InventLaw: Google was awarded United States Patent No. D599,372 for its graphical user interface (GUI). This is a design patent and therefore only protects the ornamental features of the Google search page (i.e. the patent does not protect the function of the interface or how Google does its searching). Design patents last for 14 years […]
Google Awarded Patent For Homepage Read More »
Sometimes a patent is just a piece of paper, as Mary Brock found out when she discovered a product remarkably similar to her patented Doggie poop freeze wand for sale: One day in 2007, I was browsing through a catalog that included pet-related products. Right before my eyes was an ad depicting a product that
She Got a Patent, But Copycats Stole Her Idea Read More »
Al’s Morning Meeting: The U.S. Patent Office is sitting on a mountain of applications that would take at least six years to clear, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel found in a two-part investigation. The newspaper points out that a patent could be the key that protects an upstart company or idea. It could ignite the economy,
U.S. Patent Office Backlogged, Inventors Wait Read More »
Inventors Digest: A design patent protects the ornamental appearance of a physical product. A utility patent protects how the product works, or possibly the steps used to manufacture it. For example, automotive rims often are protected with design patents. You cannot get a utility patent on what is basically a wheel and therefore already in
Defending Design Patents Read More »
Inventors Digest: Every inventor must realize that once an invention is used publicly or an attempt is made to sell it, a patent for said invention must be filed within one year or the rights will be lost. This is good news because it gives inventors a year to test market an invention before spending
To Patent Or Not To Patent Read More »
ReadWriteWeb: According to a study published in The Columbia Science and Technology Law Review, patents may be harming our ability to innovate. Patents and the Regress of Useful Arts, written by Bill Tomlinson of UC Irvine and Andrew Torrance of University of Kansas School of Law, tested the hypothesis with a game called PatentSim. The
Patents Hurt Innovation Read More »
MediaBistro: As the world mourns the death of Michael Jackson, we remember his patented anti-gravity footwear. That’s right, intellectual property fans, Jackson is listed as the first of three inventors on United States Patent 5,255,452, granted in 1993 for a “method and means for creating anti-gravity illusion.” Translation: special loafers fitted with heels that can
Michael Jackson: King Of…Patents? Read More »
Associated Press: Look carefully at the lid to your coffee cup or the handle of your disposable razor. A recent ruling on an obscure, century-old statute has opened the door for people familiar with the finer points of patent law to sue companies that stamp their products with expired patent numbers. A couple of sharp-eyed
Legal Quirk Lets Anyone Sue Over Patents Read More »
CNET News: I received an e-mail asking if I had ever taken a look at sites and services for inventors. I hadn’t. And judging by the size of those sites’ communities, I’m guessing that most other folks haven’t, either. Below are some of the neatest resources designed specifically for inventors. – Incuby is an online
Inventive Online Resources For Inventors Read More »
Forbes: Even in a recession, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office keeps busy. Since 1996, the annual number of patent filings has jumped 130% to 485,000 last year. But what some consider innovation, others might call a boondoggle–especially given the prohibitive costs of papering a patent. In the best-case scenario (where an application gets stamped,
