Blog – Adam Garson Law

27Feb 2015

Changes in U.S. Design Patent Law

February 27, 2015 Robert Yarbrough Patent

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office issues both ‘utility’ and ‘design’ patents. A ‘utility’ patent protects how something works (e.g., the better mousetrap). A ‘design’ patent protects the appearance of the thing (e.g., a mousetrap bait that resembles cheese). Design patent law in the U.S. is about to change. The U.S. has taken the […]

27Feb 2015

PTO’s Secret SAWS Program

February 27, 2015 Robert Yarbrough Patent

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has a secret Sensitive Application Warning System (‘SAWS’) program for extra review of patent applications where action might embarrass the agency. The problem is how the program functions and which applicants and applications are subject to SAWS are all secret. We know only the broadest guidelines for the program […]

30Jan 2015

3-D Designs are Protected by Copyright Law and By the First Amendment

January 30, 2015 Lawrence Husick Copyright

Ask Dr. Copyright … Dear Doc: I heard that computers can now print in “3D”, and make things out of plastic, metal and ceramic, and that there are websites that offer designs for guns and gun parts that can be downloaded for free, and then printed on these new printers. I even saw an episode […]

30Jan 2015

The Jury System is Alive and Well: The United States Supreme Court Weighs In On a Question of Trademark Law.

January 30, 2015 Adam Garson Trademark

It’s not very often that the United States Supreme Court decides a trademark issue but this month the Supremes delivered an opinion on a question of trademark law called “tacking.” So what is “tacking?” If you know, you probably should be reading a more advanced blog, but if you don’t, tacking is a doctrine for establishing […]

30Jan 2015

Secrecy and Grapes: The ‘Public Use” Concept Under Patent Law

January 30, 2015 Robert Yarbrough Patent

We’ll start with the conclusion: don’t use your invention in public until AFTER you file a patent application. Back to the beginning: Under the patent statute, a ‘public use’ of an invention prior to filing a patent application will destroy U.S. patent rights to the invention. Before March 16, 2013, the inventor had one year […]

31Dec 2014

What can you tell me about ‘Panoramafreiheit’?

December 31, 2014 Lawrence Husick Copyright

Ask Dr. Copyright … Dear Doc: What can you tell me about “Panoramafreiheit”?Signed, An American in Paris Dear Mr. Mulligan: Gesundheit! But seriously…you must be referring to the European Union’s 2001 Information Society Directive that states that photos of architectural projects in public spaces (monuments, buildings, etc.) may be taken and published free of copyright […]

26Dec 2014

Congress Left It Up To The States To Protect Pre-1972 Sound Recordings

December 26, 2014 Adam Garson Copyright

Do you remember the Turtles? They were the originators of such memorable hits as “Happy Together,” “It Ain’t Me Babe,” and “She’d Rather Be with Me.” The band was formed in 1965 and by 1970 was on the decline. You may think that when the Turtle’s hits were recorded they were protected by U.S. copyright […]

26Dec 2014

The Internet-Enabled Business Method Patent Just Clutched Its Chest And Fell Over Dead.

December 26, 2014 Robert Yarbrough Patent

The Internet-enabled business method patent just clutched its chest and fell over dead.The cause of its demise is theUltramercial v Hulu (Fed. Cir. 2014) case in the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. The Ultramercial patents address a typical Internet-enabled business method. Under the patents, a consumer agrees to view an advertisement and then […]

26Nov 2014

There Has Always Been A Tension Between Copyright And The First Amendment

Ask Dr. Copyright … Dear Doc: Can you explain what’s protected by copyright when a newspaper or television or radio station reports facts about the news? How can we expect the news to be balanced and fair unless certain broadcasters get to own some of the facts that they investigate and report? After all, running […]

30Oct 2014

Aero TV Faces Additional Hurdles to Survive

Ask Dr. Copyright … Dear Doc: Since you wrote about Aereo, that company with the millions of TV antennas that was going to free us from the tyranny of Comcast, Verizon, Time-Warner, Cox, and all of the other blood-sucking video vampires, and the fact that Aereo lost big-time in the Supreme Court, we have been […]

Blog – Adam Garson Law

Changes in U.S. Design Patent Law

PTO’s Secret SAWS Program

3-D Designs are Protected by Copyright Law and By the First Amendment

The Jury System is Alive and Well: The United States Supreme Court Weighs In On a Question of Trademark Law.

Secrecy and Grapes: The ‘Public Use” Concept Under Patent Law

What can you tell me about ‘Panoramafreiheit’?

Congress Left It Up To The States To Protect Pre-1972 Sound Recordings

The Internet-Enabled Business Method Patent Just Clutched Its Chest And Fell Over Dead.

There Has Always Been A Tension Between Copyright And The First Amendment

Aero TV Faces Additional Hurdles to Survive

Contact Adam Garson, Esq.

Sign-up for Monthly Emails

Top Rated

Recent News

Search this Website

Blog – Adam Garson Law

Contact Adam Garson, Esq.

Sign-up for Monthly Emails

Top Rated

Connect on Social Media

Recent News

Search this Website