All Questions
340
questions
15
votes
4
answers
6k
views
How can I contact the owner of a patent?
I am looking to contact a person who patented something. I am really interested in the vehicle covering system patent (US8430444) and would like to contact the inventor. Is there any way to get their ...
- 151
17
votes
4
answers
27k
views
How do you determine a patent expiration date?
How can I determine the lifetime of a patent?
For example, how can I tell when Patent US 7,055,282 B2 expires?
- 171
7
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Is this patent application granted, abandonded or pending? Which countries does it cover? Are there family members?
Is the patent link to the patent valid?
Has it been granted?
For which countries does the protection apply?
Are there other patents associated wth it?
How do I know all this?
(This question is ...
user18033
4
votes
1
answer
753
views
How do you correct errors in Google Patents?
In reference to the patent: US163625
The Inventor's name should be "Ariette Baird." How does this happen, and is there any way to correct copy errors in patents?
- 41
36
votes
7
answers
19k
views
Are text and images in the patent copyrighted?
Sometimes, during a patent research, I found patents which comprise one or more similar images and/or text paragraphs. Are text and images in the patent copyrighted? Does any 3rd party, other than ...
- 815
-2
votes
1
answer
288
views
any other patents involving baseball caps for pigtails?
Are there any patents out for baseball caps with pigtail/ponytail openings?
4
votes
1
answer
6k
views
Is this patent still valid and in force?
http://www.fosspatents.com/2012/12/us-patent-office-declares-steve-jobs.html
This news is from 2012/12 and the action was made on 2012/10, but application status is still "grant". Anyone know the ...
- 113
4
votes
1
answer
877
views
6
votes
1
answer
2k
views
Filing, CIP, Con, PCT, Priority, etc and Expiration Date
I was wondering if someone would kindly help me figure out how to determine the expiration dates for a patent family, and which and how each is still in effect and until when. (I don't have any patent ...
- 127
2
votes
3
answers
2k
views
Value of an Original Vintage Patent?
My family has some original patent paperwork from 1916. My grandfather is curious as to whether the original paperwork and drawings has any value other than its age. Also curious as to whether the ...
5
votes
1
answer
476
views
Jurisdiction of a US patent?
Just read Top 10 (US) Patents for 2014 and spotted one that essentially covers a business process that's only really applicable outside of the US: Bank of America’s the Foreign Currency Solution (U.S. ...
- 323
33
votes
5
answers
10k
views
How long are patents valid?
As an independent software programmer it is very tricky and time consuming to understand these patents. I would say it is impossible for me. Do software patents have a lifetime? If they do, it would ...
- 441
9
votes
2
answers
948
views
Repatenting someone else's dropped provisionals
My question is, can anybody provide any part of the US patent law proving or disproving the statement that:
Dropped and unpublished provisionals do not impede novelty of other inventions?
And how ...
user18033
4
votes
2
answers
249
views
When exactly do you lose the provisionals priority?
After reading some previous questions about provisionals, especially from inventors wanting to write them themselfs and consult an attorney only for the non provisional, I was wondering, how much do ...
user18033
25
votes
8
answers
5k
views
How can I perform a global patent search for free?
I'm aware of several resources for searching the national or regional (e.g. EU) patent databases, but have found no tool for searching patents in all (or even several) countries at the same time.
Is ...
- 1,106
18
votes
2
answers
3k
views
How to make an invention un-patentable easily?
It appears that the USPTO no longer does defensive publications, but instead you're supposed to abandon a patent application. But that will still incur filing fees, etc. I figure an obscure blog ...
- 287
18
votes
1
answer
3k
views
What should I do if my name is missing from a patent?
While working for a company, I contributed inventions that eventually became issued patents. While all other members of the team I worked on are named on those patents, my name is missing.
What ...
- 1,106
16
votes
5
answers
1k
views
Prior art for using a camera in self-driving cars
Toyota has filed a patent (#20120226392) for a "Driving support apparatus and driving support method". Its main claim:
A driving support apparatus that performs a driving support for causing a ...
