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28 Feb '12
As part of the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act, utility and plant patent applications can now be processed through the new prioritized examination process (aka the Track 1 process). A patent in the Track 1 process can be granted within twelve months, on average, once Track 1 status is granted. Although the USPTO has stated that, […]
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A new survey reveals that most U.S. businesses view trademarks and trade secrets as the most important forms of intellectual property (IP) protection. The study was conducted by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the U.S. Census Bureau as part of their 2008 Business R&D and Innovation Survey (BRDIS). According to a NSF press statement, […]
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27 Feb '12
Under U.S. copyright law, protection is only given to “original works of authorship.” This means ideas and concepts cannot be protected by copyright. Those ideas and concepts are protected by Patents. What else can’t be copyrighted? The U.S. Copyright Office states that in order to be protected, a work must contain “a certain minimum amount […]
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24 Feb '12The USPTO has posted a warning directly on its Trademarks Home page (www.uspto.gov/trademarks/index.jsp) to highlight the problem of non-USPTO solicitations that resemble official USPTO communications. Because of space considerations on the page, a link goes to the full version of the warning on an underlying page (available at www.uspto.gov/trademarks/solication_warnings.jsp).
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The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has concluded a five-year lease agreement for a 31,000-square-foot space for its new satellite office in Detroit. USPTO-Detroit will be located at 300 River Place Drive and is scheduled to open this summer. The building, listed on the National Historic Registry, was the former home to Parke-Davis […]
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With the explosion of social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, it is likely that many of your employees use social media for both personal and business interactions. While these tools can be a great way to spread the word about your company’s products or services, they can also compromise proprietary information, including trade […]
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Unfortunately, the rights granted by a U.S. patent or trademark can only be enforced in the United States and generally have no effect in a foreign country. Therefore, a company who wants to safeguard its intellectual property rights in other countries must take additional steps to ensure international protection. Since securing and registering patents, trademarks, […]
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12 Feb '12
Unfortunately, there are countless companies that are looking to take advantage of an inventor’s eagerness to bring his or her ideas to market. Therefore, if you or your company is planning to hire an invention promoter, it is important to understand how to discern a legitimate marketing company from a scam. First, it is important […]
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Here is your chance to see what all the fuss is about. The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) will host a public series of educational “roadshows” regarding the America Invents Act, allowing the public to speak with USPTO officials about the new patent law and its implementation. The programs will be held at […]
