Non-Disclosure Agreements and contract clauses involving confidential information probably look very familiar to those involved in the business world. It may seem like no big deal to agree to keep another party’s information confidential – you have standard policies and…
The Trademark Office will soon start issuing electronic trademark registration certificates instead of paper ones. The Trademark Office has for years created an electronic registration certificate and mailed a paper version, which has a decorative stamp and ribbon. After June…
Trademark applications are examined after they are filed. This is part of the trademark prosecution process, and it sometimes results in an initial refusal, or “office action.” Office actions are simply official letters from the Trademark Office. The Trademark Office…
Patent applications possess priority claims to couple them to other patent applications. This often arises when a non-provisional utility patent application claims priority to a provisional application. The provisional application is a “temporary” filing but can establish a filing date…
The Patent Office charges fees for receiving and processing patent applications. It levies filing, search, and examination fees for all non-provisional design patent applications and utility patent applications. These fees vary depending on whether the applicant is large, small, or…
On January 8, 2022, the United States Patent and Trademark Office will introduce “identity verification” for registered USPTO.gov users. Before 2019, “anyone” could file a trademark application, so long as they knew how to submit trademark correspondence through mail, fax,…
A trademark can sometimes be rejected if it is ornamental. This most frequently occurs when the goods are clothing, as I have written before. If your mark is rejected on this basis, there are few escape paths. Secondary source may…
A late US national stage entry, from a PCT international application, is one way a US or international applicant can obtain patent protection in the US. Patent applicants can seek patent rights outside their home country through a few mechanisms. …
Student athletes will now be allowed to profit from their performance and influence. Until this year, the NCAA prohibited college students from making money for playing sports. However, this month, Florida began allowing students to benefit financially from their performance…
The United States Patent and Trademark Office is closed today, June 18, 2021, for the first federal holiday of Juneteenth National Independence Day. Federal employees have the day off. The electronic filing systems remain open for business for all those…