With an improvement patent, you add improvements to a previously patented invention. If you are not the owner of the previous patent, you might be able to get a patent but not be able to sell the product related to the patent because you would be infringing on the original patent.
Under pressure to fight counterfeit products on its online platform and those accused of violating third-party patents, Amazon created its APEX program. It’s sort of an intramural arbitration process whereby someone claiming its patents were being infringed upon by an article sold on the Amazon website could—for a $4,000 fee—file a complaint and be bound by the final decision of the patent specialist retained by Amazon.
Since I began my tenure over two years ago, the USPTO has worked feverishly to increase American innovation and entrepreneurship. As part of our efforts, we have expanded our footprint so we can better serve every community across the nation.
Last month, this column covered using LinkedIn Groups to share and improve your invention. But Facebook, with its massive user base and diverse set of tools, also offers fertile ground for inventors and entrepreneurs to build and nurture a dedicated following.
Innovation isn’t invention; it’s often a necessary, welcome change in the way we do things. The strategy must balance the chaos of innovation with the stability of conformity. This is the most efficient, cost-effective path to successfully launch an innovative product.
If you do your own patent search without much experience, you probably will not find the prior art the patent examiner will find during searching. This will result in the rejection of your patent application if you file it on your own.
U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Director Kathi Vidal published a director’s blog post July 11 addressing the office’s current backlog of patent and trademark applications, which the latest USPTO data show to be 785,387 unexamined applications/25.6 months total pendency for patents and 14.5 months total pendency for trademarks.
Inclusive innovation is a force that is crucial for building a better world. The NAI event, held June 16-18 in Raleigh, North Carolina, showcased a member organization comprising U.S. and international universities and governmental and nonprofit research institutes, with over 4,000 individual inventor members and Fellows spanning more than 250 institutions worldwide.
Cara Brzezicki has created to help people all her life, and nothing’s going to stop her now BY REID CREAGER
For 10 years, former and current staff from the USPTO’s Intellectual Property (IP) Attaché offices have visited businesses, inventor support organizations, and legal representatives to hear the concerns of stakeholders and educate them about IP. During recent visits to Orlando and Atlanta, the attachés continued the tradition, presenting a world of possibilities and information to local innovators exploring international IP protection.
As our readers know, one of Tangible IP’s criteria for assessing the health of the patent market is tied to large verdict awards that tend to make headlines and grab attention in the boardrooms. The past couple months provided its share of those, which should help long term in maintaining—if not increasing—patent valuations.
Modify a houseplant’s genetics to help change the air in our homes for the better.