Vic Lin

Is there such a thing as a patent renewal? Sort of. Instead of patent renewals, they are called maintenance fees. Maintenance fees apply only to…

What are the differences between provisional and nonprovisional patent applications? A nonprovisional patent application is normally considered the regular utility patent application. It is what…

What is an inherently distinctive trademark? An inherently distinctive trademark is a mark that lacks descriptive wording in relation to your goods or services. It’s…

What is a trademark rejection? Not all trademark Office Actions are the same. Your application may receive a trademark rejection, or a registration refusal, which…

What makes an idea patentable? If you have specific examples of how your idea would actually work, then your concept might be patentable if it…

PCT Application: The Gateway to Obtaining Foreign Utility Patents Are you considering foreign utility patent protection? A Patent Cooperation Treaty application is a single utility…

Is a utility patent right for you? A utility patent covers how an invention works. Unlike a design patent which covers how a product looks,…

Why not file a design patent application? If you are in the business of innovation, you can’t ignore design patents. And if you’re going to…

What is the difference between a word mark (standard character) and a design mark? When a trademark has words or letters, there are two ways…

Trademark opposition vs. cancellation: What are the differences? Trademark oppositions and cancellations are adversarial proceedings before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) of the…

What is an Intent-To-Use application? To register a trademark, you normally have to use the mark. Registration generally requires use in commerce by selling goods…

Is there only one way to get international patent rights? No, there are multiple routes to obtain foreign utility patents. While there is no such…