Vic Lin

What do dashed lines in a design patent mean?

What is the meaning of broken or dashed lines in a design patent? While I’m not sure if you can call it a loophole, US…

What is the probability of a trademark rejection?

What is the probability of a trademark rejection or delay in a trademark application? According to the USPTO trademark dashboard, statistics show that about 43%…

How to Match Specimens of Use with Your Applied-for Trademark

What exactly is the applied-for mark in your trademark application or registration? One of the most common errors in a trademark application is a mismatch…

Final Rejection: How to Respond to a Trademark Final Office Action

What is a final trademark rejection or Final Office Action? Known as a Final Office Action, a final trademark rejection is typically a second rejection…

What is a failure to function as a trademark refusal?

What is a refusal based on a failure to function as a trademark? A certain type of trademark rejection seems to be occurring more frequently:…

What are confusable trademarks and examples of non-confusable trademarks?

What does confusable mean? To be registrable, a mark must not have a likelihood of confusion with any registered trademarks. In other words, an applied-for…

How to choose patent foreign countries

Choosing patent foreign countries A US patent provides a patent owner with rights only in the US. That might be enough for patent owners who…

Can the same trademark be registered by others in a different country?

Same trademark, different country It is possible for others to register a US trademark in a foreign country. A US trademark registration does not block…

What can go wrong with a cheap provisional patent application?

Isn’t a cheap provisional patent application better than nothing? Provisional patent applications serve a useful purpose. When written properly, a provisional application can provide valuable…

From PCT to US National Stage: How to get the initial filing right

Before filing a US national stage patent application A PCT application provides several benefits beyond merely delaying the costs of filing individual national stage applications…

USPTO Consistency Initiative: What can you do about inconsistent trademark examination?

Has trademark examination become more inconsistent? Trademarks share a common feature with patents in that a trademark must be different in order to be registered.…

How to patent a government funded invention

What is an invention funded by the federal government? Certain rules pertain to any private companies or persons seeking to patent a federal government funded…

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