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A Guide to Paying Patent Maintenance Fees
Thursday | September 7, 2023By Shane Skwarekpatent attorneypatent feespatent maintenance feesPatent ProtectionThe 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…
Read MoreUSPTO Begins Implementing TM Modernization Act
Tuesday | December 28, 2021By Shane SkwarekUSPTO regulations implementing two new procedures for challenging registered marks, as well as other provisions of the Trademark Modernization Act (TMA), went into effect on December 18, 2021. Generally, the new procedures enable streamlined challenges to registrations for non-use within…
Read MoreNon-Compete Enforcement in Utah: What You Need to Know
Wednesday | June 30, 2021By Shane Skwareknon-competeThe specifics of non-compete enforcement law in Utah has changed three times in the past five years. If you are having trouble keeping up with the law, this article may help you navigate those changes and what they might mean…
Read MoreYu and the Case of Shifting Tests for Patents
Saturday | June 19, 2021By Shane Skwarek101 patentapple patentpatent eligibilityphotography patentsoftware patentThe U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit affirmed the invalidation of Yu et al.'s patent on a motion to dismiss in Yanbin Yu v. Apple Inc., No. 2020-1760, 2021 U.S. App. LEXIS 17434 (Fed. Cir. June 11, 2021).…
Read MoreHow long does it take to get a patent in 2021? And what about COVID-19?
Thursday | June 10, 2021By Shane Skwarekpatent applicationpatent eligibilitypatent lawpatent officepatent office guidancePatent ProtectionAn applicant secures a patent after successfully prosecuting the patent application at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). When the USPTO believes an application embodies an invention worthy of a patent, the USPTO grants a Notice of Allowance.…
Read MoreFull Patent Protection vs. a Provisional Patent Application
Thursday | May 27, 2021By Shane Skwarekpatent draftingpatent eligibilityPatent Protectionprovisional patentprovisional patent applicationThe 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?…
Read MoreThe Difference between Utility, Design, and Plant Patents
Tuesday | May 18, 2021By Shane Skwarekpatent eligibilitypatent lawpatent lawyerpatent officePatent ProtectionIntellectual 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…
Read MoreCopy and Paste – Supreme Court Holds Copying Software Function Calls Was Fair Use
Saturday | April 10, 2021By Shane Skwarekcopyrightfair usesoftwareThe U.S. Supreme Court issued a decision in litigation involving Google's Android operating system for mobile devices on April 5, 2021. When developing Android, Google had copied the text and format of function calls from Oracle's Java SE Application Programming…
Read MoreTesla’s Lasers on Vehicle Patent
Tuesday | March 30, 2021By Shane Skwarekfiling patent applicationpatent applicationpatent attorneypatent claimpatent draftingpatent eligibilitypatent lawpatent lawyerpatent officepatent pendingPatent ProtectionIn 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…
Read MoreHow to Protect your Trademark
Monday | March 22, 2021By Shane Skwarektrademarktrademark applicationtrademark registrationTrademarks 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…
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