Fostering innovation, competitiveness and economic growth, domestically and abroad to deliver high quality and timely examination of patent and trademark applications, guiding domestic and international intellectual property policy, and delivering intellectual property information and education worldwide, with a highly skilled, diverse workforce. The United States Patent and Trademark Office’s (USPTO) mission is anchored in Article…
Protect Your Innovation: Avoid Scams Are you looking for help in getting patent protection and/or marketing services for your invention? Are you considering contracting with a company that promises to help you secure a patent and market your invention? If so, there are three very important steps you should take before signing a contract for…
Avoid a Fraudulent Trademark Filing A registration is subject to cancellation for fraudulent statements. Therefore, you must ensure that all statements made in filings to the USPTO are accurate, as any inaccuracies may result in the cancellation of a trademark registration. For example, the lack of a bona fide intention to use the mark with…
Did you miss the deadline for responding to an office action or pay a maintenance fee? Don’t despair; you’ve got options. Before December 18, 2013, applicants who missed the deadline for responding to an office action but wanted to continue prosecuting their application would have filed a petition to the Commissioner for Patents requesting that…
Should I file a provisional patent application? Source: USPTO.GOV Rob Hodge, Office of Innovation Development One of the most frequent questions independent inventors ask is whether they should file a provisional patent application. But there is no surefire answer. Every situation is unique, and what works for one inventor might not work for another. Only…
Trademarks, patents, copyrights, domain names, and business name registrations all differ, so it is important to learn whether a trademark is appropriate for you. A trademark typically protects brand names and logos used on goods and services. A patent protects an invention. A copyright protects an original artistic or literary work. For example, if you…
Selecting a Mark Once you determine that the type of protection you need is, in fact, trademark protection, then selecting a mark is the very first step in the overall application/registration process. This must be done with thought and care, because not every mark is registrable with the USPTO. Nor is every mark legally protectable,…
Is a trademark application right for you? Trademarks, patents, copyrights, domain names, and business name registrations all differ, so it is important to learn whether a trademark is appropriate for you. A trademark typically protects brand names and logos used on goods and services. A patent protects an invention. A copyright protects an original artistic…
Models, Exhibits, and Specimens Models or exhibits are not required in most patent applications since the description of the invention in the specification and the drawings must be sufficiently full, clear, and complete and capable of being understood to disclose the invention without the aid of a model. A working model, or other physical exhibit,…
Source: USPTO.GOV The Department of Commerce’s United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is seeking nominations for the 2017 National Medal of Technology and Innovation. WASHINGTON – The Department of Commerce’s United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is seeking nominations for the 2017 National Medal of Technology and Innovation. The medal is presented each year…
