On September 16, 2012, a number of the provisions of the American Invents Act (also referred to as the “Patent Reform Act of 2011”) will take place. One of the provisions will allow assignees of inventions to file U.S. patent applications.
Early patented "widgets," such as cigarette lighters, ball point pens or spring mouse traps, were probably far more challenging to design and develop than they were to patent. Fundamentally, patent
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is facing a growing backlog of more than 700,000 patent applications. On average, it currently takes about 25 months after the filing of
Patent attorneys have unique educational backgrounds relative to attorneys in other legal specialty areas. For example, many patent attorneys have advanced science or engineering degrees. Those with engineering degrees are
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office recently reported that the number of utility patent applications filed in 2009 fell 1.8% from 2008 (to a total of 457,966).
While doing business in China exposes companies to technology theft, clandestine production runs that are diverted to the black market, and other direct risks, U.S. companies that are not doing business in China are not immune from having their products copied and manufactured in China (or some other country) and sold in the U.S.
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