Patents Explained

What is a pending patent? What does filing for a patent do for the value of your business? How much does it cost to file a patent? How do you do it? Watch this video for answers to these questions and more.

Disclaimer: The contents of this video presentation are intended to convey general information only and are not intended to constitute legal services or the provision of legal services. This video should not be used as a substitute for obtaining legal advice from an attorney licensed or authorized to practice law in your jurisdiction. This video presentation does not constitute an offer to represent you and nothing on this website is intended to create an attorney-client relationship. The information presented in this video presentation may not reflect the most current legal developments. No action should be taken in reliance on the information contained in this video presentation and we disclaim all liability in respect to actions taken or not taken based on any or all of the contents of this site to the fullest extent permitted by law. You should contact an attorney for advice with respect to particular legal issues or problems.

Patent Law

Whether you’re an established company or an aspiring entrepreneur, having one or more patents could be key to your success. Hi, I’m Michael Abramson and I’ll be informing you about some of the high-level basics of patent law.

Patent Pending

What does having a patent pending actually mean? A patent pending simply means that a patent application has been filed, is still pending, and has not yet issued as a patent. You cannot enforce the rights of a pending patent, but in some situations, infringement damages can begin to accrue from the date the patent application is published.

Patent Rights

What does having a patent actually mean? Having a patent is a negative right. It’s the right to exclude others from making, buying, selling, or using the patent invention. It does not provide you with the right to make, buy, sell, or use the patented invention. For example, if your invention is a combination of widget A and widget B and someone else has a patent for a widget A, you might not be able to make, buy, sell, or use your invention because it might infringe the patent for widget A.

Types of Patent Applications

1. Provisional Patent Application

One type of patent application is a provisional patent application. It’s really a placeholder to provide a priority date to the invention. It does not require any formal structure or claims. It lasts one year, but before the one-year period is up, a non-provisional patent application must be filed that claims benefit of the provisional filing date or you will lose that priority date.

2. Non-provisional Patent Application

The second type of patent application is a non-provisional patent application and is the new useful process, machine manufacture, or composition of matter or a new and useful improvement thereof. It generally last 20 years from the filing date.

3. Foreign Patent Application

For foreign patent applications you can file in the individual countries, but most people will file a PCT, or Patent Cooperation Treaty, patent application. Once that’s filed, it allows a placeholder to decide the countries in which they want to file and generally must be decided 30 months from the PCT filing date. The life of the resulting foreign patent may vary from country to country, but as a general rule it’s around 20 years from the filing date.

4. Design Patent Application

There’s also a design patent, which is the ornamental design of a functional item, for example, the beveled edges of an iPhone. That generally last 15 years from the filing date.

Patent Process

The patent process can be long and a little confusing, but filing a patent application does not mean that you have a patent. Once you have your idea, speak with a patent attorney who can help you decide whether or not to file a patent application and he’ll work with you to draft and file it. Once filed, and depending on how many applicants are ahead of you, the U.S. PTO may take one to three years before they exam the patent application to see if it should be issued as a patent.

Prior Art

Upon being examined, if the examiner cannot find any prior art references–known as prior art–that the examiner believes discloses or suggests your invention as claimed and predates your priority date, then the examiner will issue a notice of allowance, which entails paying an issue fee.

Office Action

If the examiner can find prior art, the examiner will issue a rejection, called an office action, explaining the rationale behind the rejection. Receiving an office action is incredibly common and does not necessarily mean that the invention cannot be patented. However, it does require filing a legal response arguing the differences between the prior art and the claim invention, which may involve amending the claims to make that distinction more clear. The examiner will review the response and either again issue another officer action to which to respond if new references are found or issue notice of allowance if no new references are found.

It typically takes between two and five office action responses before patent applications typically get issued, but it’s important to recognize that not all patent applications get issued. After reviewing each office action, a patent attorney can help you determine whether or not to keep fighting.

Is It Worth Filing for a Patent Application?

Time and Cost

The costs can vary greatly based on many factors, but it’s estimated to cost, on average, $15,000 to $30,000 dollars and take three to five years to obtain a patent, if possible. The real question is, “Is this patent that I may or may not get worth more than the cost of obtaining it?” The obvious value could, of course, come from licensing or assigning the patent, but there are other benefits to consider.

