Inventors Need to Have Inventions
I am frequently asked the same or similar question with respect to patent applications by independent inventors — How much information do I have to include in a patent application? Sometimes this...
View ArticleBad Patent Advice from the Wall Street Journal
In order to stay atop of what is happening in the patent world I subscribe to a Google news service that will send me an e-mail whenever there is a new post relative to patents indexed with Google...
View ArticleFalling Prey to Invention Promotion Scams
About a week ago I received a fairly typical e-mail from an individual who was inquiring about whether I could help provide certain services. As you can probably imagine, I get inquiries from people...
View ArticlePatent Law Fun & Lessons: What Dilbert Teaches About Inventing
As you can see from the first cartoon in the series, the creator of a project has left the company and his unfinished project is being passed on to the hapless Dilbert. Scott Adams, through Dilbert,...
View ArticleInventing Advice: How to Improve Upon a Product
There are always trade-offs in design work. Design features often conflict. For example, a big heavy vehicle is usually safer but the gas mileage is lower. But one of the things I have learned in my...
View ArticleAn Overview of the U.S. Patent Process
For example, does a hair dryer with integrated radio, beer bottle opener, shaving cream dispenser that floats sound marketable? Perhaps as a gag gift maybe, but the addition of random features for the...
View ArticleDoes the term “Invention” in the Specification Limit the Claims?
There are some that will tell you that the use of the term "invention" or "present invention" in the specification will limit the claims. This misguided belief suggests that merely using the word...
View ArticleInventionHome Seeks Inventors to Pitch DRTV Companies
InventionHome will be hosting the DRTV Product Summit, a one-day event on October 24, 2013, at Robert Morris University that will give everyday inventors the opportunity to pitch their products to six...
View ArticleStarting the Patent Process on a Limited Budget
It is possible to succeed even starting with a limited budget, but you really do need to plan ahead and develop a strategy that makes sense within your resources and one that doesn’t invest...
View ArticleInvention to Patent: Pitfalls, Perils and Process
To review, the law recognizes that with many, if not most, inventions there will be three steps to the invention process. The idea comes first, followed by the game plan, followed by the reduction to...
View ArticleGetting Your Invention to Market: Licensing vs. Manufacturing
Of course, whether you are going to pursue licensing or manufacturing, for the first lesson is to realize that there are no tricks to invention marketing. It just takes work. Of course, you need to...
View ArticleInventors Need to Have Inventions
I am frequently asked the same or similar question with respect to patent applications by independent inventors — How much information do I have to include in a patent application? Sometimes this...
View ArticleInventor Spotlight – Alexei Novitzky, Inventor of The Skatecase
Avid skateboarder Alexei Novitzky was at the festival to display his unique invention. As a graduate student in the Mechanical Engineering program at USF, Alexei wanted to solve his problem of needing...
View ArticlePatent Strategy: Laying the Foundation for Business Success
Patents provide a competitive advantage, and those sophisticated in business know enough to look for and exploit whatever competitive advantage exists. Patents are the 800 pound gorilla of competitive...
View ArticleAfter Alice: Is New Legislation Needed? Before Alice: Was there a Precedent?
the Courts have found it difficult to use the Mayo two-part test in the examination of a patent’s validity thus creating great uncertainty... One should not confuse the uncertainty of the complex U.S....
View ArticleInventions Make a Standard Competitive
When a standard faces competition, it is essential to be the first on the market with products and to establish the highest market share. The network effect will make it increasingly difficult for...
View ArticleNecessity is the Father of Invention
A lot has been said about mom inventors who came up with ideas to solve problems that revolved around parenting, but there are plenty of hands-on dads who have come up with their own solutions to...
View ArticleMoving from Idea to Patent: When Do You Have an Invention?
When you are moving from idea to invention to patent, regardless of how or why you find yourself stuck in the idea phase, the first order of business to get the ball rolling. You need momentum. In...
View ArticleFalling Prey to Invention Promotion Scams
About a week ago I received a fairly typical e-mail from an individual who was inquiring about whether I could help provide certain services. As you can probably imagine, I get inquiries from people...
View ArticlePatent Law Fun & Lessons: What Dilbert Teaches About Inventing
As you can see from the first cartoon in the series, the creator of a project has left the company and his unfinished project is being passed on to the hapless Dilbert. Scott Adams, through Dilbert,...
View Article
