Patents | Inventions

Recommended in most situations to gain an idea of the scope of patent references that could be used by the Patent Office to see if you need to modify your invention before filing a patent application.  Includes preliminary patent search and provide patentability evaluation and analysis.

Protect your invention from unauthorized disclosure when you are discussing your invention with third parties.

Make sure you and your manufacturer are on the same page concerning expectations, anticipated fees, obligations, deliverables, and ownership of any tooling or molds.

Make sure you and your software developer are on the same page concerning expectations, anticipated fees, obligations, deliverables, future modifications, and ownership.

Have someone else you design and develop your invention? Make sure the ownership is clear to avoid surprises and objections in the future by having your "helper" assign/transfer any ownership rights they might have over to you/your company.

A license agreement gives you (or someone else) permission to use some property in exchange for something else of value to the other side.

Helpful if you are running up against a patent disclosure deadline. Note, this type of patent application is not examined by the Patent Office and must be followed up by a utility patent application.

If granted, protects a new, useful, and nonobvious invention for 20 years from the earliest application filing date.

If granted, protects a new, nonobvious, ornamental design of a product for 15 years from the patent's issue date.

A Notice is a non-substantive requirement that must be satisfied before the application can move forward.

An Office Action discusses the substance and merits of the application to determine whether the invention is patentable. A response is required to keep the application active.

We evaluate and respond to the Office Action (or Notice), and advise client on next steps and strategies.

Depending on the situation, an RCE may need to be filed to keep the negotiation/prosecution going on a twice-rejected patent application.

The last step in the application process before a patent is granted.

Maintenance fees must be paid for utility patents in years 3 1/2, 7 1/2, and 11 1/2 from the patent grant date.