TRADEMARK SCOPE OF PROTECTION A trademark is always connected to the specific goods or services sold to customers with that trademark. You can’t register a word, phrase, symbol, or design as a trademark without specifically identifying the goods or services being used. Your trademark isn’t limited to one good or service. It can be used with…
REQUIREMENTS FOR JOINT INVENTORSHIP The inventive entity for a particular application is based on some contribution to at least one of the claims made by each of the named inventors. Inventors may apply for a patent jointly even though (1) they did not physically work together or at the same time, (2) each did not…
I noticed that my application has been “REFERRED BY L&R FOR THIRD-LEVEL SECURITY REVIEW”. What does that mean? (SOURCE: USPTO.GOV) 35 USC 181 requires the USPTO to refer any application which it deems the publication of which may be detrimental to national security to an appropriate defense agency for review. If that defense agency makes…
An office action is an official letter sent by the USPTO. In it, an examining attorney lists any legal problems with your chosen trademark, as well as with the application itself. You must resolve all legal problems in the office action before we can register your trademark. In an office action, an examining attorney may…
Is a trademark application right for you? Trademarks, patents, copyrights, domain names, and business name registrations all differ, so it is important to learn whether a trademark is appropriate for you. A trademark typically protects brand names and logos used on goods and services. A patent protects an invention. A copyright protects an original artistic…
According to the law, the inventor, or a person to whom the inventor has assigned or is under an obligation to assign the invention, may apply for a patent, with certain exceptions. If the inventor is deceased, the application may be made by legal representatives, that is, the administrator or executor of the estate. If…
The length of copyright protection depends on when a work was created. Under the current law, works created on or after January 1, 1978, have a copyright term of life of the author plus seventy years after the author’s death. If the work is a joint work, the term lasts for seventy years after the…
Trademarks, copyrights, and patents protect different types of intellectual property. A trademark typically protects brand names and logos used on goods and services. A copyright protects an original artistic or literary work. A patent protects an invention. For example, if you invent a new kind of vacuum cleaner, you would apply for a patent to…
Is your trademark federally registrable? Can you properly identify your goods or services? Can you identify the proper filing basis for your application? If you’re not sure how to answer these and other questions, please give us a call for a free initial phone consultation.
Trademark your business or product name – Intellectual property includes artistic and musical works, designs, images, literature and software. These help develop brand recognition and customer trust in a specific industry. Avoid copying other brands – The United States Patent and Trademark office refers to copying as “likelihood of confusion.” This exists if your trademark…
