17Sep
Fair Use in Copyright Law: Avoid Costly Mistakes
What is “Fair Use” in Copyright Law?
It can sometimes feel like a fine line between admiring and sharing someone's work, and violating their copyright. Finding the right mix is even more important in the Internet age, when copying someone's work is a simple matter of a point and a click. When you consider the fact that much of online conversation consists of sharing what someone has said, and responding to it or commenting on it, there is even more potential for confusion. A basic understanding of Fair Use in copyright may be helpful in clearing up a little of...
11Sep
Master Your Patent Application Strategy: 3 Proven Approaches
How Original Should Your Patent Application Strategy Be?
There are endless discussions to be had about the fairness or viability of patents, but the fact remains that, in many cases, an aggressive patent strategy is good for success. And innovation. At least, some of the most successful and innovative companies in current times have found this so: Apple is just one case in point. So, if you are a small business or an individual inventor, can the strategic and marketing lessons of one of the largest and most successful companies apply to you? A better question may be... why wouldn't they?Once...
09Sep
IP Protection: Driving Social Networking Innovation
IP Protection - Social Networking Patents Are On The Rise
As social networking becomes more important and occupies more presence in people's lives, the number of those seeking related patents increases. It's not unusual for innovators and creators to follow the need and the market, and software inventors, including of that for mobile devices and social networking applications, certainly fit this mold. This doesn't mean that it's all smooth sailing—as with other software patents, sometimes it's a lot more difficult to explain why what you've created is worth an exclusive patent.Showing What You’ve Got
Social networking is a wide and growing field....
26Aug
Patent Attorney Services: 4 Essential Steps to Success
So What Does A Patent Attorney Services Do?
This blog will necessarily be very general, as there is no one definition of a patent attorney, and no one determinator of what that attorney does. Some specialize in little known areas, others concentrate on various parts of the patent application process, others specialize in a certain industry or venue. There are some basic steps that almost all inventors and creators must take to receive a patent, and it's in these areas that many patent attorneys practice.Patent Searches
A patent search is first on the list before writing a patent application for...
23Aug
Intellectual Property Protection: 3 Vital Steps for Ideas
Intellectual Property Protection An Idea is a Beautiful Thing – Make it Count
It's not that difficult for some to come up with wonderful, innovative ideas—but getting those ideas to the point where they are patentable is an entirely different thing. Ideas themselves cannot be patented—you can have an idea, write all about it, claim it as your own, and have wonderful dreams of the money you'll make from it, but there is nothing to stop someone else from coming up with the same thing. If they are the first to file a patent application for this idea, it's theirs....
19Aug
Avoid 3 Critical Inventor Mistakes for Greater Success
Timing and Other Inventor Mistakes to Watch
Even though it can sometimes seem that the answer to everything is online—sometimes those answers are not correct. As any number of would-be inventors have found out, sometimes to their detriment. This doesn't mean that you can't, or shouldn't, seek out information wherever you can; just be sure to double check what you think you know against what a professional or lawyer actually does know.Here are a few of the main reasons new inventors sometimes run into trouble:
1. The Inventor Did Not Conduct a Professional Patent Search
A good, thorough patent search is almost...
16Aug
5 Vital Patent Search Questions Every Savvy Inventor Must Know
First thing's First Patent Search Questions
Sometimes would-be inventors get lost, or discouraged, before they even apply for their patent. This is because they are unclear on some of the process that comes before the patent application, or, sometimes, before contact with a patent attorney. Here are a few answers to some of the more common questions about patents.Why A Patent Search?
It doesn't matter if someone had your same idea before you did—but it does matter if they patented it first. You do a patent search before completing your patent application to ensure that yours is the first product...
12Aug
