Patent non-publication requests
Patent non-publication requests are particularly useful for business method type software patents, because you can preserve your work as a trade secret if you don’t get a patent.
Software patents: China, Europe, US
Software patents that deal with technical effects, physical parameters, and improving computer function are favored, but business methods are disfavored.
Silicon Valley and San Francisco Bay Area
Silicon Valley and the San Francisco Bay Area have a worldwide reputation for innovation. But is there any subjective evidence for this? … Read more
Litigation by “unfair surprise”
By American standards, European patent oppositions lack legal protections. By contrast, US PTAB patent trials don’t allow last minute “Chewbacca defenses”.
Why prior art searches are a good idea
Do a prior art search before filing a patent. Anything that was sold or published more than a year ago, including your own work, can be used against you.
Patent Public Search Tool
Want to see what an examiner might find? Try the USPTO Patent Public Search Tool. US patent examiners are a skeptical lot. … Read more