Trademark Basics Boot Camp

Interested in learning about trademarks and how to apply? The USPTO’s second module of its eight-part Trademark Basics Boot Camp takes place Tuesday, October 10, from 2-3:30 p.m. ET.  You may still register at the USPTO’s EventBrite page. This week they’ll cover the general trademark registration process, from filing to registration.  The series continues for …

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FTC Warns Pharma of Patent Manipulation; AbbVie’s Humira Patent Expires

Last week the Federal Trade Commission issued a warning to pharmaceutical companies about exploiting loopholes in the patent process. In particular, patents on inhalers are suspected to be violating federal law. The pharmaceutical companies, which were not named, bar competitors from the drug market by filing patent applications on various aspects of their products. Then …

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Patent #11752420 Granted

Congratulations to our client Todd deWardener for his Ski-Training Apparatus, a set of convertible poles for training young people to ski. Patent #11752420.

USPTO’s Patent Pro-Bono Program Wants Your Input

Did you know that many inventors can get free help with their patent applications? The USPTO’s  Patent Pro Bono Program helps underserved populations with free legal services. Since 2015, the Patent Pro Bono Program has provided about 95,000 hours of free legal services to independent inventors and small businesses. This has led to about 2,000 …

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My Favorite Monkee’s Mother Was a Business Diva

From struggling single mother to business diva, Bette Nesmith Graham’s grit and perseverance was epic.  So was her story.  If you want to be inspired, read Perseverance, thy name is Bette  at this month’s installation of the USPTO’s Journeys of Innovation. “She stood outside the Texas Bank and Trust high-rise building in downtown Dallas one …

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Fundamentals of the patent-application process workshop, 1/12/23

First-time patent-application filers interested in learning about the patent process from start to finish are invited to join the USPTO’s three-day workshop to learn the fundamentals of the patent-application process. The Stakeholder Application Readiness Training (StART) is for independent inventors and entrepreneurs. Day Three is from 9 am — 4 pm on Jan. 12, 2023 …

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Trademark Basics Bootcamp Starts 1/10/23

You don’t need an attorney to apply for a trademark. If you’re filing yourself, be informed: first, do a search, and learn the difference between trademarks and service marks, and standard character formats vs. special-form formats. Learn it all at the USPTO’s Trademark Basics Boot Camp. This free, eight-part weekly series begins Tuesday, January 10, …

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Workshop: Common mistakes and post-filing support

The USPTO’s “Path to a Patent” series continues tomorrow with a workshop about common mistakes in patent-filing. Learn about filing a patent application, what to do after you’ve filed, and common mistakes inventors make during the process.  Common mistakes we see include: failing to list all inventors; filling out the forms incorrectly; not reading the …

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Patent-Searching with the USPTO’s New Tool: December 9, 2022

Inventors know that a patent search is a big part of research and development. Chief among the free tools researchers use are Google Patents, Espacenet, and the USPTO.  Google Patents adds little features all the time, but the USPTO’s search tool has recently undergone a giant overhaul with a completely new search tool. The new …

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Maintenance Fees: PYFRA!

Almost every event in the life of a patent entails fees. Application fees, issue fees, fees for filing a Continuation, and the topic of this blog post: maintenance fees. Maintenance fees are paid to the USPTO to maintain a granted utility patent. (Design patents and plant patents are not subject to maintenance fees.) A patent-holder …

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