Experience | Expertise

Patent examiners are easy targets when a rejection feels disconnected from the invention. But the bigger issue is often the patent system itself: limited examination...

Copying a patented product can create serious business risk—but infringement is more nuanced than simply asking whether two products look or work alike. U.S. patent...

Customer referrals can be one of the most cost-effective ways to grow a small business—but only when you make them easy, memorable, and worth talking...

Patent infringement risk can turn a promising product launch into an expensive legal detour. This guide explains how founders and product teams can search patents,...

Thinking about using Fiverr or another low-cost marketplace to draft or file a patent application? The price tag may look friendly, but the legal and...

How long should your patent application be? There is no magic USPTO page count, but there is a practical balance between a three-page sketch that...

Can ChatGPT help draft a patent application in 15 minutes? In this Inventive Fireside demonstration, Devin Miller walks through an AI-assisted patent drafting sprint using...

Commercial success can strengthen a response to some patent rejections, but revenue is not a magic wand. Sales evidence matters most in an obviousness analysis...

Owning a website or registering a domain does not automatically give your business trademark rights. This guide explains the difference between domains, state business names,...

Most patent attorneys are trained to lead with the broadest claim and narrow from there. Devin Miller argues that this familiar sequence may make an...

Can you patent an accessory made for someone else’s product? Often, yes—if the add-on is new, useful, and nonobvious. But patentability is only half the...

Before calling a patent lawyer, inventors should complete three practical steps: document the invention in clear detail, search for similar products and prior art, and...

Receiving a patent rejection or trademark office action can feel like the USPTO just handed your business a legal escape room. The examiner may explain...

Can plain English make a patent stronger? The Drunk Grandma Test challenges inventors to explain an invention so clearly that a distracted nonexpert can understand...

After 503 interviews with patent examiners, one lesson stands above the rest: preparation beats persuasion. This practical guide explains how to schedule a USPTO examiner...

Patenting a hair product is not just a legal chore with better-smelling paperwork. It is a business strategy for protecting formulas, applicators, treatment methods, packaging...

There is no worldwide patent hiding in a Geneva filing cabinet, waiting to protect your invention everywhere at once. Patents are territorial, which means founders...

AI-written patents can look impressive while quietly weakening protection. This article explains why bloated AI drafts, excessive jargon, missing fallback positions, and weak design-around strategy...

How do companies legally get around patents without getting sued? The answer lies in strategic innovation, patent analysis, licensing agreements, and carefully designing around patented...

Patent value is determined by far more than simply owning intellectual property. Factors like market demand, licensing opportunities, legal strength, commercialization strategy, and competitive positioning...

Patent pending status is one of the most misunderstood concepts in intellectual property law. Many entrepreneurs assume filing a patent application instantly protects their invention,...

A U.S. patent only protects your invention within the United States—leaving you exposed in global markets. This article breaks down how international patent protection works,...

Filing a trademark application involves more than submitting a brand name to the USPTO. Three commonly overlooked details can delay or complicate the process: whether...

Learn how to properly complete a patent disclosure form for your law firm. This guide explains how to write a clear invention overview and detailed...

When filling out a patent disclosure form, the “Problem/Deficiency” section is where many inventors struggle. You must clearly explain what issue existed in the market,...

A strong patent application should do more than protect your prototype — it should safeguard design-arounds, alternative embodiments, earlier iterations, and foreseeable future generations of...

Admitting something as “prior art” inside a patent application may feel transparent, but it offers no legal benefit and can seriously weaken your patent. U.S....

Inactive domains are often misunderstood as abandoned, but ownership doesn’t depend on whether a website is live. As long as a domain is registered and...

Not every invention qualifies for a patent. Many ideas fail because they’re abstract, already invented, or obvious combinations of existing products. Understanding what isn’t patentable...

Waiting years for a patent approval can feel like watching paint dry—while your competitors sprint ahead. Fortunately, inventors and businesses don’t have to accept endless...