Let’s say you came up with a novel design for a boombox or a watch. Although this newly designed boombox or watch may be ‘inventive’ from the utilitarian standpoint, a utility patent may not protect the physical design of your product as it would protect the corresponding function. This article considers protecting product designs that may be functional, but…
In order to transfer patent rights from an inventor (Assignor) to an entity (Assignee), the inventor must sign an assignment agreement. Upon execution, the assignment agreement become a legally binding and enforceable contract. With the assignment, each inventor transfers the patent rights embodied in the patent or patent application to the Assignee. In turn,the Assignee…
When using a recording of a concert, there are actually several copyrights at play. Copyright law is interesting, so bare with me. First, there is the copyright that belongs to the composer of the music. This copyright covers the “musical composition” – think of it as the ‘musical notes on a piece of paper.” No…
A trademark is what you use as a source identifier of the product or goods you offer to the public. When consumers see your products or goods, they instantly recognize your brand as the source of those goods. A service mark is very similar to a trade mark. Except it doesn’t apply to products or…
In the US, provisional patent applications are kept as confidential documents, away from public availability. There is no publically accessible database in which you can search or verify provisional patent filings. This is to protect and preserve your rights while your product is still in the beta/development phase. It also allows you to let the…
The success of a business can largely depend on the protection of its intellectual property. With the overwhelming amount of protection options, it can be hard to know what method is the best for your specific need. This infographic illustrates the four ways you can protect your intellectual property as well as the benefits for…
“If I filed for a provisional patent as the sole inventor, is it possible to add another inventor when filing for the nonprovisional patent if he makes a contribution to the invention?” You may add additional inventors to your non-provisional application. The non-provisional must have at least one inventor in common with the provisional patent…
If you are thinking about filing for a patent in the new year, it is important to take a look back at patent stats from 2014 to better understand certain aspects such as how long you might be waiting for a patent, and to what industries the most patents going. After gathering data from the…
If a startup company uses an exclusive licensed IP from a university, what usually happens if the company wants to get acquired by a larger company? Do large companies usually avoid acquiring a company with a licensed patent? The question can be answered whether or not you have an exclusive license to the IP from a University,…
As an attorney for startups and up-and-coming companies, I am often asked questions such as these: “do I need permission to use someone else’s song in my Kickstarter video?” or “what will happen if I just use it?” or “if the band or label catches me, they can just tell me to stop, right?” To answer…
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