Patents Articles

Legal » Patents | By Nick Johnson @ Wednesday, 19th March 2008 @ 7:34 PM

Patent law is one of the most specialized branches of the law. If you have been named in a patent infringement case or believe that you may have a case to pursue compensation and relief for patent infringement on a patent that you hold, a firm of experienced patent infringement lawyers is your best resource for information. There are, however, a few principles of patent infringement litigation that are helpful to know. Among the most helpful to understand in building your case ar... more...

Legal » Patents | By Nick Johnson @ Thursday, 13th March 2008 @ 8:51 PM

One of the questions that patent holders may have is "who can be sued in a patent infringement lawsuit?" By law, any person who makes, uses, offers or sells something that is protected by a current patent, or who imports into the United States anything that is protected by a current patent, is guilty of patent infringement. Likewise, anyone that makes, uses, offers or sells any product or process that intentionally contributes to it is guilty of infringement as well. Finally, anyone who ... more...

Legal » Patents | By Nick Johnson @ Thursday, 13th March 2008 @ 8:23 PM

Regardless of the size of your business operation, whether you are a large corporation or a single entity on your own, inventing new product enhancements and new products requires a lot of work. It takes energy, creativity, motivation, intelligence, time, money, and failure. This is why it is important to patent your ideas and protect them with patent laws. This is also why patent infringement is more than just a financial threat - it's insulting your work and your abilities, the equivalent... more...

Legal » Patents | By Nick Johnson @ Thursday, 7th June 2007 @ 1:21 AM

Patent infringement is a serious offense in the United States. It can lead to serious damage awards if the case goes to trial. Often in cases of it, research by the offending company was previously performed to avoid it. However, often patent infringement happens when a company believes they are not directly violating certain laws. For the purpose of clarity, we will discuss it as it pertains to a fictitious weight loss candy. Weight loss candy that has been marketed as candy that encoura... more...

Legal » Patents | By Peter Afraiabi @ Friday, 27th April 2007 @ 7:53 PM

The vaults of the United States Government contain many remarkable patents, reflecting novel inventions arrived at through research funded by U.S. taxpayers. Most of these patents literally sit undiscovered, neither being enforced nor commercialized. Imagine the vault at the end of Indiana Jones where the Ark of the Covenant is being deposited. So, the United States taxpayers have funded the work that leads to those patents. And those patents grant the government and any pro... more...

Legal » Patents | By Gregg Hall @ Wednesday, 14th February 2007 @ 12:24 AM

Some may think that brilliant men like Thomas Edison and Nicolai Tesla are rare these days but I know better. As a matter of fact I have a friend who is a certifiable genius inventor, inventing things like an engine that runs on tap water and a device that increases gas mileage by nearly 40%. The thing that the average person doesn't realize is that the inventions generally do not come about as the result of a "eureka" moment with a light bulb image over their head! Real inv... more...

Legal » Patents | By T J Madigan @ Tuesday, 6th February 2007 @ 6:02 PM

For those who cannot afford to dish out thousands of dollars for a patent lawyer, do it yourself patents can be a great alternative. Do it yourself patents can be done if you are up to the challenge. It is not impossible although the biggest drawback on do it yourself patents is that you are not afforded the luxury of having professional advice. There are some of the advantages of do it yourself patents that you cannot overlook though. Do it yourself patents could certainly save you mone... more...

Legal » Patents | By Dennis Cole @ Wednesday, 24th January 2007 @ 12:25 AM

When it comes to filing a patent, there are several important things for you to take into consideration. First of all, you need to understand what a patent is as well as how the process works. Although there are different types of patents that you can and should file, it is necessary to have an overview of the process to take you on the road to obtaining the patent that is right for your need. The good news is that the agency has made the process as simple as possible (for the government anyw... more...

Legal » Patents | By Xavier Pillai @ Monday, 28th August 2006 @ 10:53 PM

Chemical and pharmaceutical companies protect their investment in research and development and the future of the companies by securing patents on their inventions. Patents help you resist competition. Success or failure of the company often depends on the strength of the patent. The words in the patent document must meet rigid formality requirements under the patent laws. Even if the invention covered by the patent is a fantastic one, the court will throw out the patent if it violates any on... more...

Legal » Patents | By Xavier Pillai @ Monday, 28th August 2006 @ 4:45 PM

Chemical and pharmaceutical companies protect their investment in research and development and the future of the companies by securing patents on their inventions. Patents help you resist competition. Success or failure of the company often depends on the strength of the patent and the longer the term of the patent, the greater will be its value. A strong patent is one that defines your invention broadly and but at the same time builds in fallback narrow invention. The United States ... more...

