Filing a patent application: all the steps you need to know. 1. Do a Prior-Art Search. To determine whether your invention already exists and to gauge the “state of the art,” we do a prior-art search. It’s optional, but we strongly advise it. Here’s why. 2. File a Provisional Patent Application. A provisional patent …
Learn how to protect your innovation as you transition from idea to product. Join the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) as they present monthly intellectual property training sessions. Held on the first Thursday of every month, these sessions cover general information about patents, trademarks, copyrights and trade secrets. They guide inventors to local …
A design patent is simply a patent on the design of an invention. It differs from a utility patent in that it covers how an invention looks rather than what it does. This sounds obvious, but there’s nuance to know. A design patent is granted for any “original and ornamental design for an article of …
Without research, effort, and tireless promotion, an invention will not go very far. It is saddening when we observe some of our most creative clients failing to get their products sold because they may lack time, wherewithal, or inclination to pursue the development of their inventions. So we were happy to learn about the USPTO’s …
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) offers free resources for inventors. These include application assistance; education and training; help appealing or fixing an issue; and other services that support independent patent and trademark filers. As a patent agency, we have noticed big disparities in inventorship, so we were happy to learn about the …
A patent search is a multi-step process. Here at Keeley DeAngelo, we use Espacenet, Google Patents, and the USPTO’s new Patent Public Search (PPS) tool. The PPS user interface requires some learning, and the USPTO has been offering repeated trainings since it rolled out its new tool last year. The next training, on April 18 …
Veterans: Learn more about launching and protecting your business in the 2023 Veterans Innovation and Entrepreneurship program. The next event is Thursday, December 14, 1 – 3 p.m. ET, at which innovating veterans will talk about their journeys toward successful entrepreneurship. Thursday’s workshop will focus on trademarks, logos and branding, and will review training and …
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 …
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 …
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 …