7
votes
5
answers
635
views
Best places to record ideas as prior art to avoid later patents (UK/US)
any advice on the best places/web sites of record to list ideas which you want to be on record as prior art so others can't patent them (UK/US/Europe) ?
I have some ideas, which I don't want to ...
- 73
7
votes
5
answers
825
views
Prior Art for Onsite backup for internet-based data processing
Our startup is trying to provide a backup solution for Google Apps for your domain. In principle it's a software running on the client computer. Our software then connects to Google via APIs (GData) + ...
- 223
7
votes
3
answers
22k
views
Is an expired patent in the public domain?
From what I've been reading about US patents, once a patent has expired, it enters the public domain and can be freely used.
The patent I was looking at was filed on 1/1999 and published in 10/2000. ...
- 173
6
votes
2
answers
3k
views
When do file histories for US Patent Applications appear in Public PAIR?
I was under the impression that the FILE HISTORY for a US Patent Applications appears on Public Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) contemporaneously with the publication of the ...
- 3,085
5
votes
1
answer
858
views
Do I have to come with an actual prototype before filing a patent
When we come up with an idea (and let's assume that this idea can be implemented), can I just go ahead and file for a patent (in which I fully describe in much detail its nature and content), or do I ...
- 53
3
votes
2
answers
458
views
Is it possible to search patents by assignee?
My name is Jesse L Culpepper. I would like to know how many patents are in my name.
48
votes
6
answers
3k
views
Is it practical for a novice to successfully file a patent without hiring a patent lawyer?
I am an undergraduate student in the US, and have come up with a (hopefully) patentable idea independently of my studies. The upside of that is the university cannot claim any rights to my invention; ...
- 580
47
votes
10
answers
6k
views
Microsoft have submitted a patent for a whack to silence a phone ringer. How similar does prior art have to be?
Microsoft has filed for a patent on a new technique that allow users of mobile devices to silence them by delivering a firm whack. From The Register:
Patent application 20120231838, aka CONTROLLING ...
- 816
29
votes
8
answers
13k
views
Should I patent my idea before posting it on the internet?
Should I patent my idea before posting it on public internet forums? Could someone who sees my post beat me to it?
- 299
11
votes
4
answers
10k
views
What is a continuation patent?
I understand that a continuation patent builds upon an existing patent (or application) by the same inventor. However, I find some aspects to be murky and prone to misuse. Specific questions follow:
...
- 863
9
votes
5
answers
2k
views
avoid the possibility of a future patent
Here's a hypothetical scenario:
I have a new idea, say a new engine of some sort. I don't want to patent it because I don't want to ever profit from it and I would like to use a license in the spirit ...
- 93
9
votes
2
answers
586
views
Over time, which patent legislation applies, current or past?
Let's imagine a patent is filed in 2003 and later approved by the USPTO. Let's imagine someone wants to challenge it with valid prior art (year 2000 for example).
Which legislation applies? The one ...
7
votes
2
answers
6k
views
How detailed should a provisional patent application be? (Software)
I am considering filing for a provisional patent which deals with mobile and web technologies. Now this is a method to do something. But how detailed do I go? Right now, I have something working in ...
- 195
5
votes
2
answers
1k
views
Possible US patent infringement and German company
We are currently trying to set up a startup that sells a software product online. The software can be downloaded worldwide and paid for via Paypal. Our company is a limited liability company based in ...
- 223
5
votes
1
answer
177
views
Can the developer of a free software be sued for damages because of an accidental patent infringement?
Assume that I created a free software that accidentally infringes on one or more software patents.
Can the holders of these patents sue me for damages, even though I did not make any money from the ...
- 87
4
votes
2
answers
136
views
Citing art in body of application?
What factors should an inventor consider when deciding whether or not to include references to other art in the background section of their patent application?
It no longer seems to be a common ...
- 524
4
votes
1
answer
2k
views
How to find out if a patent has been awarded or abandoned?
