Seeking patent protection can be a major challenge, especially if something goes wrong in the early stages of the process. In some cases, businesses and inventors that attempt to submit a patent application on their own behalf will make mistakes or will provide an...
Copyright infringement often flies under the radar, at least at first. Businesses may not realize that certain content creators online or other businesses have infringed on their copyright protections until something significant occurs. They may see a major drop in...
In the intellectual property world, a non-practicing entity (NPE) is any party that has obtained a patent they have no intention of using themselves. Why would a business or other party obtain a patent for a product or process they have no plans to use or develop? To...
Intellectual property (IP) litigators are sometimes hesitant to take their disputes to mediation. Some of them think that proposing mediation or a settlement discussion will be perceived by the other party as a sign of weakness. However, this need not be the case...
As a business owner, you may have employees who create products, software programs or any number of things that set you apart from the competition. You may also bring in independent contractors to work on specific projects or contract with professionals to create...
If another company or an individual has violated your intellectual property (IP) rights, you may not need to go directly to a legal action. In fact, you may be able to avoid going to court at all. A good initial step is sending what’s called a “cease and desist”...
When patents make the news, it is often an issue involving patent infringement. The government grants so many patents each year that individual patents almost never make the news, even when a business sends out press releases. Despite the efforts inventors and...
If your business gets the rights to use someone else’s intellectual property, it’s important to note that these rights may be very specific. You don’t want to make any assumptions about what you’re allowed to do or how you’re allowed to use the material. Doing so...
A patent is a crucial form of protection for any business that has invested substantially in the creation of a new software program, the development of a new plant through selective breeding or any other product or process that gives that business a competitive...
Prosecuting a patent is the most effective way for a business to protect the investment it has made in research or product development. A company's patents will help ensure that it maintains a competitive edge either by producing something that no one else can or by...