It is typically much easier to fight a patent application before the patent issues than fight against a patent. And yes, after America Invents Act, it is now easier to fight patent applications and patents than before.

With regards to geography, patents are enforceable only in the... View More

That really depends on what the patent claims say. The claims may be very narrow and you could get away with making something similar, or they could be broad and you are going to have a hard time making a helmet that competes well with the patented one.

You need to see a patent attorney... View More

You should seek competent patent counsel. You may or may not want to get a clearance search done, depending on your business situation.

A very safe route is to make a comb that has been around for at least 20 years so that you are certain that any patents that may have existed on the comb... View More

I, along with others, am available. Reach out to a few of us.

It appears that way. Provided, of course, that all of the other claim limitations of Claim 1 are taken into account. The term "cytokine" is defined in col 13, lines 38 to 62, and Claim 1 does not narrow this definition. This is not surprising; applicants try to claim more than just what... View More

It is the latter.

You certainly can make a biodegradable lure. People have been making biodegradable lures for decades. The lure that you want to make just cannot have the same composition as the one recited in the claims in the patent.

Claim 1 requires that the lure is comprised... View More

Generally, people like to see their names on the list of inventors on a patent. But, sometimes, workers are included on the list by a mistake.

Look up the attorney or the name of the firm that prosecuted the patent application. They'd be very much interested in making sure that the... View More

Yes, this happens all the time.

The problem is that if you do a poor job in describing your invention in your provisional application, but is done appropriately in the nonprovisional application, then you will be able to claim the priority only to the non-provisional application. What... View More

No.

A beer syringe named "Bierstick" was allegedly invented by Brandon Sirian, alongside his brothers, Justin and Ryan. A quick search for an inventor name Sirian does not turn up any US patents. Though you'd need to hire a patent attorney to give you a definite answer, it does not... View More

Patents cover the invention that is described in the claims of the patent. A patent may indeed cover all hock socks, or it may cover just a very specific type of hock socks. Without knowing more, we can't really tell you.

Given that you've been contacted by the patent... View More

No. You shouldn't do that. It would be difficult to argue that what you are describing is fair use.

Some people selling trademarked products do not get caught, say, when they sell their products at a neighborhood picnic, but NFL has lots of people making sure that their trademarks... View More

It may be easier to patent the app, you'd likely want to get intellectual property rights to both the app and the game.

You really need to hire a patent attorney to go over the specifics with you.

BASF is the trademark holder for the mark Soluplus, thus BASF most likely has patent rights to the polymer as well.

US patent 10,699,605, like all US patents, is good only in the US. It is not enforceable in Europe.

The good news is that there does not appear to be an equivalent European patent or patent application. Vestaboard, for whatever reason, did not file this patent in Europe.

Of... View More

You are going to have to get a patent attorney on board with this.

The good news is that you know about this patent, and can take steps now, before you've invested lots of money into production, marketing, and distribution.

All is not lost, though. Typically, the claims are... View More

Unfortunately, no patent attorney can give you an answer (or even a guess) without doing the necessary searches and other legal work. Sorry, but you will need to reach out to a patent attorney.

You will need some sort of legal opinion. You have two broad options. Firstly, you can get a... View More

It is hard to say without specifics, but if there is an activity like sewing that has been around for thousands of years, and a company comes up with a new product to help workers perform the activity better, the company will likely patent the product, as well as a method of using that product.... View More

If you want to operate a Built-A-Bear franchise in Albania, you need to contact the Build-A-Bear company. Typically, a franchisee in this type of retail establishment will be required by the company to invest heavily into the franchise. The company will in turn provide assistance in starting and... View More

Dear Rob, I am sorry that you have to deal with this. Unfortunately, they are not likely to respond to you.

As far as the legal view goes, there is really not much that you can do. You can't force them to disclose their proprietary information. There is no upside for them to give you... View More