Coming up with a great invention idea is fantastic, however trying to figure out what next steps to take isn’t always easy! The United States Patent and Trademark Office doesn’t technically patent ideas, however it’s easy to get around this with the right application materials. Let’s look at how to patent your idea and get…
Ever since the first US trademark application in 1870, there have been a whole load of weird and wacky applications. But things got extra strange once celebrities started realising that they could make money off their catchphrases or, in some cases, their very identity. In the infographic below you can see some of the pop…
Last week we discussed the brave move by the New Zealand government to rule that software would not be subject to patent rulings. But why is this such a big deal? Well, it’s a big deal because there is big money involved in patent trolling and it is killing promising startups before they even have…
No-one can argue that the patent system in the US is out of control. What started as a brilliant way of protecting intellectual property has now become a way of stifling innovation and a way for big businesses with very deep pockets to put an end to new competition by involving them in expensive and…
I have a recent experience regarding trade marks which I should share. We may only be a micro business, but we feel our name and logo – our brand – is so valuable. We registered it ten years ago. It was due for renewal in January. During the summer we received an official-looking notification, complete…
