Learning about a Patent One of the most common questions we get is, “What does a patent actually do?” To understand what a patent does, it helps to first understand what a patent doesn’t do. A patent doesn’t give a patent owner the right to make, use or practice their invention. A patent give the Read more about What Does a Patent Actually do?[…]
Trademarking Domain Names In a win for a business owner, the Supreme Court recently held that a company’s website which used a .com ending was protectable as a trademark, reversing the decision of the trademark office. Booking.com had attempted to register its domain, Booking.com and the USPTO rejected the application claiming it was generic. The Read more about Trademark Office looses Challenge, Website Owner Gets Trademark[…]
Nike just settled its two-week old trademark battle against “Satan Shoes” seller MSCHF Product Studio Inc. MSCHF is a Brooklyn-based collective of artists and designers which creates artwork in novel and unique ways. For example, one of their projects included selling a virus infected laptop for $1.35 million, selling a dog collar which cursed when Read more about Satan Lost his Shoes in the Latest Trademark Battle[…]
For centuries, in the art world supply, demand and consumer impression have dictated the value of a work of art. The scarcity of a highly demanded work is often one of the key components in determining the price. However, in a digital world the price is deflated by uncontrolled and uncontrollable reproduction of the image. Read more about NFTs Huge Impact on Sale of Digital Artwork[…]
Inventions by Computers Computers are now capable of helping with many of our daily and routine tasks. Computers are also being used to solve some of our most difficult and complex problems. In some cases this is done without human interaction as part of an artificial intelligence system. Recently, the USPTO said these computers are Read more about Patent Applications Limited to Human Inventors, not SkyNet[…]
The Duchess of Sussex a/k/a Meghan Markle has recently been in the news. In a recent interview with Oprah, the royal family member and American actress aired personal concerns and conversations within Britain’s royal family. The interview provided insight for many Americans into the royal family. However, the Duchess also made the news recently for Read more about Surprising History of Copyright Infringement[…]
In a year that is unlike any other, the pandemic has wrecked havoc on the trademark for Corona. First, consumers were confused about the association of the beer with the virus. Then, as a result of increased demand for alcoholic beverages, Corona was sued as a result of sales of fruity fizzy flavored beverages. One Read more about Crazy Year Causes Trademark Challenges to Corona Brand and Goodwill[…]
Patent maintenance fees are mandatory fees that must be paid to the Patent Office to keep a utility patent alive. If you have questions about your patent, please contact the IPCenter.
COVID Relief includes Copyright provisions Last night, as part of the latest round of COVID relief, Congress enacted new intellectual property regulations within the proposed legislation. There are almost 100 pages of new intellectual property regulations within the COVID-19 appropriations bill. The new legislation has not yet been signed by the President. Based on the Read more about In surprise move, Copyright Office can decide Copyright Infringement Cases[…]
Strong Trademarks Creating a strong brand is an integral aspect of forming a new business. Businesses using historical trademarks help create a strong brand. A historical trademark is a brand which includes a historical term. Generally, the historical term in a historical trademark has some historical significance. A brand name which includes a famous person’s Read more about Historical Trademarks are Good for Strong Branding[…]