Patents For Inventors - Your Questions Answered

Are you confused about what a patent is and whether you should get one? This is primer for beginning inventors that answers your most commonly asked questions. Questions include what is a patent, what is patent pending, what protection does a patent provide, should you keep your invention secret, and more. A must-read for inventors at all experience levels.

Everything You Need to Know About Trademarks and Fair Use

Everything You Need to Know About Trademarks and Fair Use

Intellectual Property and Copyright Laws

Just as one owns physical property and real estate, Intellectual Property (IP) allows people exclusive ownership of their creativity and innovation. It gives these people control on their innovations for which they are rewarded and encouraged to create further for the benefit of others.

PPC Ads Face A New Trademark Limitation

A federal court ruled last week that it is not only a trademark violation any longer to use another company’s trademark to deceive search engine users in the paid ad headline. The court has further ruled, that you can not purchase a trademark as a keyword to bring up your paid listing on Google, Yahoo, MSN and other search engines.

Digital Millennium Copyright Act DMCA Redefined - Steps to Keep Your Content and Intellectual Proper

The Digital Millennium Copyright Act, DMCA, prevents technology from duplicating or distributing copyrighted material. Steps to take to defend your content and intellectual property.

5 Ways to Protect Your Idea-for Less than $30

Every day thousand upon thousands of ordinary people become inventors. They devise new ideas, improve old ones, and enhance the world around them. But they all have one thing in common. The vast majority will never act on their idea because they can not afford the cost for a Utility patent. When you consider that the average cost for a strong Utility patent is around $5,000 it is no wonder.

Selecting Business Names and Intellectual Property Law

An information technology & intellectual property lawyer steps through some common provisions of software license agreements and software development contracts. Includes explanations of the purpose and effect of particular clauses in software and technology contracts.

Contracts That Work! Bankruptcy

The vendor of your No. 1 mission-critical application has filed for bankruptcy. Your contract gives you the right to terminate immediately. Can you enforce that provision? This article explores that difficult question in clear, direct English and offers concrete suggestions for improving your IT and IP contracts and ensuring that you continue to receive the services you need, when you need them.

Intellectual Property: Patents – Drafting with Reasonable Care and Skill

In the case of Unilin Beheer BV v Berry Floor NV and Ors, Information Management Consultancy Ltd, B&Q plc (2005), the courts ruled that the faulty drafting of a patent application did not amount to lack of reasonable care and skill. Unilin, the claimant, applied for a patent for a floor covering and the application succeeded. Unilin then became aware of prior art which made it necessary for it to amend the patent application by reducing the scope of the main claim. Unilin also amended the body of the specification so that the text and drawings conformed to the main claim. After grant of the patent, Unilin sued three defendants for patent infringement. The defendants counterclaimed, arguing that a piece of prior art (Yoichi) had not been cited against the patent. On 26 September 2003, the court held that Claims 1-19 of the patent were invalid in respect of the prior art Yoichi but Claims 20 and 21 were valid and infringed by the defendant. Unilin claimed damages for past infringements and costs.

Intellectual Property: Community Trade Marks – Registration Refusal – Likelihood of Confusion

In Alcon Inc v Of Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market (OHIM) [2005], a mark was refused registration because the public was likely to confuse the mark with another similar mark.

Intellectual Property – The 3 Branches: Copyrights, Patents & Trademarks

When you hear the phrase intellectual property, what do you think of? How can something that exists in your mind be considered property? Are your ideas your property similar to that of your house or car?

Intellectual Property

Intellectual property (IP) is a valuable asset to companies in the biotech, life sciences, healthcare, medical technology and related industries. Utility patents are often the most valuable IP belonging to small and emerging companies.

FAQs - Licensing Intellectual Property (IP)

Licensing is a key business strategy. It's a way to maximize the earnings from inventions and creative works.

Intellectual Property: Trade Marks - Goodwill

In Newman Ltd v Adlem (2005), the Court of Appeal held that there was a duty on the seller of a business not to undermine the goodwill attached to that business (if included in the sale) even after the non-competition covenants in the sale agreement had expired. Goodwill is an intangible asset valued according to the advantage or reputation a business has acquired.

Intellectual Property: Patent Infringement

In the case of Agilent Technologies Deutschland GmbH v Waters Ltd (2005), the claimant, the proprietor of a European patent for a pump and control system, brought proceedings against the defendant for patent infringement. The patent is for a pump for delivering solvent under pressure to high-pressure liquid chromatography columns. In particular, the patent relates to the control of the flow rate of the pump by altering the stroke volume and the frequency of reciprocation of the pistons.