Updates to Trademark Application Evidence
The Federal Circuit clarified the use of evidence in refusing trademarks under false suggestion of connection with an individual or institution. The Lanham Act refuses registration of any mark that…
Changes to Patentability of Design Patents
Updates to design patent requirements
Updates to Obviousness Requirement Analysis
Updates to the analysis needed for finding obviousness in a patent
Written Description and Patentable Subject Matter Update
A recent Federal Circuit case exemplifies the importance of adequately describing inventions in patent applications. PureCircle, and its related entities sued SweeGen and related companies for infringement of U.S. Patent…
Responding to Claims of Obviousness: The Weight of Secondary Factors
In 2015, Volvo Penta launches a stern-drive, steerable, forward-facing marine engine. In these motors, the propeller faces the bow, as seen from Figure 1.[i] The product was based on a…
Selecting the Type of Patent Application
A breakdown of the three main types of patent applications available in the U.S.
Understanding the Obviousness Requirement in Patent Law
One of the substantive requirements to obtain a patent, 35 U.S.C. §103, states if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention…
The Non-Traditional Importance of the Specification
The text/ body of a patent application, i.e. the specification, (along with any figures) holds an important role in acquiring a patent, since it must describe how to make and…
Limits in Trademark Protections
The balancing of Trademarks, Copyrights, and Free Speec
Trademark Office Backlogs
Increases in Trademark Applications at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office result in increased backlogs.