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What Good is a Patent?

What Good is a Patent?

Innovation is the lifeblood of progress. From groundbreaking technologies to revolutionary products, the quest for innovation has shaped our world in profound ways. But behind every groundbreaking invention lies a crucial component that often goes unnoticed: the patent. Patents serve as the cornerstone of innovation, offering inventors exclusive rights to their creations for a limited…

What’s a Patent Claim?

What’s a Patent Claim?

At the heart of any patent is the claims, the quirky, numbered paragraphs at the end of the patent document. The claims describe in words where the boundary around your invention lies, and are crucial to the scope and value of your patent right. Let’s take a closer look at these claims, their purpose. An…

USPTO Patents By The Numbers

USPTO Patents By The Numbers

The United States Patent and Trademark Office serves a critical function in the global economy by providing incentives for innovation and supporting new technologies. It is also an absolute unit, with an estimated budget of $4.3B for the coming year and a staff of more than 13,452 employees.[FN1] With that budget and workforce, the USPTO…

Trademark Scam Alert
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Trademark Scam Alert

BY DAVID A. BOAG | BOAG LAW, PLLC  Trademark scams have been around for years. The classic scam goes like this: A third-party mines the public trademark application database and contacts scores of trademark applicants directly, requesting payment for some fee or service that isn’t actually necessary. This scam is so widespread that the USPTO has…

A Crash Course in TESS II, the USPTO’s New Trademark Search System (Godspeed, TESS)
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A Crash Course in TESS II, the USPTO’s New Trademark Search System (Godspeed, TESS)

BY DAVID A. BOAG | BOAG LAW, PLLC  On November 23, the curtain went down on TESS, the USPTO’s trademark search system that had served trademark searchers since roughly 2000. In its place comes a supercharged replacement. This article is a crash course in the USPTO’s new replacement to TESS (official name to be determined so…

Social Media and Intellectual Property Rights: Protect Your Digital Creations

Social Media and Intellectual Property Rights: Protect Your Digital Creations

Social media is literally everywhere. Nearly 5B global users are generating and digesting billions of units of audio, video, media, graphics, mashups, memes, and everything in between. Do these creations follow the same rules as other types of works? In many cases, the answer is yes.   Creators of original social media are entitled to the…

How To Read a Patent

How To Read a Patent

Innovation and intellectual property are constantly advancing. Patents allow creators to protect these innovative ideas. If you have a business or enterprise that needs to know more about a specific product or service, you will want to know how to read a patent. At first glance, all this information may seem like a confusing set…

Patent and Trademark Due Diligence in M&A Transactions
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Patent and Trademark Due Diligence in M&A Transactions

Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) transactions are a cornerstone of the business landscape. While these transactions boost growth, they can come with a range of complexities, intellectual property being a big one. A little due diligence goes a long way here. Find out more about this important process.  Intellectual Property in M&A Intellectual property represents a…

Copyright Ownership in Digital Collaborations

Copyright Ownership in Digital Collaborations

Collaborations between writers, artists, singers, influencers, and other creatives have become more prevalent in the internet age. These professionals frequently collaborate on projects to share ideas and add to a finished result. These partnerships pose some issues regarding copyright ownership. Learn how intellectual property law could protect you if you are working on a collaborative…

The 3.5 Types of Patents: Utility, Provisional, Design, and Plants

The 3.5 Types of Patents: Utility, Provisional, Design, and Plants

Not all patents are created equal. Utility, design, and plant patents plus the provisional application (don’t call it a provisional patent) are the 3.5 types available to inventors. Read on for details. Utility Patents A utility patent protects the structure, function, or composition of an invention and is the most common type of patent in…