I think I might really be on to something, and if everything goes well, this will be my first foray into patents. What are common issues that inventors encounter with patenting their work? Advice about dealing with those issues will also be helpful. The biggest issues...
Continue ReadingI am considering applying for a provisional patent for a business method which I have developed. Is it worth it given the uncertainty of the law surrounding business patents? Business methods are hard to patent, but not impossible. If the potential commercial gains warrant it, and...
Continue ReadingThe short answer is there is no equivalent for patents for the Madrid system for trade marks. The closest thing is the PCT (Patent Cooperation Treaty) that covers most of the world: It buys the applicant more time (30 months from the earliest application) to settle...
Continue ReadingThe paper clip was patented. The toilet-paper holder was patented. The "one-click purchase interface" for Amazon's online sales was patented. They all seem pretty obvious to me now, years later when I realised just how valuable each patent later became, not during the patent application...
Continue ReadingThere are many examples of this. One fascinating reinvention is the mechanical astronomical clock. A mechanical astronomical clock, the Antikythera mechanism was recovered from a shipwreck off the Greek Isles in 1901 and dates back to around 150–205 BC. Su Song in China invented a hydro-mechanical astronomical...
Continue ReadingPatents are granted for an invention as defined in the “claims” of a patent. If a competing device falls within the scope of the claims, then they infringe the patent. If not, then they are not an infringement. If a competing device does not infringe...
Continue ReadingThe idea is that a patent application should cover only one invention. If more than one invention is present, then the examiner will object to this requiring that an applicant deletes the multiple inventions from the application and present only one invention. The situation...
Continue ReadingIf someone has invented something but not patented it, then it is not an infringement of their invention to manufacture and sell it. If they have (or someone else has) patented it or something else you use in your product then you have three options: License...
Continue ReadingWith my colleague, we have been developing a technological solution for a while now. We are currently making our first prototype. For a while have been skimming for competition, but only now found something direct competitor. They are filing for patents. Should I still continue...
Continue ReadingFor example, IBM has over 20K patents published every year. Now most are versions of the same spec but with inscrutable minor differences. So how do their teams detect patents that may infringe on IBM IP? Is it through serendipity, or do they employ contractors...
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