Posts Tagged: patent applications
As cannabis patent filings increase, are food and beverage companies positioned to benefit?
Early protection of intellectual property rights is a critical component in any business’ efforts to secure a competitive advantage in the marketplace. A recent report has found …
USPTO Announces Access to Relevant Prior Art Initiative to Import Prior Art Citations into Patent Applications
The USPTO recently announced the implementation of the first phase of the Access to Relevant Prior Art (RPA) Initiative. The initiative is being designed to reduce the …
What are the Priority Date, Patent Term, and Effective Filing Date of a Patent: The Roles of Specific Reference, Incorporation by Reference, and Claim Support
A recent Federal Circuit decision demonstrates that for priority claims and patent term, the phrase “specific reference” is key. For example, amongst three related applications, to get …
Protection Strategies for Growth-Phase Companies
When it comes to the IP rights of your competitors, what you don’t know can hurt you. As your company brings new products to the marketplace, …
Patent Drafting Basics: Instruction Manual Detail is What You Seek
In some important ways a patent application should be akin to an instruction manual, but unlike the aforementioned BBQ grill, the reader of relevant skill in the …
Intellectual Property Considerations and Guidance for Start-Ups: Patents
Intellectual property probably isn’t high on the to-do list for most new nonprofits and business start-ups. There’s plenty enough to do with setting up an …
Webinar: Patent Prosecution Strategies for the Realities of AIA
Join Gene Quinn on Thursday, September 27, 2018, for a free webinar discussion on the important topic of streamlining the patent prosecution process and stretching a patent budget efficiently. …
World Intellectual Property Indicators 2017: Design Patent Highlights
The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) has published its annual World Intellectual Property Indicators. For the second consecutive year, the number of design applications filed worldwide continued …
Could Have, Should Have, Would Have
It is irresponsible for adults to give children who fail to complete their work credit based on the excuse that the children could have, should have, would …
The CRISPR Tug of War
The University of California (“UC”) and The Broad Institute, Inc. (“Broad”) are among the leaders in the development of CRISPR technology. Both UC and Broad filed patent …
Creating Better Applications Through Patent Strengthening
Events along the prosecution process create multiple windows of opportunity for strengthening a portfolio. Decisions are based on indications of market adoption using evidence from specialized technical …
A Claim of priority Cannot Be Made With an Incorporation by Reference
Upon filing a patent application, the USPTO mails a filing receipt. The domestic and foreign claim of priority is stated and should be checked to make sure …
Are fewer continuations the sign of a healthy patent system?
Hirshfeld explained to me that he is well aware of all of the portfolio reasons why continuations are very important, but the Office does really want to …
Claimed and prior art ranges must have meaningful difference for nonobviousness
Patent claims can recite a numerical range and a patent can be awarded based on the novelty and nonobviousness of the claimed range. Normally, compositions are claimed …
Why Fewer Patent Applications are Being Filed
Over the next few years, the most interesting intellectual property trend to watch will be what happens with new patent applications. The number of utility patent applications …
