A Guide to Paying Patent Maintenance Fees
The current enforceable period for a utility Patent is 20 years from the date of filing. However, in order to maintain the enforceability of your utility Patent, you must pay maintenance fees at regular intervals throughout the 20-year term of the Patent. Because the entire purpose of a Patent is to grant valuable enforceable rights, […]
Full Patent Protection vs. a Provisional Patent Application
The cost savings of filing a provisional patent application without consulting a professional are certainly tempting. However, such a strategy may ultimately cost more in the long run, including possibly costing valuable patent protection. What is a Provisional Patent Application? A provisional patent application allows a patent applicant to reserve priority in an invention before […]
The Difference between Utility, Design, and Plant Patents
Intellectual property is generally separated into different categories including patents, copyrights, trademarks, and trade secrets. U.S. patent law further divides patents into three different types: utility, design, and plant patents. Each type of patent serves a similar purpose of spurring innovation while protecting the ideas of inventors for a limited time. However, each type of […]
Tesla’s Lasers on Vehicle Patent
In May of 2019, Tesla filed a patent application for “Pulsed Laser Cleaning of Debris Accumulated on Glass Articles in Vehicles and Photovoltaic Assemblies.” Instead of using conventional windshield wipers, Tesla envisioned a system to clean debris from any glass on a vehicle. The laser cleaning system can be used to clean windshields, side and […]
How to Protect your Trademark
Trademarks are powerful marketing tools that can help a potential customer not only to recall the associated brand but also to affiliate the words of the trademark with that brand. You may want to trademark a phrase to control how your brand is perceived in the minds of potential customers. For this reason, being able […]
Trademarks vs. Copyrights for Startups
Intellectual property law includes patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets and is an important consideration for any new business. This article will address trademarks and copyrights, but the law firm of TraskBritt can assist with any intellectual property law needs. Unlike patent laws, in the US, the law conveys immediate copyright and trademark rights once […]
Service Marks
What is a Service Mark? Under US trademark law, a service mark is a type of trademark and is a form of intellectual property. Under Intellectual Property (IP) law, a service mark (or trademark) is a word, name, phrase, symbol, logo, other designation, or combination that indicates the source of services (or goods) that are […]
Why Perform a Patentability Search before Filing Your Patent Application?
Patentability searches can be useful to get a better idea of whether an invention can be patented. A good search may prevent the cost of a wasted patent application on an already-invented and published invention, but can also be useful in drafting the application for a novel invention that may be patentable. What is a […]
Amazon Brand Registry
What is Amazon Brand Registry? Brand owners work hard to protect their intellectual property (IP), including their trademarked brands. Amazon has recently become one of the largest companies in the world by providing a marketplace for sellers and buyers to come together for mutual benefit. However, with such a large and diverse online market, it […]
What is the life of a patent in the US?
How long does a US patent last? The term for which a utility patent is valid is generally 20 years from the date of filing, and the term for which a design patent is valid is generally 15 years from issuance. However, the term of a patent can vary depending on a myriad of factors […]