How to Respond to a Partial Refusal Trademark Office Action
What is a partial refusal in a trademark Office Action? A trademark Office Action with a partial refusal can be a mix of good news…
The Largest Free Patent and Trademark Q&A Resource: 560+ Posts on IP
What is an IP strategy session?
What is the difference between an IP strategy session and a free initial consultation? Sometimes clients need more than what our free initial consultation can…
Free initial consultation: what is and is not covered
What is covered in our free initial consultation? Many prospective clients seek a free initial consultation to discuss their IP matters. Anyone who has read…
Why patents matter to your startup
Why should startups care about patents? Spend enough time on the internet and you will find arguments both for and against startups filing patents. One…
Trademark application rejections: Reasons why and how to respond
Why do trademark applications get rejected? Most trademark applications are not approved on their first go-around according to USPTO trademark statistics. Only 34.4% of TEAS…
How to Patent a Product or Idea
Should you file a patent application? Before discussing how to patent a product, let’s briefly consider the why question. Give some thought to this fundamental…
How to Design Around Patents
What is a design around? A design around refers to a product that has been intentionally designed or modified to avoid patent infringement. The goal…
Medical Device Patents: Smarter Patenting Strategies
Strategies for Obtaining Medical Device Patents Patenting medical devices can be particularly challenging given the crowded prior art. To be successful, you will need to…
How to Get a 2D Design Patent: Can you patent a 2-dimensional design?
What is an article of manufacture? Can graphic design be protected with design patents regardless of the product? Design patents cover only those designs that…
How to protect product parts with design patents
Is patenting replacement parts a smart IP strategy? If there is a market for secondary product parts, it may make sense to file design patent…
How to avoid a trademark opposition
How to reduce the probability of trademark oppositions Neither you nor your IP attorney can predict with absolute certainty how third parties may feel about…
What is a supplemental amendment?
When is a supplemental amendment appropriate? As suggested by its name, a supplemental amendment is an additional reply to a patent Office Action. Supplemental replies…
Prior-filed Application: How to Deal with Trademark Suspension
What is a prior-filed trademark application? A prior-filed application is someone else’s trademark application with an earlier filing date than yours. If the USPTO trademark…
To file an RCE or not?
When does an RCE matter? RCE stands for Request for Continued Examination. To file an RCE or not to file – this is a question…
IP for product designers: What should designers and consultants know about intellectual property?
Should product designers care about IP? Product designers and consultants are in the business of not only creating new products, but also in helping their…
