What are excess claims? In a US nonprovisional utility patent application, the USPTO will charge additional government fees for claims that exceed certain limits. The…
How can a novelty search can help you file a utility nonprovisional patent application? Before investing in an expensive utility patent application, a utility novelty…
What is a patent examiner interview? Patent examiners are human. This simple truth is often overlooked in the back-and-forth written communications with the USPTO. An…
What is a patent extension of time? Responses to Office Actions may typically be extended. A typical patent Office Action provides the applicant with a…
USPTO IDS Fees Depend upon Timing Applicants have an obligation to tell the USPTO about known prior art that is relevant to their patent applications.…
What makes a patent pending invention obvious? A Section 103 rejection based on obviousness is one of the most common rejections in utility patent applications.…
What is a novel invention? Patent novelty refers to the uniqueness of an invention. To be patentable, an invention must be both novel and nonobvious. An…
Who is the patent owner? US law presumes that a patent application is owned by the individual inventor(s) unless another person or entity is properly identified and…
CIP or Continuation: What are the differences? Both types of patent applications fall under the category of a continuing application. A continuing application is a…
Which countries are not members of the PCT? Since the PCT does not cover every country, applicants interested in foreign patent protection must keep in mind the…
What does patent ineligible mean? Not everything is patentable. US courts have recently drawn a line between eligible versus ineligible subject matter for patent protection.…