Recently the website IPWatchdog published an article that addressed a topic important enough that I thought I should mention it here as well. It concerns patent maintenance fees and the possible accidental payment of maintenance fees on already-expired patents. Patent…
If a Patent Examiner at the United States Patent and Trademark Office believes that your application claims more than one invention, he or she will issue a restriction requirement. Restriction requirements are incredibly common and are a normal part of…
Continuation-in-part patent applications are a strange type of continuing patent application. They are a tool that can extend the life of a patent family and protect improvements to inventions covered by prior patents. They have significant risks, however, and should…
A trademark cancellation is one process available at the Trademark Office for clearing trademarks that, for various reasons, should no longer be registered. Filing or defending a trademark cancellation can be complicated and requires knowledge of nuances of both trademark…
Applicants make amendments in patent applications all the time. Usually, these amendments are made while patent prosecution is active, before a Notice of Allowance. However, you can actually amend the application just before it issues as a granted patent. What…
If you own a registered trademark for a few years, you will receive notices in the mail warning you of a “Pending Trademark Cancellation” or an “Imminent Trademark Expiration.” Be careful when reading these because they may not be legitimate. …
The Patent Office is establishing a separate design patent bar for people to practice design patent prosecution in front of the USPTO. I am generally against this, because I believe it will lead to bad advice being given to inventors…
The Patent Office just announced a SOAR program called “Learn the three-step approach to filing a patent without an attorney and what the USPTO Midwest Regional Office can do for you.” In this program, the PTO teaches inventors how to…
Trademark applications are essential for protecting the unique branding and identity of businesses and individuals. However, the process is not always straightforward, especially when it involves the use of a person’s name or likeness in the application. In such cases,…
Trademark owners must make periodic filings to keep their trademark registrations alive. These are post-registration maintenance filings, and failure to make them correctly will result in the issuance of a post-registration office action and then potentially the cancellation of a…