Attorneys Handling Patent Law
Our patent attorneys have the knowledge, expertise and experience to handle all your patent needs.
Establishing Patent Venue
The Federal Circuit. recently rejected the patent venue test established by Judge Gilstrap of the Eastern District of Texas. The three-judge panel found that Judge Gilstrap applied an incorrect legal standard in Raytheon Co. v. Cray Inc. when he refused to transfer the patent suit after applying his own test and determining that Defendant Cray maintained […]
Read More
Patent Exhaustion Update
The U.S. Patent Act (35 U.S.C. § 271(a)) grants a patent owner the right to prevent others from making, using, selling, offering for sale or importing a patent invention within the U.S. The doctrine of patent exhaustion limits the patent owner’s ability to control the use of patented items after those items have been sold. […]
Read More
How Long Does a Patent Last?
As a general rule, a utility patent has a term of 20 years from the date on which the application for the patent was filed in the United States. Even though the term of a utility patent is measured from its filing date, the term does not actually being until the patent issues. If the […]
Read More
Drone Patents
Drones, commonly known as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) or unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), are the subject of a rapidly increasing number of patents within the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). These patents are directed to subject matter, such as the manufacturing of drones and drone components (e.g. U.S. 9,242,571); the use of drones for […]
Read More
Reasons for Pursuing a Patent
A patent provides its patent owner with the right to exclude others from making, using, selling, offering for sale, and importing into the U.S. whatever is claimed in the patent. However, there are a number of different reasons for pursuing a patent. These reasons may vary depending on whether you are an independent inventor, a […]
Read More
Patent Exhaustion and Sale of Patented Item
The U.S. Patent Act (35 U.S.C. § 271(a)) grants a patent owner the right to prevent others from making, using, selling, offering for sale or importing a patent invention within the U.S. The doctrine of patent exhaustion limits the patent owner’s ability to control the use of patented items after those items have been sold. […]
Read More
Damages for Design Patent Infringement
On December 6, 2016, the U.S. Supreme Court reversed a damages award that Apple, Inc. won over Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. in their longstanding patent fight. See a copy of the full decision here. Apple’s design patents were directed to specific elements of Apple’s iPhone. The Supreme Court remanded the case to the Federal Circuit […]
Read More
Patents vs. Trade Secrets
Should I patent my invention or keep it as a trade secret? What are the differences between patents and trade secrets? These are the types of questions that we regularly get asked from our clients. According to the USPTO’s Trade Secret Policy, “trade secrets consist of information and can include a formula, pattern, compilation, […]
Read More
Does My U.S. Patent Provide me Worldwide Patent Protection?
The rights granted in a U.S. patent only provide protection throughout the United States and have no effect in a foreign country or jurisdiction. Specifically, a U.S. patent gives the patent owner the right to exclude others from making, using, offering for sale, or selling the invention in the United States or importing the invention […]
Read More
Public Disclosures and Patentability
In the U.S., an inventor has 12 months from the date he or she first publicly discloses their idea or invention to file a U.S. patent application. A public disclosure refers to a communication of an idea or invention without any confidentiality obligations, either written or oral. Just a few examples of public disclosures include […]
Read More