On the Tom Martino show the week before last, there was a call from a person inquiring about patent searches. Tom expounded on the caller’s inquirey and asked me how a person that has a new idea should search to see if their idea is already in the public domain or is currently patented. Given […]
When most people come to us with the desire to obtain a patent, they are interested in obtaining a utility patent. Utility patents allow an inventor to protect the functional advantages of a particular machine, article of manufacture, composition or process. In this sense utility patents are very powerful tools that prevent the competition from […]
Originally Posted 1/15/08
For those like me who before today were unaware of this principle derived from the teachings of a 14th-century Fraciscan friar, Occam’s Razor goes something like this:
All things being equal, the simplest solution is the best
As recently outlined in the Patently-O blog, this solution was recently applied by U.S. District Court Judge William […]
Originally Posted 10/11/07
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC) recently ruled an inventor’s patents were uneforceable: Nilssen v. Osram Sylvania. Why? Because the inventor wrote, applied, and dealt with the Patent Trademark Office (PTO) on an individual, pro se, basis. Now, not everyone who prosecutes their own patent applications with the PTO […]
Originally Posted 8/14/07
Way back on April 19th of this year, I wrote about the potential for patent reform occuring this year, and stating my case for why I was against it (http://www.lld-law.com/2007/04/will-patent-reform-occur-this-year.html#links). Recently, the Wall Street Journal ran a commentary article on the Patent Reform Act of 2007. Although I missed this article, I was […]
Originally Posted 8/8/07
The post is wholly one attorney’s opinion and in no way states the opinion of the firm, or attempts to establish any facts.
Today I learned that an Invention Promotion Company, InventSAI, may not be fulfilling their required duty, by law, of disclosing the profitability of companies using their services. In fact, there appears […]
Originally Posted 8/6/07
OK, for thos of you who don’t know me by now should realize that I’m sarcastic. Hence, the title of this blog article.
Addtionally, it would be remiss of me if I failed to say sorry. I’m sorry that we’ve been absent from posting any recent blogs - I suppose the summer blog malaise […]
Originally Posted 5/14/07
Good Question.
A recent article in the ABA Journal by Steve Seidenberg discusses the most recent group of business method patents to hit the PTO - tax patents. These patents cover useful, unique and nonobvious implementations of the tax law. Mr. Seidenberg’s article takes on an anti-tax patent strategy theme in discussing whether tax […]
Originally Posted 4/19/07
Yesterday, Wednesday, April 18th, 2007, the Senate and House both introduced “new” bills to overhaul the patent system. However, these bill aren’t “new”. This legislation looks like the same bills that have been introduced in years past. In one corner you have “Big Business” supporting the legislation and in the other corner you […]
Originally Posted 4/15/07
FOR ANSWERS TO MORE QUESTIONS CLICK TO VISIT: OUR WEB SITE
We continue our popular Patent FAQ series below. Portions of this series can be found on our website. Also, check out our Trademark FAQ series, which, until our new and improved website is launched, can be found only in this BLOG. And if you […]