Has this patent been awarded or is the patent still pending? It shows in the database as pending, but that was back in 2009. If the idea was abandoned, would the patent still be listed as pending?
- 41
3
votes
1
answer
4k
views
What is the new time limit for reviving an abandoned patent application? Any case law?
Here it is stated that due to recent rule changes at the USPTO, patents may now be revived even after a two year period:
Is an expired patent in the public domain?
George - just for edification, ...
- 131
3
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Can a design patent be issued based on an existing product?
Does Prior Art apply to Design Patents, and can they be invalidated based on Prior Art?
Specifically, if a product has been on the market for twenty years without modification, can an unrelated ...
- 312
3
votes
3
answers
975
views
Patent filing procedure without a patent attorney
This is the first time I'm thinking about filing a patent, and I don't know where to start. First of all I'm not from the USA but I want to file a patent with the USPTO without a patent attorney as I ...
- 131
3
votes
2
answers
561
views
Failure to pay maintenance fees
If an inventor submits an idea and it has been accepted, and he makes no tangible device (it remains intellectual rather than carried out). But then the inventor does not pay the maintenance fees, ...
- 31
2
votes
4
answers
168
views
Ideas on how to do patent searching
I'm a newbie and I'm hoping to get some pretty interesting ideas from you guys about patent searching and the different tools and techniques I can use.
- 403
2
votes
1
answer
445
views
Has anyone used copyright infringement in the application, as grounds to block / revoke / force the re-examination of a patent?
Just read "this-is-a-direct-copy-of-a-previous-patent-we-own", in conjunction with "Are text and images in the patent copyrighted?", and "Can I copy texts from other applications into my application?"....
- 323
1
vote
2
answers
531
views
How can the difference between "Priority Date" and "Filing Date" be greater than 1 year?
For most patents (at least the ones I looked at) there is no more than 1 year difference between "Priority Date" and "Filing Date": often exactly 1 year, and if not, just under 1 year.
This must be ...
- 264
1
vote
1
answer
940
views
Can Patent A be considered as a prior art over Patent B with a priority date before the filing date of Patent B?
We have:
Patent A, filed Nov. 29, 2006 in the US, claimed the benefit of a DE application, filed Feb. 02, 2006，(there is a PCT application filed Nov. 29, 2006 with the publication date Aug. 30, 2007, ...
- 35
1
vote
2
answers
181
views
1
vote
2
answers
102
views
Software invention with two components
So, assume I have an iOS application with two components. Let us call those C1 and C2. C1 takes input from the user and does some calculations then stores it for C2 to do more calculations and display ...
- 157
33
votes
8
answers
4k
views
URL pointing to time of video (Google) - Patent Application - PRIOR ART REQUEST
This Patent Application received a non-final rejection by the US Patent Office that was based in part on Ask Patents contributions! An initial rejection is part of the typical course of a patent ...
rejected
18
votes
2
answers
893
views
Is use in foreign countries a bar to patentability?
If an invention is in use in a foreign country, but it is not patented in that country (or any other countries), and it is not the subject of a printed publication anywhere, could that invention be ...
- 751
16
votes
4
answers
18k
views
Can game mechanics be patented?
There's a board game that I really like called Mystery Mansion.
I want to make a similar digital version of the game for various mobile platforms, but I don't want to get sued by Milton Bradley (Now ...
- 263
16
votes
2
answers
889
views
Can the non-obviousness of an invention be challenged if the difference to prior art is only the mathematical-statistical approach?
TL;DR
Given a patent application describing a calculation using a maximum likelihood approach, and a piece of prior art that has the same goal but uses Monte Carlo simulation, is this sufficient to ...
- 261
14
votes
1
answer
5k
views
When patenting in the United States, what impact does patenting in other countries too have?
I've seen where companies have filed for the same patent in multiple additional countries beyond the United States. What is the motivation for such extensive patenting? What impact (if any) do these ...
- 243
Related Tags
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claims × 24
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uspto × 14
law × 14
filing × 14
patent-lifetime × 14
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