Vic Lin

Who owns the trademark? It’s not uncommon for first-time trademark applicants to raise questions concerning ownership of the trademark. A trademark owner must be identified…

What is the purpose of a trademark? A trademark serves to indicate the source of goods or services (for simplicity, I’ll refer to both goods…

What are TTAB Initial Disclosures in a trademark opposition or cancellation? Each party in a trademark opposition or cancellation must disclose certain information to the other…

Do trademark registrations expire? Trademarks differ from patents in at least one critical way. Patents must expire. Trademark registrations can last indefinitely if they are…

US National Stage Application: The Basics For most international patent applicants, the US is one of the top national phase PCT countries to be considered.…

CIP or new patent application? When it comes to new subject matter that is related to a pending utility patent application, should you file a…

How long does a trademark registration take? Many variables can prolong the US trademark application process. Generally, the fastest path to a registration would be…

How long is the utility patent application process? The USPTO is notorious for its backlog of examining utility nonprovisional patent applications. First-time utility patent applicants…

What is the first-to-file patent system? US patent laws no longer recognize who was first to invent, but rather who applied first for a patent.…

What is a patent priority date? Priority date refers to the earliest filing date in a family of patent applications. Where only a single patent…

Reasons for Procuring US Design Patents Chinese design patent owners will already know the benefits of design patent protection in the US. Unlike US utility patents,…

What are negative claim limitations? A negative claim limitation is language recited in a patent claim that speaks to the absence of a feature, as…