Grants Pass Patent Attorneys & Lawyers

Patent Law Treaty: What Is It?

The Patent Law Treaty (PLT) is an international agreement used in the how to patent an idea process to simplify the formalities associated with patent application procedures in multiple countries. The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) adopted the PLT on June 1, 2000.

The treaty began in the United States on April 28, 2005. The PLT was approved by the U.S. Senate in 2007. U.S. patent law was updated to reflect the PLT changes in 2012 and became known as the Patent Law Treaty Implementation Act, or PLT Act.

Why Is the Patent Law Treaty Important?

The PLT is extremely important to patent holders, since it makes

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What Is a Utility Patent?

A utility patent is the most common type of patent. The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) gives patents for:

• Machines and devices;
• Manufacturing processes or business systems;
• Compositions of matter or chemical compounds; or
• Improvements on earlier patents

that are new, functional, and non-obvious.

Utility Patents: What Are They?

Utility patents make up about 90 percent of USPTO-approved patent applications and are among some of the most valuable patents in the world. Utility patents:

• May be electrical, mechanical, or chemical.
• Provide broad protection for intellectual property.
• Can protect product variations with only one patent.

By definition, utility patents protect functional and new inventions and systems. Clai

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What Is Intellectual Property Law?

Intellectual property law (IP) protects the rights of any person or business who creates artistic work. Artistic work can include music, literature, plays, discoveries, inventions, words, phrases, symbols, and designs. Intellectual property law aims to encourage new technologies, artistic expression, and inventions that all promote economic growth.

Types of Intellectual Property Law

Just like the legal system protects people's physical property rights, it aims to protect people's mental labor, which we call intellectual property. There are several different types of intellectual property.

Copyrights

Copyrights protect any type of expressive art, such as writings, music, motion pictures, architecture, and other original intellectual and artistic expressions. A copyright gives the owner exclusive rights to reproduce their own work, publicly display it, perform it, and create derivat

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What Is Ex Parte Reexamination?

Ex parte reexamination is a tool that allows a patent owner or a third party to lodge a request for the United States Patent Office (USPTO) to reexamine an already-granted patent based on other patents and publications that they bring to the USPTO's attention.

An ex parte reexamination can be requested at any time during the enforceability of the patent. The requester needs to establish that the prior art creates a substantial and new question of patentability (SNQ). The reexamination is conducted in front of a panel of three experienced examiners within a specialized unit of the USPTO called the central reexamination unit (CRU).

Ex parte ree

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Patent Licensing: What Is It?

Patent licensing is part of how to patent an idea and is a revocable agreement between a patent owner and a licensee to transfer interest in a patent to a licensee, who can benefit from and enforce the intellectual property rights.

A patent owner can license or transfer interest in a patent. The licensor gives up the right to the intellectual property, usually for a certain period. During this time, the licensee can make or sell the invention or design. The licensee can also profit from the intellectual property during the license period.

There are two types of patent licenses:

• Exclusive Licenses: These transfer all ownership

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