What You Should Know About Patent Secrecy Orders The Invention Secrecy Act of 1951 is a federal patent law that allows the government to keep certain inventions secret when publication or disclosure could be detrimental to national security. Sensitive technologies that relate to weaponry, cybersecurity and encryption, or other technologies that have potential national security […]

How Businesses Determine the Value of Patents Patent valuation is the process of estimating the economic value of patents, patent portfolios, and related intellectual property rights. The process translates legal protection into practical business information for licensing, selling, patent acquisition, fundraising, mergers, joint venture planning, financial reporting, transfer pricing, and litigation. Because patents are intangible […]

Introduction This page explains trademark consent agreements, their role in trademark registration, and how they differ from coexistence agreements. A trademark consent agreement can be especially important when an examining attorney refuses an application based on a likelihood of confusion with a previously registered mark. What are they and what are they for? A trademark […]

Introduction This page explains what trade secrets are, provides practical trade secret examples, summarizes the legal definitions that apply under trade secret law, and outlines basic protection strategies for keeping valuable business information confidential. It is intended for business owners, legal professionals, students, and others who want to understand how trade secret protection works in […]

Patent Assignments and How They Work A patent assignment is a transfer of all or part of the ownership of a patent. It is an important tool in the use and exploitation of patented technologies. Patent assignments allow for the monetization of patents, the transfer of technologies between businesses, and corporate management of intellectual property […]

Due Diligence Before Filing a Patent Application A patentability analysis is a practical first step for an inventor, entrepreneur, or business that wants to protect a new product, software feature, device, formulation, manufacturing process, or other invention. It helps determine whether a claimed invention may satisfy the legal requirements for a U.S. patent before they […]

U.S. Trademark Duration and Renewal Rules How long does a trademark last? In the United States, trademark rights can last indefinitely, but only if the trademark owner keeps using the trademark in commerce. Trademark rights can exist with or without a federal trademark registration. The proper use of a trademark in connection with goods or […]

How to Research Patent Ownership A patent assignment search is typically employed to determine patent ownership and chain of title for relevant competing technologies or potential licensing targets before a deal or dispute is pursued. Anyone can search and find the current recorded ownership for a patent or patent application. An assignment search is conducted […]

Copyrights Incentivize Creative Work and Provide Protection Why are copyrights important? They turn a creative work into a valuable intellectual property asset and give creators and businesses a legal framework to protect, control, and monetize original expression. Under U.S. copyright law, copyright protection arises automatically for original works of authorship as soon as an author […]

How Goodwill Connects with Trademarks, Branding, and Enterprise Value What is goodwill in business? Goodwill in the business context is the intangible value of a company that makes it worth more than the fair market value of its identifiable assets minus liabilities. In plain English, goodwill represents the premium paid for a business because of […]