Provisional patent applications
Provisional patents, when correctly used, can be used to both quickly and inexpensively attempt to establish that an inventor was first to file. But there can be downsides to taking shortcuts here.
Design patents
For stronger design patents – less detail can give you broader coverage, so consider turning some solid lines into broken lines. On … Read more
Design patent obviousness
Design patents must be non-obvious under 35 USC 103. But, because the examiner is visually comparing different drawings, this analysis can be … Read more
The hidden complexity of trademarks
Trademarks may look simple, but they are not. Trademarks are a “use it or lose it” form of IP, and there are a lot of “gotchas” that can trip up the unwary.
Copyrights and creativity
Copyright protection requires that a work have at least a minimum amount of human creativity, but the laws are vague as to … Read more
Patents and printed matter
Printed matter (text, symbols, images) usually falls under copyright law and not patent law. The exception — when the printed matter improves … Read more