USPTO Trading Cards
Just thing to get your kids excited about inventing – the USPTO has released a set of trading cards. I think? Features classic like George Washington Carver and Thomas Edison. They can be seen here.
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Obviousness Standards under Joint Inventorship
How is obviousness of a patent claim considered when several individuals contribute to the claimed subject matter? Much analysis in patent law focuses on a person having ordinary skill in the art, or a “PHOSITA.” The PHOSITA is the touchstone…
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Inventor’s Eye Features Prosthetic Patents
Inventor’s Eye, the Patent Office’s monthly online publication, features the intersection of technology and sport, a nexus of particular interest to me. It frames the conversation in light of the recently-completed London Olympic and Paralympic Games, in both of which…
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What does “Patent Pending” mean?
Jordon Trapnell is a guest author on this post. He writes: The words “patent pending” can be seen on products just about anywhere you look. However, many people are confused by what it really means and what protection it offers. …
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Patent Office Granting More Patents Each Year
The backlog of patent applications before the Patent Office has dropped from 700,000 to 600,000 in only about a year. Director Kappos has really helped push the Patent Office to become quicker (about 4 months faster initial exams than two…
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Continuing the Continuation-in-Part Discussion
I wrote about continuation-in-part applications earlier this week. Consider this a continuation-in-part discussion. I’m turning now to explore some of the reasons you may or may not want to file a CIP application. And last week’s proviso remains: CIP application…
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What is a Continuation-in-Part Patent Application?
A continuation-in-part (“CIP”) application is a special type of patent application. Today I’ll discuss what a CIP application is, and later this week I’ll go over reasons you might want to file a CIP or file an original utility patent…
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Patent Drafting and Prosecution Presentation at UAT
I am pleased to have been asked to give a presentation on technical writing, patent drafting, and patent prosecution at the University of Advancing Technology in Phoenix, Arizona on Thursday, July 12, 2012. I have made the presentation slides available…
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Patent Titles
Titles of patent applications can be puzzling. Some titles are simple, some complicated, some precise, others vague. The most important consideration is that a title be descriptive of the invention. There once was a segment of practitioners that would purposefully…
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Can I patent something that is used for an illegal purpose?
This question was posed to me during a recent interview. Is it possible to patent something that is used for an illegal purpose or is used with an illegal substance, or is there a prohibition against such patents? Is patent…