Category: Intellectual Property

  • 2-min guide to IPs for retail business

    2-min guide to IPs for retail business

    Let’s say you were to sell t-shirts. What do you want to protect? A. Words, logos, etc B. Product design C. It’s all in the making. (e.g. special sewing technique) A. Words, logos, etc These are called “trademarks”. Trademark is a way to tell people that products bearing the “words, logos, etc” are from you.…

  • Can I get it patented?

    When you ask, Can I get my product patented? The answer goes: it definitely is, but it might not worth it. Let me explain. Some people mistake a patent as a comprehensive protection for a certain idea or product. Well, a smartphone is said to be covered by 250,000 patents. It should tell you how…

  • Trademark DIY – ICs and IDs?

    Trademark DIY – ICs and IDs?

    When you go through a TEAS application, you will be required to assign an acceptable identification of goods/services for your trademark. In doing so, you will be (sometimes unknowingly) assigning an international class as well. Find out what are these and how to choose them. International Classes & Acceptable Identifications of Goods or Services These…

  • Somebody’s claiming rights under trademark registration, which you believe is bogus?

    Somebody’s claiming rights under trademark registration, which you believe is bogus?

    You may be able to move the USPTO to expunge or cancel a trademark registration for not being commercially used in the U.S. What is Expungement (and Reexamination) of Trademark Registration? Virtually anyone can petition for an expungement of a registered trademark with the evidence of record supporting that the registered mark has never been…

  • The Story of DASAMOA®

    The Story of DASAMOA®

    “The Story of” series of articles are written by Young Jeon, Esq. to share his experience with a trademark application filed with the USPTO. It is intended to be informative as to the USPTO trademark registration process. Only information readily available to the public is contained in this article. DASAMOA® is an online retail department…

  • Not sure if you have a registered trademark?

    Not sure if you have a registered trademark?

    There are many business owners who own registered trademarks but have no idea about it. How come? Possible scenarios: Well, here comes what to do when that happens. First, see if you have “U.S. Serial No.” or “Registration No.” in your hands. If you have any of the following, you can find the number easily:…

  • Trademark Search Hacks

    Trademark Search Hacks

    Trademark attorneys, like myself, use USPTO’s Trademark Search like everyone else. I will walk you through the entire process with helpful tips you can use right away. First of all, you need to access Trademark Search (uspto.gov) You should see something like this: Now, hit the “Search by all” button on the top left, and…

  • Did you receive an invoice (or a bill) for your trademark?

    Did you receive an invoice (or a bill) for your trademark?

    If you are wondering if the invoice or bill you received by mail is legit, please read on. Scammers consistently target US trademark applicants and registrants. Many of those have names bearing a close resemblance to the name of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) such as Patent and Trademark Office, LLC. First…

  • TM attorney’s brand naming ideas

    Is this a good trademark? Well, I get that question a lot as an IP attorney. I have been working on trademark cases for about ten years now. In fact, one of the first things I did as a newly minted attorney in Chicago was to file a response to an office action rejecting a…

  • Patent Protection and Limitations

    Patent Protection and Limitations

    Patent protects inventor’s exclusive right to an invention, but at the same time it aims to promote further advancement of the same technology. These are conflicting goals for which patent provides a comprehensive exclusivity that is also clearly defined. If you are considering patenting your invention, you should first understand the limitations which define the…