A Board Certified Patent Attorney
Archive for the ‘Patents’ Category
Cool Patent of the Month – Creepy Crawlies on Your Skin
Imagine if every time someone called you, your skin vibrated. Sound kind of weird? Well, that’s exactly what Nokia is planning to do with a new piece of patent pending technology called “Haptic Communication”. What is this new patent application about? The technology looks fairly simple. It’s just a piece of fabric that “vibrates” according […]
Patent Success or Failure Hinges on This…
I am often asked this question: "Should an Inventor build on his Strengths or try to overcome his Personal Weakness?" Well, I recently had to choose between the two. Like many people with a career that involves long periods of sitting behind a desk, I struggled with my weight. I’ve never enjoyed exercise, […]
The Story of the Sexy Screen Starlet Turned Patent Holder
The November 28th, 2011 edition of Newsweek magazine featured an interesting article on a rather unexpected inventor – the “most beautiful woman in the world” actress Hedy Lamarr. The story of how she became a patent holder is an interesting one… It start in 1931 with a Czech art film called Ecstasy. In it is […]
Patent Question of the Month
It’s no secret lawyers aren’t cheap. But just how much is it to retain an attorney to draft your patent application? Let’s take a closer look… — Question from a Reader —- Matt asks, "I was wondering, what is it that you do to confirm that a certain idea is not already taken? Also What […]
Are prototypes necessary before you get a patent?
A prototype for your idea is an important part of building the actual product. But for the patent process, it is not necessary. In fact, there are only three things the US Patent Office requires to review your idea. And those are: 1. The application 2. Drawings 3. The application fee That’s all […]
3 Common Patent Application Mistakes
Patents give you 20 years of exclusive ownership of your idea. That means no one else can sell your idea…no one else can manufacture your idea…no one else can import your idea. In short, nobody can profit from your idea without obtaining your permission (which you can charge for, by the way!). And if they […]
Patent Wars: The Fight Over Phone Patents
Recently Newsweek created a fascinating visual detailing the ongoing patent wars between rival smart phone giants. It seems that patent infringement cases are the norm for this cutting edge technology. For example, Motorola is being sued for patent infringement seven times, by five different companies. And has patent litigation against three companies (all of which […]
Patent Your Food – A Look at Edible Patents
I received a call a few days ago from a woman who had a secret family recipe for cake. Her bridge friends said that she should get a patent on it, but she didn’t believe it was patentable. While most patents are for mechanical designs or other inedible inventions…new food and food products definitely fall under […]
