In an exclusive piece written in The Guardian, Mark Terry of The Plus IP Firm was sought after to give his insight into the pending case against Apple. You can read the full article here.

In order to obtain a patent on an invention, one of the legal requirements under U.S. law is that an invention be new or novel.  See 35 U.S.C. § 102.  An application for a U.S. patent for an invention filed…

A trademark owner can lose its trademark rights under trademark naked licensing law.   A trademark owner can grant the right to use a trademark through a licensing agreement.  However, a trademark owner’s failure to adequately control the quality of goods…

A trade secret can be viable alternative to a patent for protecting information.  A trade secret is information that (1) derives economic value from not being generally known and not being readily ascertainable by proper means by other persons to…

The sole test for determining whether an accused design infringes on a design patent is the “ordinary observer” test.  The ordinary observer test requires one to view the differences between the accused design and the patented design in the context…

Yes, you can challenge a patent or patent publication.  Before making a decision to challenge a patent or patent publication, an analysis should be conducted by a registered patent attorney to analyze whether challenging the patent or patent publication is…

As a patent attorney, I am frequently asked, “Can I copy my competitor’s patented product?” The short answer is . . .  wait for it, wait for it . . . it depends.  This question typically comes up when a…

A design patent is a legal document that provides protection to the ornamental appearance of a design.  The ornamental appearance of a design can include the design’s shape, configuration, contrasting color or materials. A design patent can provide a huge…

One of the most difficult hurdles to overcome in the prosecution of a patent application is an Office Action based upon a 35 U.S.C. § 103 rejection, which is known as a “103 rejection” or “obvious rejection”.  In a 103…

What are common law trademarks? A common law trademark or service mark (collectively referred to in this article as a “trademark”) is a judicially created right that is governed by state law.  Generally speaking, common law trademark ownership is acquired…