IP Watercooler

U.S. Patent Office Considering Track III Pilot Program

The U.S. Patent office is considering conducting a "Track III" pilot program, which would allow "micro entity" applicants to delay the payment of search and examination fees under certain conditions. This would allow these small entities with limited patent filings to...

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Should We Patent Our Technology?

A common question that is encountered by many companies is whether to seek a patent on their technology. This is especially true of young (e.g., startup) and midsize companies that are essentially building a business around a particular technology that they have...

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Recommended Procedures for Setting Up a Corporate Patent Program

Below are some recommended procedures to help corporate entities identify and protect new, potentially patentable inventions.

1. Make sure that your employees are under an obligation to assign, to your company, their rights in any inventions that they develop in the course of their work. Otherwise, it may be difficult for your company to obtain ownership rights in those inventions…

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Strategies for Seeking Expedited Handling of Patent Applications

Many of our clients – especially early stage startup companies – have a need to protect their new technology very quickly. Fortunately, the U.S. Patent Office and many other patent offices have implemented relatively new, very effective mechanisms for the speedy examination of patent applications.

In the U.S., for example, for an additional patent office…

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