Establishing trademark rights requires that you use the trademark. You can preserve future rights to a trademark by submitting a trademark application with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. In general, trademark are not required by federal or state law and not every business needs a trademark. However, a registered trademarks allows you to…
To expunge information submitted in incorrect application: Where the USPTO can determine the correct application file that the papers were actually intended for, based on identifying information in the heading of the papers (e.g., application number, filing date, title of invention and inventor(s) name(s)), the USPTO will transfer the papers to the correct application file…
Once you have chosen your mark, you must also be able to identify the goods and/or services to which the mark will apply, clearly and precisely. The identification of goods and/or services must be specific enough to identify the nature of the goods and/or services. The level of specificity depends on the type of goods…
A patent for an invention is a grant of property rights by the U.S. Government through the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. The patent grant excludes others from making, using, or selling the invention in the United States. A utility or plant patent in force on June 8, 1995, is subject to either the 17…
What can be patented – utility patents are provided for a new, nonobvious and useful invention: Process Machine Article of manufacture Composition of matter Improvement of any of the above Note: In addition to utility patents, encompassing one of the categories above, patent protection is available for (1) ornamental design of an article of manufacture…
One of the most frequent questions independent inventors ask is whether they should file a provisional patent application But there is no surefire answer. Every situation is unique, and what works for one inventor might not work for another. Only you, the inventor, can decide what is best for your situation, but here are some…
The estimate for a patent application will depend on the type of application that you submit to the United States Patent and Trademark Office and manner in which each application is prepared. An invention with less embodiments would be cheaper than an application that an invention that is complex. There are three basic fees…
Images can be filed in a trademark application. A trademark is generally a word, phrase, symbol, or design, or a combination of these elements, that identifies and distinguishes the source of one party’s goods from those of others. The image is first cleared with a comprehensive trademark search. The filed image would identify and distinguish…
5 WAYS TO STOP YOUR INVENTION FROM BEING STOLEN File a provisional patent application Protect your idea before receiving a patent. A provisional patent application can be filed. A strong provisional patent application will include variations of the idea, manufacturing techniques that will be used to produce the idea, technical drawings, and a description of…
What is a trademark-related solicitation? A solicitation is an offer of services, or a notice of an upcoming filing deadline with an offer of services, usually requiring a fee. Private companies often use trademark application and registration information from USPTO databases to mail or email trademark-related solicitations to trademark applicants and registrants. While these solicitations…
