Category: Patents
A Guide to Paying Patent Maintenance Fees
Thursday | September 7, 2023By Shane Skwarekpatent attorney, patent fees, patent maintenance fees, Patent 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 MoreYu and the Case of Shifting Tests for Patents
Saturday | June 19, 2021By Shane Skwarek101 patent, apple patent, patent eligibility, photography patent, software 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 application, patent eligibility, patent law, patent office, patent office guidance, Patent 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 drafting, patent eligibility, Patent Protection, provisional patent, provisional 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 eligibility, patent law, patent lawyer, patent office, Patent 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 MoreTesla’s Lasers on Vehicle Patent
Tuesday | March 30, 2021By Shane Skwarekfiling patent application, patent application, patent attorney, patent claim, patent drafting, patent eligibility, patent law, patent lawyer, patent office, patent pending, Patent 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 MoreAutomating Animation: Patentable; Automating Captions: Hold On
Monday | March 15, 2021By Shane Skwarek§ 101, software patent, subject-matter eligibilityThe U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has issued a decision affirming that patent claims to automating the process of making closed captions for audio-visual media are ineligible for patent protection. In Enco Sys. v. Davincia, the Court affirmed…
Read MoreWhy Perform a Patentability Search before Filing Your Patent Application?
Monday | March 1, 2021By Shane Skwarekpatent application, patent attorney, patent claim, patent drafting, patent eligibility, patent law, Patent ProtectionPatentability 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…
Read MoreAmazon Brand Registry
Tuesday | December 22, 2020By Shane Skwarekintellectual property, patent attorney, patent claim, patent claims, patent infringement, patent law, patent lawyer, Patent ProtectionWhat 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…
Read MoreWhat is the life of a patent in the US?
Monday | November 30, 2020By Shane Skwarekpatent, patent application, patent attorneyHow 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…
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