Developing and Launching Products Without Patent Applications
Most start-ups find themselves faced with needing to use others to develop their technology (or the need to launch a product) while a patent application is unaffordable.  These situations present ... Halloween 2012: Revenge of the Entrepreneur
Bad patents are the bane of entrepreneurs.  These zombie patents wander the country-side apparently claiming well-known technology yet somehow managing to survive the invalidity grave yard.  For years entrepreneurs have pled for ... Shooting From the IP Hip
Tech-savvy entrepreneurs sometimes find themselves on the horns of an IP (intellectual property) dilemma.  They conduct their own “patent search,” misinterpret the results, and state in writing that they might be infringing ... Funding Intellectual Property (IP) Protection in Early Stage Companies
Early stage companies face a number of dilemmas over which activities to fund.  Often, the drive to bring that new product (or service) to market consumes the lion’s share of ... Why Should Small Business Owners Spend the Money to Try to Get a Patent?
Since typical patent trials cost millions of dollars and take years to pursue, many business owners forego the expense of filing patent applications.  However, having the option to sue your ... Provisional Patent Applications: Cheap “Protection” or Dead Man’s Curve?
You get what you pay for.  Case in point: provisional patent applications.  U.S. law allows inventors to file “provisional” patent applications for a modest fee.  Since the costs for provisional ... How to Avoid Triggering One Year Deadlines For Filing Patent Applications
Last week, we discussed some ways in which entrepreneurs can effectively lose the right to pursue patent protection for their potentially patentable ideas.  Namely, by offering a product or service ... Austin RISE Week Intellectual Property Series Hosted By the Business Success Center
The Villhard Patent Group cordially invites followers of this blog (and their colleagues) to a series of intellectual property seminars to be held during Austin RISE Week 2012.  The Business ... Don’t Stop the Train: More on Developing Products and Trademark and Prior Art Searches
It is a rare pleasure when a new entrepreneur (or one with a new product/service) approaches an Intellectual Property (IP) Attorney with concurrent requests for trademark (TM) and prior art ... Trademark Search First, Then Brand
All too often an entrepreneur requests a trademark search after they have settled on a branding strategy.  Indeed, in many cases, the company has been formed under a particular name, ...
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