Experience | Expertise

Wondering whether your patent attorney is doing strategic legal work—or just moving paperwork from one inbox to another? This article breaks down three red flags...

Can you patent a new use for an existing product? Sometimes. U.S. patent law recognizes that a process can include a new use of a...

Doing your own patent search is a smart first move—but it can also create false confidence. This guide explains how founders and inventors can search...

Filing your own patent can save money up front, but small drafting mistakes can create expensive problems later. This guide explains the self-filing issues most...

Patent examiners are not movie villains plotting against your invention between coffee breaks. Most friction comes from mismatched expectations: inventors call too often, treat examiners...

Can you patent a simple invention? Absolutely—if it is new, useful, non-obvious, and described well enough to show what makes it different. Simple products can...

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...