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Patent filings in China continue to rise, as reported in a recent article in the Financial Times (7/3, Waldmeir). Enforcement of patent rights still remains an issue. However, with the rise in filings, coupled with a few pending court cases, momentum may be beginning to swing in the direction of the patentee. It appears the next few years will be critical in the evolution of IP in China.
Registration is now open for the 13th annual Independent Inventors Conference. The conference will be held at the USPTO in Alexandria, Virginia August 8-9.
Additionally, a pre-conference workshop will be offered the evening of August 7 for anyone interested in learning about the basics of patents and the importance of intellectual property protection.
For additional information, click here.
To register, click here.
China is boasting a 23% increase in convictions for intellectual property infringement. Industry Week reports that 4,322 people were fined or sentenced to jail last year.
It is that time of year again. The time when the number of hits to this blawg increases for people trying to find out if "March Madness" is a registered trademark. Click here to find the answer.
The number of patents issued in the U.S. in 2007 dropped from the previous year according to a recent article in the Chicago Tribune. There has been a downward trend in recent years. According to the article, only 51 percent of applications were allowed in 2007, which is down from 72 percent in 2000.
Patent Applications Pending Prior to Allowance
An on-line chat for independent inventors will be held on Tuesday, December 11, 2007 from 2:00 to 3:00 PM by the USPTO. To enter the chat, inventors can click here. The purpose of the chat is to answer questions individual inventors have regarding patents. To view transcripts of prior chats, click here. For a list of FAQ's, click here.
There has been a substantial amount of commentary on the KSR v. Teleflex decision. The impact of the decision was expected to be far reaching. Currently, the USPTO is in the process of training Examiners for examining cases in view of the KSR decision, which means we should know soon what the actual impact will be. However, based upon recent office actions received, and conversations with Examiners, the impact is not expected to be a big as what was expected. But we should have the answer soon enough.
What is the first patent to issue to a Toledo inventor? A preliminary search shows U.S. Pat. No. 10,606 issued March 7, 1854 to Chauncey D. Woodruff for an Improved Mode of Suspending Eaves-Troughs. Is it possible that it took 20 years for a patent to issue to a Toledo inventor after Toledo was founded in 1833? Was there an earlier one? What is the most famous patent to issue to a Toledo inventor? Who is Toledo's most famous inventor?
For entrepreneurs struggling to fund a new business, there are some alternatives. Top 25 Alternatives to Venture Capital provides a list of funding alternatives that can be explored.
