How to reply to a patent infringement letter
Have you received a patent infringement cease-and-desist letter? Patent cease-and-desist letters come in various forms. Some patent infringement letters contain aggressive language. Others take a…
The Largest Free Patent and Trademark Q&A Resource: 550+ Posts on IP
Is a new Power of Attorney required to pay a patent maintenance fee?
Is a Power of Attorney required to pay a maintenance fee? If a new patent attorney or law firm plans to pay the maintenance fee…
What is trademark use in commerce? How to File a Trademark Application Based on Actual Use
What is use in commerce? To establish trademark rights in the US, a trademark owner generally must be the first to use a mark in…
Can an Assignee be named the Applicant in a U.S. national stage patent application?
Can an Assignee also be identified as an Applicant in a US national phase application? Yes, if the earliest filing date of the US national…
Patent grace period: Can you patent an invention after showing it?
Can inventions be publicly disclosed prior to filing a US patent application? The US patent system is different from the patent laws of most foreign…
How to Pay a Late Patent Maintenance Fee: Reviving a Utility Patent
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…
Provisional vs. Nonprovisional Patent Application: What are the differences?
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?
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…
How to Respond to a Trademark Rejection
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…
Is my idea patentable?
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…
What is a PCT application? How to Get Foreign Utility Patents
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…
What is a utility patent?
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,…
What is a design patent?
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…
Word Mark vs. Design Mark: What is a standard character trademark vs. a stylized logo?
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…
TTAB trademark oppositions and cancellations: What to know
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…