Competitors

First, keeping competitors out of the market. How much value is there in being the only game in town and dissuading others from entering your space? Next, restricting competitors. Even if you can’t practice your invention because it infringes on a competitor’s patent, you may still be able to prevent the competitor from practicing your invention, possibly putting them at a disadvantage in seeking a license.

There’s other types of protection as well. A company may be less willing to sue you for infringement if they know that you have a patent that they might have infringed and they may also help negotiate a cross license deal in lieu of a lawsuit. It could also prevent others from patenting the invention, which would prevent you from practicing it.

Company Value

For the company value, it’s a little difficult to determine the actual value of the patent portfolio because it’s really an art and a science. But having a patent or even a pending patent can increase the company value. While not required, having some form of patent protection can help convince an investor to provide funding.

Hire a Patent Attorney

So noteworthy last thoughts. Do not try to file a patent application without a patent attorney. Patent application is more than merely a technical disclosure and should be written by somebody who has passed the federal patent bar and understands all the laws and procedures. The scope and validity of the patent may be affected by what you say, how you say it, what you don’t say, and once filed, the body of the patent application generally cannot be fixed. Only the claims can be amended and only based upon the original disclosure.

As a general rule, be aware that if you publicly disclose your offer or offer to sell your invention, then you may have one year from that date to file some sort of patent protection. Otherwise, you run the risk of being statutorily barred from obtaining a patent on the subject matter.

The information I’m providing is very generally applied and can easily be changed depending on your unique circumstances. Always speak with a patent attorney before making any decisions.

Source: Business Town

Zillable Disrupts Enterprise Social Networks with the Launch of Collaboration Platform

Zillable launches a secured collaboration and innovation platform that consolidates familiar productivity and collaboration apps for teams of any size

Zillable™, an innovator in collaboration and innovation, unveils the world's first collaboration and innovation platform specifically designed for forward-thinking teams and enterprises of 10-10,000 members to collaborate and innovate on any device and from any location.

Productivity and innovation tools, such as: boards, mind mapping, chat, and newsfeeds, are ordinarily one-off apps created by various developers. Zillable offers the enterprise a suite of integrated collaboration and innovation tools on a single platform, specifically designed for organizations to realize new value from diverse employees working across departments and time zones, and to be responsive to disruptive markets.

"Zillable is like your digital coffee shop where teams collaborate and innovate - seamlessly at ease," Andrew Pham, CEO and Founder of Zillable explained. "The enterprise can create private collaboration networks that dissolve departmental silos and streamline the way employees get stuff done, innovating faster." Public communication channels may also be employed by the enterprise, engaging the Crowd and fine-tuning predictions for market shifts and internal company strategy.

"Today's global workforce can't be constrained by the limitations of conference calls, corporate emails, or video conferences," Mr. Pham said. "Zillable empowers employees to create and innovate whenever and wherever they need – not just when it fits into someone else's schedule."

The Zillable platform effectively merges social media with enterprise collaboration workspaces and business productivity apps, such as boards, mind mapping, newsfeeds, and task management. "The autograph of innovation isn't mysterious," explains Andrew. "When you get right down to it, innovation happens when you give freedom to your employees to engage, share ideas, and provide them with the productivity tools to help them streamline their workflows."

Zillable's disruptive collaboration and innovation platform is designed exclusively for teams and organizations of any size. Free and paid plans are offered, including a basic free plan for unlimited evaluation that includes chat, boards, and other productivity tools at no cost. To learn more about Zillable, visit: Zillable.com

ENTERPRISE COLLABORATION SYSTEM IN THE MODERN ERA OF TECHNOLOGY

Every organization aims to establish successful projects to sustain its essence. There are companies which have been there for years, even decades, but have we ever wondered how each of these still manages to stay intact? The advancement of technology could be one of the major factors that affects their way of project management and enterprise collaboration.

Over the years, the standards of collaborating to refine an organization’s project have been uplifted. Of course, we may have seen on small and big screens how management held their brainstorming activities through meetings, conferences, and other ways. It could involve long hours of discussions, formulating possible solutions, and dispersing the responsibilities from the senior management to the regular employees.