Legal » Patents | By Xavier Pillai @ Friday, 28th July 2006 @ 12:26 AM

Chemical and pharmaceutical companies protect their huge investment in research and development and the future of the companies by securing patents on their inventions. Success or failure of the company often depends on the strength of the patent in its ability to resist competition. Recently, the United States Patent and Trademark Office proposed changes to the way prior art documents would be submitted, with a view to reduce Patent Office workload and shorten the time it takes to obtai... more...

Legal » Patents | By Xavier Pillai @ Sunday, 4th June 2006 @ 5:23 PM

Chemical and pharmaceutical companies protect their investment in research and development and the future of the companies by securing patents on their inventions. Success or failure of the company often depends on the strength of the patent or in its ability to resist competition. Recently, the United States Patent and Trademark Office proposed changes to the way patents will be processed with a view to reduce patent Examiner’s work load. These changes could drastically limit the comp... more...

Legal » Patents | By Xavier Pillai @ Thursday, 25th May 2006 @ 9:52 AM

Chemical, pharmaceutical, and biotechnology companies and inventors spend countless number of hours and a lot of money to come up with a drug for curing killer diseases like cancer or diabetes or a new catalyst to make a wonder plastic. They protect their inventions by securing a patent. For one reason or another, the patent owner may not be ready to make or sell the patented invention. The patent owner, for example, University or individual inventor, may be thinking of licensing the ... more...

Legal » Patents | By Xavier Pillai @ Wednesday, 10th May 2006 @ 9:35 PM

Chemical, pharmaceutical, and biotechnology companies spend large sums of money so that their employees burn the midnight oil and come up with great inventions, be it on a novel drug treat heart disease or a process to make large quantities of a chemical used in the manufacture of a plastic. They know that patents are powerful when it comes to resisting competition. They also know that a patent provides an exclusive right up to twenty years. Thus, once they get their patent, they should be sm... more...

Legal » Patents | By Xavier Pillai @ Monday, 24th April 2006 @ 4:57 AM

Chemical and pharmaceutical companies spend millions of dollars on research and development, and come up with great inventions, be it on a novel drug to treat high blood pressure or a new kind of plastic that can resist a bullet; however, they often find that their patents do not stand up to a challenge by an infringer who wants to sell a copy-cat product. Patents are valuable tools in a company’s arsenal to resist competition because it provides an exclusive right up to a period of twe... more...

Legal » Patents | By Jessica Deets @ Tuesday, 18th April 2006 @ 1:02 AM

Creating a new product, a new machine or launching a business with its own distinct lines is a crapshoot. It's hard to tell what ideas will take off and sell and which ones won't. But the odds in an inventor or businessperson's favor can be greatly reduced if their products and/or ideas aren't protected. This is where the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office can make a real difference. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office specializes in helping inventors, scientists and b... more...

Legal » Patents | By Jessica Deets @ Friday, 7th April 2006 @ 10:41 AM

In this dog-eat-dog world a businessperson can't be too careful. It's hard to tell who is trustworthy and who isn't. For an inventor, getting a patent on an idea can mean the difference between finding good investors that will help launch a company or a design or running into a hornets' nest of people who would prefer to grab the idea, run with it and leave the inventor empty handed. In the United States, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office is the place to go for fil... more...

Legal » Patents | By Jessica Deets @ Tuesday, 28th March 2006 @ 1:00 AM

If you're of the creative type, it's quite likely you've made something you'd like to protect from others. Whether it's the creation of a novel, a new fabric softener or you're trying to launch a new business that will have its own unique brand, hiring an attorney to help may be in order. Since copyright, patent, trademark attorney choices can be many, it's a good idea to know what you're looking for in advance. Before you get started looking for a... more...

Legal » Patents | By Lisa Parmley @ Saturday, 28th January 2006 @ 8:45 AM

So you’ve done your homework (or are planning on being diligent about it at least). And you’ve decided to definitely forge ahead and gain a patent on your invention. So now what? Well, first of all, be warned that patenting your invention will cost you several thousand dollars. The fee varies widely; you will ultimately need to receive an estimate from the professional you choose. So wait a second, who should you choose? How do you choose them? Can’t you just do all this yourself?more...

Legal » Patents | By Lisa Parmley @ Wednesday, 25th January 2006 @ 10:22 PM

Who will be there when things go wrong? Due to the trouble, expense and the risks involved with gaining a patent, you might be lulled into thinking that the government will be there to lend you a helping hand when it comes time to enforce the rights your patented invention. Sorry, but this is not how it works in the real world. In reality, once a patent is issued, the inventor or patent owner (i.e. you!) must enforce the patent without the aid of the USPTO. So, if your pa... more...