Utility patents protect what things are, how they work, or ways of doing things. An example is the guillotine mousetrap that works by, well, the name says it all. Design patents protect the ornamental design of a product, for example this mousetrap that looks like a demented cat. The topic this month is design patents. Let’s say that […]
2021 brings new trademark fees. The PTO states: “The overall strategy of the Final Rule is to balance a reasonable and affordable fee schedule with sufficient multi-year revenue to recover the aggregate costs of maintaining the USPTO’s trademark-related operations and accomplishing the USPTO’s trademark-related strategic goals. The Final Rule enables the USPTO to continue to enhance […]
At the end of December 2020, Congress passed an “omnibus” bill which justifiably received significant attention for providing financial relief during the coronavirus pandemic. Included in the legislation, in addition to the changes to trademark law discussed above, were also new laws related to copyright: the CASE Act and the Protecting Lawful Streaming Act. The CASE Act […]
On Sunday, December 27, 2020, President Trump signed into law the $2.3 trillion coronavirus relief and government funding bill. Included within the massive piece of legislation are a number of new laws specifically addressing intellectual property issues, including the 2020 Trademark Modernization Act (TMA), the Case Act and other copyright related legislation discussed in another article […]
Dear Doc: I have always heard the maxim that the pen is mightier than the sword. But is it mightier than a loaded AR15? Signed,Just Asking For A Friend in St. Louis Dear “Friend”: The maxim that you cite is hoary, indeed, dating in English from Edward Bulwer-Lytton’s 1839 play, “Cardinal Richelieu”. The thought, however, […]
In addition to an award of statutory damages, the ability to obtain attorney’s fees is often touted as an advantage of registering a copyright. Indeed, it is a strong incentive for some lawyers to take copyright infringement cases on a contingency basis. What’s not often discussed is that should plaintiff’s attorney fail on behalf of […]