Patent

In December, 2009, the PTO implemented a ‘green technology’ program to accelerate review of patent applications relating to several green technologies, including: · development of renewable energy resources, · energy conservation, · greenhouse gas emission reduction and · environmental quality. One of our clients with a green invention opted for accelerated review under the program […]

Every congress for the last six years has seen one or more bills introduced to address patent “reform.” The new 112th Congress is no exception. Senators Leahy (D), Hatch (R), and Grassly (R) have introduced yet another patent reform bill. The bill takes up where the 111th Congress left off. In the past, patent reform […]

Many inventors are not aware that it is supremely easy for a U.S. inventor to lose foreign patent rights even if the inventor’s U.S. patent rights are preserved.  How does that happen?  By publicly disclosing the invention prior to the filing a patent application in the U.S. or elsewhere. The laws of the U.S. are […]

The PTO is taking another step to reduce its workload through deferring examination of patent applications. The PTO has announced that it will soon start a pilot program to allow inventors to defer the payment of certain filing fees by one year.  The stated goal of the pilot program is to allow inventors a total […]

“InventorsEye” is a bimonthly online publication by the U.S. PTO for individual inventors.  Among other things, the publication gathers resources for individual inventors, such as inventor’s clubs and support organizations.  “InventorsEye” is a publication of the Inventors Assistance Center. If you’re an inventor, check it out. — Robert Yarbrough, Esq.

On-line patent searching has profoundly improved the patent system.  An inventor can use free Internet resources to search for patents and published applications relevant to his or her invention.  The mother of all free on-line patent databases is that of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (PTO).   The PTO database has the advantage that it […]

The backlog of pending patent applications at the PTO is important to inventors because a large backlog results in long wait times before a patent application is reviewed by an examiner.   During the last years of the last administration, the backlog at the PTO grew so large that the average time to first office action […]

Your competitor newly advertises its product as ‘patent pending,’ but you know that the product or a similar product has been in use or on sale for a long time.   You fear that if your competitor is successful in obtaining the patent, the competitor may be able to prevent you from making, using or selling […]

Anyone who regularly or even occasionally watches late night television has seen the advertisements for patent invention services. These services usually advertise an ability to help an inventor both protect and promote his or her invention. There may, indeed, be responsible organizations out there that advertise honestly and help inventors get their products to market. […]