Education Center
USPTO Efforts at Modernity Speeds Patent Issuance
On May 13, 2025, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) will expedite Issue Dates for patents. This will reduce the average time from three weeks to about two weeks, so patent holders can bring their investments to market sooner. Please note:...
Read Article
MAJOR CHANGES IN PTO FEES EFFECTIVE JANUARY 19, 2025
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has issued a final rule setting out patent fee increases that will come into effect on January 19, 2025. The USPTO states that costs justify an increase of 10% for up-front fees and 7.5% for...
Read ArticleProposed Increases of United States Patent Fees
On April 3, 2024, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) issued a notice of rulemaking setting out the fees that it proposes for the fiscal year starting on September 29, 2024. Although the proposed fees are subject to public...
Read Article
False Declaration of Incontestability Not Enough to Cancel US Trademark Registration
BACKGROUND: Great Concepts has owned Registration No. 2929764 for DANTANNA’S, in association with “steak and seafood restaurant”, since March 2005. In 2006 Chutter Inc’s predecessor-in-interest, Dan Tana, petitioned to cancel the mark based...
Read Article
Fourth Circuit Confirms That ‘Gruyere’ is Generic for Cheese
Background The appellants, Interprofession du Gruyère and Syndicat Interprofessionnel du Gruyère, are two consortiums, Swiss and French, that regulate use of the term ‘gruyere’ to refer only to cheeses produced in the Gruyère district of...
Read ArticleAmerican Axle v. Neapco
Introduction On July 31, 2020, in American Axle v. Neapco, the Federal Circuit split 6-6 on the question of whether to grant en banc review of a panel decision on patent eligibility seen by many as an unwarranted extension of the principle that...
Read Article