After building for some time, the excitement surrounding the potential of quantum computing has recently gained momentum. Quantum computing attracted $1.2 billion from venture capitalists in 2023 even as overall
Continue Reading How Could Quantum Computing Change the Technology Landscape?
On April 11, 2024, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office issued Guidance on Use of Artificial Intelligence-Based Tools in Practice Before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (April Guidance). The
Continue Reading Key Takeaways From the Latest USPTO Guidance on AI
Following President Biden’s October 2023 Executive Order on the Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence, the USPTO issued Inventorship Guidance for AI-assisted Inventions. This GT Alert
Continue Reading Navigating Inventorship for AI-Assisted Inventions – The USPTO Issues Guidance
On April 28, 2020, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) announced a new extension of certain submissions and fees under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act
Continue Reading USPTO Announces Extensions Under CARES Act
On March 31, 2020, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) announced extension of certain submissions and fees under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act)
Continue Reading USPTO Announces Possible Extensions Under CARES Act
On January 4, 2019, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) released new Patent Examiner Guidance (Guidance) for subject matter eligibility. The updated guidance could benefit any technology patent
Continue Reading New USPTO Guidance May Clear Path for More Technology Patents
Everybody is talking about blockchain as a disrupter in the banking and finance industries, but this emerging technology also has potential application for intellectual property (IP) protection. Blockchain creates the potential for an “open, distributed ledger” that permits the secure transfer and recordation of information and data, including digital assets, without the need for middlemen. Once recorded, the data in any given “block” cannot be changed retroactively, except in certain circumstances involving the modification of all subsequent blocks and the consent of a network majority. These features make blockchain interesting for digital currencies. Additionally, blockchain presents other benefits for trademark, copyright and patent protection, as well as IP licensing. Below are a few uses that are currently being explored.
Continue Reading Could Blockchain Disrupt How We Protect Our Intellectual Property?
Following the recent Supreme Court decisions in Alice Corp., Myriad, and Mayo which invalidated an array of claims under 35 U.S.C. § 101, patent subject matter eligibility has
Continue Reading USPTO Issues Subject Matter Eligibility Update with Examples for Life Sciences
Consider Provisional Patent Filings
Filing a provisional patent application in the U.S. is often a useful strategy for start-up tech companies. A provisional patent application allows a company to preserve an earlier filing date at a minimal expense and delays a much more significant expenditure associated with a non-provisional application by one year. By the anniversary of the provisional application filing, a non-provisional application must be filed in order to take benefit of the provisional filing date. A provisional application is especially useful if it provides a detailed description of the invention and preferably explains valuable alternative implementations. Otherwise any new subject matter added to the non-provisional application will not be given the benefit of the provisional application filing date.
Options for Non-Provisional Patent Filings
With the enactment of the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act (AIA) in 2011, there are now multiple opportunities to speed up the patenting process for which companies, such as those focusing on nanotechnology related inventions, can take advantage when filing a non-provisional. The two main options are (1) prioritized examination and (2) accelerated examination.
Continue Reading Provisional Patents as a Strategy for Tech Start-Ups
Multiple criteria have been used over the years by companies and investors to identify the commercial viability of 
a technology within a given industry. Included among these criteria are timeliness, market demand, and competitive advantage. These and other criteria may be applicable to more established industries; however, it may be more difficult to apply them when assessing technology within a new or emerging industry, such as video gaming.
In looking for potentially high-value opportunities, game developers may want to look at the patent system. In particular, the information available in a patent database, such as the US Patent and Trademark Patent Database, can provide insight into, among other things, early trends in technological advances, and when taken as a whole, such information can act as an indicator of potentially high-value opportunities.
Continue Reading Game Developers: What’s Your SWOT?