Frequent Questions
Aren’t patents necessary as incentives for development of new inventions, for example in the medical industry?
The patent system can serve as an incentive for innovation, but it doesn't exist simply to reward innovators. Indeed, it... Read More
Can IP rights protect plants?
There are five basic methods by which an entity may claim that it has a legal right to intellectual property,... Read More
What is a patent specification?
The specification, which is also called the disclosure, is a written description of an invention. The patent specification is drafted... Read More
What is a bulk sequence application?
Bulk sequence applications are patent applications that disclose an inordinately large number of nucleotide or amino acid sequences--many more sequences... Read More
Sequence Hybridization Language in Patent Claims
There are many ways to define the limits of a claim towards related genes, nucleotides, or protein sequences. One way... Read More
Transitional Language in Patent Claims
Transitional phrases in patent applications are important, as they specify whether the claim is limited to only the elements listed,... Read More
What are Claims?
The claims are the most important part of a patent. The goal of the claims is to particularly point out... Read More
What is a continuation application?
The term “continuation application” refers to an application that is based on an original patent application (often referred to as... Read More
What is the difference between a filing date and a priority date?
The terms filing date and priority date are often used interchangeably, but they are not the same. The filing date is the date when a patent... Read More
Different flavours of patents, and their terms
A patent is only in force during its term and in its jurisdiction. When the patent term runs out, or... Read More
Inventorship
"I am an author on the paper... why am I not an inventor?" 1. Overview The terms 'author' and 'inventor'... Read More
What is after-claiming?
The term “after-claiming” (also called "late claiming") refers to a patent prosecution strategy in which a patent applicant introduces new... Read More
How to View Continuity Data in PAIR
Continuity data is information about continuation applications that may have been filed based on a parent application. The USPTO PAIR web site... Read More
Provisional rights associated with pending patent applications
Ever think about why the label "patent pending" is such a powerful marketing tool? In the USA and some other... Read More
What determines a patent’s in-force duration?
Since the Uruguay Round Agreements in 1994, many countries have enacted laws providing that the enforceable term of patent protection... Read More
Patent Knowledge Quiz
The following 20 questions are designed to demonstrate key points about patents (see Top 10 things to know about patents)... Read More
Top 10 things you should know about patents
1. There is NO such thing as an international patent. There are "international applications" called PCT applications that need to... Read More
How to Read a Patent
In this section, we provide a roadmap of U.S. Patent No. 5,723,765 with explanatory text of the purpose and goals... Read More
What does “Freedom to Operate” mean?
"Freedom to operate", abbreviated "FTO", is usually used to mean determining whether a particular action, such as testing or commercialising... Read More