What Should You Trademark? Often startups have no idea what should be protected by trademark registration, since it extends far beyond just your company name. Here are a few of the items that you should consider seeking trademark protection for your startup. Company Name First, a small business should always protect its company name. Your…
A patent for an invention is a grant of property rights by the U.S. Government through the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. The patent grant excludes others from making, using, or selling the invention in the United States. A utility or plant patent in force on June 8, 1995, is subject to either the 17…
Your patent attorney will keep you updated on the status of your patent application. If you are not assigned to an attorney, the following information might be helpful. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is pleased to present PAIR – Patent Application Information Retrieval System. PAIR has a private site that provides a USPTO/Internet…
Applications for trademarks used on regulated products (e.g. cannabis, drug paraphernalia, ivory, whalebone) and activities (e.g. gambling and wagering, retail stores featuring controlled substances) are subject to additional review. Please call us for additional information. Source: USPTO.GOV
What can be patented – utility patents are provided for a new, nonobvious and useful: Process Machine Article of manufacture Composition of matter Improvement of any of the above Note: In addition to utility patents, encompassing one of the categories above, patent protection is available for (1) ornamental design of an article of manufacture or…
Common mistakes to avoid: Failure to update Ownership information: Section 8 and Section 9 documents must be filed by the current owner. If the documents are not filed by the proper owner, the documents may be refused and the registration could be canceled. Ensure all information in filing is accurate: If goods or services currently…
A joint inventor is an individual who has not only made a significant contribution to the conception of the invention, but also participated in a “collaboration or concerted effort” towards the invention. If the inventor and another individual contributed to the invention as claimed, each party is a joint inventor. Each party is considered to have shared…
Applications for trademarks used on regulated products (e.g. cannabis, drug paraphernalia, ivory, whalebone) and activities (e.g. gambling and wagering, retail stores featuring controlled substances) are subject to additional review. The USPTO may inquire about your compliance with federal law before issuing a registration. If your goods, services, or trademark violate federal law, we will issue…
Major findings: The share of patents that include at least one woman as an inventor increased from about 7 percent in the 1980s to 21 percent by 2016. Even with this increase in patent counts, women inventors made up only 12 percent of all inventors on patents granted in 2016. Gains in female participation in…
Under Federal Law, interstate commerce is any commercial transactions or traffic that cross state boundaries or that involve more than one state. “Interstate commerce” as it relates to the sale of goods includes transporting the goods across state lines and the mark must be displayed on the goods or the packaging associated with the goods….
