Examining Authority The USPTO is the examining authority for patent and trademark applications and grants patent and trademark rights. By granting these rights the USPTO fulfills the mandate of Article I, Section 8, Clause 8, of the Constitution that the legislative branch “promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times…
File a provisional patent application or use a nondisclosure agreement before talking to anyone about your ideas. Provisional Patent Applications A provisional patent application allows you to file without a formal patent claim, oath or declaration, or any information disclosure (prior art) statement. Since June 8, 1995, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has…
We are pleased to announce Fraline’s selection to Super Lawyers Rising Star 2016. Fraline has been named a Rising Star in the area of Intellectual Property by Super Lawyers Magazine in 2014, 2015 and again for 2016! The designation of Super Lawyers Rising Star is reserved for the top 2.5% outstanding Illinois attorneys under the…
This week in patent history Ross Clay was granted a Design patent (381781) for a swimming pool leaf and debris removal net in 1997. Abstract: An improved device for collecting and removing debris from a swimming pool, pond or the like comprising a mesh material formed into a net for collecting and temporarily storing the debris. The…
