T or F? Improvements to old technologies may be patented. True. You actually can get a patent on an improvement to an old technology as long as the improvement is something new and it’s not just an obvious improvement—that’s the key. In fact, most technologies are just improvements to things that have come before. T […]
Widerman Malek Law Blog
How to Choose the Right Patent Attorney
As an inventor, you know everything there is to know about your inventions. You’ve studied it, revised it, tested it and shared it (at least with a few good friends). Well, now that you’ve done your part, it’s time to find the right attorney who has also studied and skillfully mastered his craft to handle […]
What Documents are Needed When Filing an Application for a Patent
Magazines, books, comics, clothing, and a ton of other products have specialized trademarks on them. These trademarks are used to acknowledge the source of the products. For written works, art, and anything in the artistic spectrum, copyright laws apply. Patents are different from trademarks or copyright because they deal solely with an invention of some […]
5 Myths about Intellectual Property
For the most part, people don’t set out to “steal” someone else’s property or creative ideas, but they are often inspired by what they see or what they’ve heard, which in turn leads them down a sometimes daunted path of inappropriate business dealings equating to the loss of their business, fines, fees and even bankruptcy. […]
The Government and Patent No. 6,630,507
Do you know what Patent No. 6,630,507 is? It’s the patent that the government gave itself for the use of medical marijuana. Yes. You read this right. The government who voiced so strongly that marijuana has no positive medical affect constituting the legalization of the drug. So if that is indeed the case, why are […]
A ‘Sweet’ Patent Judgment for Louisiana State University
Just recently Quest Nutrition LLC sued Louisiana State University in court over the rights to a sweetener the university had developed. A case like this highlights the need to have working agreements that lead to patenting written very clearly and then be legally documented. Any ambiguity in the terms of the working agreement has the […]
Patent Wars Aid Growth of Patent Jobs
We have seen patent wars waged between titans such as Google, Samsung and Apple and it has made us all aware of the importance of Intellectual Property (IP) laws and copyright infringements. While the patent wars may not have been financially beneficial to the companies in question, another sector has been growing in number and […]
… And Here Comes “Alice”!
Don’t look now, but it appears the post-Alice USPTO guidance regarding patent eligibility has kicked in. The following is a form paragraph recently used by an Examiner at the USPTO in a rejection of certain process claims:
SCOTUS on “Alice”: It’s The Application, Stupid!
Old habits die hard. But the U.S. Supreme Court patiently keeps trying to euthanize the habit of too many patent professionals to reflexively (but not necessarily purposefully) tie patent claims to some computer. Any computer! The latest attempt to break this habit comes in the context of the Alice Corp. Pty. Ltd. v. CLS Bank Intl. […]
Patent and Trademark Office Closed on March 3, 2014
USPTO Closed on March 3, 2014 due to weather.
