Anna Kinney

Jul 9, 2024 | jdsupra.com | Daniel P. Finnegan |Anna Kinney

Design patents protect the ornamental appearance of an article. The protection granted by a design patent is primarily indicated by illustrations. Since the first grant in 1842, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has issued about 1.03 million design patents. Why would a designer want a patent? The blog at https://www.dbllawyers.com/design-patents-online-marketplace/ explains. What makes a design patentable?

Feb 16, 2024 | jdsupra.com | Daniel Finnegan |Anna Kinney

A great idea can get an entrepreneur started down an exciting business path. If you have an invention, you can consult a patent practitioner, i.e., a patent attorney or a patent agent, to help decide whether to apply for a patent. Your practitioner will need some information from you first. What can be patented? An invention can be an article (product), a process (method), a composition (e.g. a chemical compound or blend of ingredients), or an apparatus (machine).

Apr 12, 2023 | jdsupra.com | Anna Kinney

USPTO Transitions From Hardcopy PatentsInventors prize their bound hardcopy patents for both sentimental reasons and because the hardcopy can be useful in negotiation. The USPTO only issues one original “Letters Patent.” If a patent is lost or destroyed, the best the owner can do is obtain a certified copy. However, as the world transitions from analog to digital, so too does the USPTO.

Feb 22, 2023 | jdsupra.com | Anna Kinney

Overnight, the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) lowered many fees for small and micro entities due to a component of the Consolidated Appropriations Act signed on December 29, 2022. The component, entitled “Unleashing American Innovators Act,” addresses disparities in the US patent system and is intended to expand access to patents for underrepresented communities. Most fees for small entities are now 40% of the un-discounted rate.