Patent Baristas

Protecting your intellectual property, whether domestically or internationally, is traditionally a complex and costly process. On an international scale, that cost is largely due to translations, with the largest patent filers often budgeting millions of dollars each year to ensure accurate translations are localized for each country in which they plan to file. Why so […]

Following our updates on the proposed change to the divisional deadline rule (Sept 2013 & Oct 2013), the EPO Administrative Council has now confirmed that this change will become law. From 1 April 2014, the new divisional rule will allow applicants to file a divisional application from any pending European patent application.  This change takes […]

Unless your invention is similar to a chemical compound or other, non-visual composition, you will need to do patent drawings. These drawings are not only beneficial in documenting your invention; they are a necessity in various stages of your patent application. How Many Do You Need? At least one patent drawing, or patent illustration, as […]

Inventors should be well aware of the fact that no matter how innovative their invention is, unless they patent it anybody else can claim it’s their idea and that you have come up with nothing worth the news. Filing a patent for their invention is something that most inventors don’t know how to do. It […]

This is the third of a series of articles on IP and Antitrust issues. This article deals with some specific types of licensing restrictions. This is not an exhaustive list of practices that attract antitrust scrutiny. The licensing restrictions dealt with here are tying arrangements, tie-outs, royalty arrangements, exclusive dealings, cross-licensing, pooling and grant backs. This […]

This is the second of a series of articles on IP and Antitrust issues.  This article deals with the need for licensing of intellectual property, licensing in the past and present and the antitrust concerns associated with it. Possession of intellectual property is just one step in a chain of production and manufacturing. Once the […]

This is the first of a series of articles on IP and Antitrust issues. This article introduces the topic and the governing laws and guidelines. The next few articles will deal with intellectual property licensing practices, patent pooling and cross-licensing, antitrust/anti-competitive issues in the field of licensing, effects of restrictions in intellectual property licenses and […]

The one good feature of the “America Invents Act,” an end to fee diversion, is now removed.  Nothing remaining in the bill justifies the disruption and transition costs. Please ask your representative to vote no, and ask your clients to do the same. The bill is up for final vote on Wednesday (it has already […]