Patent Protection Archives

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…

How long does it take to get a patent in 2021? And what about COVID-19?

An 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.…

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?…

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…

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…

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…

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…

When is it too late to file a patent application?

Getting the timing right for filing a Patent Application can be tricky. While there are several factors that will bar you from pursuing a Patent if you file too late, it is also possible to file too early. For this…

Life After Patent Expiration

Why can’t patents be renewed once they’ve lived out their 20 years? A patent becomes public domain (free for use by the public) upon its expiration, which is defined as 20 years from the patent’s earliest non-provisional filing date. MPEP…

Filing Amendments under Articles 19 and 34 of the PCT

Inventors who file an international application under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) have an opportunity to amend their application before moving onto filing national applications in participating countries. Articles 19 and 34 are the two provisions from the PCT that…

Tag: Patent Protection