWhat to do? How to face a rejection? The message I want to convey here is that there are almost always ways to deal with a rejection, even a final rejection. What is more, the main goal here is to understand that rejections, even the so-called final ones, are not necessarily all bad.
Read articleIf you are a first time innovator who has an idea, such as a consumer product, a question frequently asked is “Do I need a patent”
Read articlePresident Obama signed the new patent law (America Invents Act, 2011) on September 16, 2011.The reform is the largest since 1952, and perhaps the largest since 1836, when the United States moved from patent registration system to patent examination system.
Read articleWhen an inventor intends to file a patent application in a foreign country before he files the application in his own country, he may need to have a foreign filing license.
Read articleWith the rapid development of the Chinese economy and the enormous manufacturing capacities, it is becoming more and more important to get intellectual property protection in China.
Read articleYou’ve invited the entire neighborhood over to watch the Giants beat the Patriots on your new 80 inch, LED, viewmongous TV. Are you doing anything illegal?
Read articleClients sometimes ask us whether it is possible to get patent for his/her “idea.” The word is somewhat too vague to warrant a definitive answer. Our initial reply would probably be stereotypically lawyer-like: it depends. However, some further explanation may probably provide enough guidance.
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