Before, experts divided the phase of project management system into five steps. First will be the brainstorming phase, then outlining the ideas. After that, the team should spread the details to its subordinates and they have to maintain and close it successfully.

However, this kind of system might be obsolete in a few decades’ time. The birth of computer science and the Internet paved way to a more sophisticated, elaborate, transparent, and easy-to-access system with the help of idea management and enterprise collaboration tools.

WHAT IS ENTERPRISE COLLABORATION

Basically, it is a method of communication that allows employees to share and receive information through the help of Internet, social media, and other digital and online tools. Enterprise collaboration can handle project management, idea management, team task management and might as well more system that requires efficient communication among employees for the advancement of every projects.

According to a research, a good enterprise collaboration tool must have these three characteristics. First, it should have a suit of social tools such as instant messages and a workplace tab. It should also have a Learning Management System that could train every new employee. Most importantly, it should have communication tools like video conferencing, to name one.

WHY SOME ORGANIZATION STILL FAIL DESPITE HAVING ENTERPRISE COLLABORATION TOOL

These trio of requirements must not be hard to achieve, but a study reveals that despite the clear characters, some companies still fail to organize a smooth communication between the management and the employees. As per the recent analysis, the challenges that still lures the modern entertainment collaboration systems lies within the management.

Since the higher team are in charge of setting up the plans, ambiguity must be well taken care of. An unclear message could cause a major setback in every projects. Aside from that, lack of transparency has also seen as one of the three major problems that can put the enterprise collaboration system into jeopardy. Lastly, the management should stick to their original plans and not change it unless it is deeply necessary.

In order to avoid those pointers, one communication tool got features that aids organizations in building its idea management and project management system.

ZILLABLE AS AN ENTERPRISE COLLABORATION TOOL

Tired of reading long E-mail threads? Zillable offers Team chat that enables each of the employees to seamlessly communicate whenever they are needed and need to. It also allows transparency in every information essential to the projects.

Aside from that, Zillable also offers a project management system tool that adapts the Kanban board style of planning merged with digital formula so exchanging of brilliant ideas would be smooth and fast. The resorts to a more time-efficient process in executing the plans thus saving time and effort.

More than its capability to run idea management and team task management, the Zillable enterprise collaboration tool also allows the employees to look into the online task manager and see the things that still needs to be done on every consecutive projects. They can also put the status of their respective task in an easier and user-friendly way.

Zillable allows collective working even though a firm has employees overseas. It fosters creativity throughout the workers as well and increase productivity. Highly likely, Zillable has been a huge help to companies since 2015.

via [ELCOM CMS]

Make brushing more fun with Minions!

Getting the kids into bed at night can be tough and stressful, add tooth brushing to the equation and you may be ready to give up :) While it’s important for your child to form oral care habits today, it’s not always easy to get them to brush their teeth. If this is your dilemma, it may be time to get creative or find a tactic that will work for your child so he or she can enjoy a lifetime of healthy, beautiful teeth.

Make brushing more fun with Minions Kids Oral Care Pack

If your kids love Despicable Me or the Minions, then head out shopping for some fun Minions toothbrush and Minions toothpaste. Let them have some fun using Minions inspired toothbrushes and toothpaste. This will make brushing a lot more fun for your child!

Colgate Minions Kids 2-5 Years Old (Junior) Oral Care Pack (Buy Now!)

It contains

- 1 pc Colgate Kids Minions Toothpaste

- 1 pack Colgate Smiles Junior Minions (2-5 years old) Twin Pack Toothbrush

Colgate Minions Kids 5-9 Years Old (Youth) Oral Care Pack (Buy Now!)

It contains:

- 1 pc Colgate Kids Minions Toothpaste

- 1 pack Colgate Smiles Junior Minions (5-9 years old) Twin Pack Toothbrush

You may also add some music to your brushing routine. You can consider adding some Minions music and rhythm to your kids' brushing routine to make it more exciting. You can find mobile apps on the app store that offer music that plays for two minutes while your kids brush, or you can play your child’s favorite Despicable me soundtrack as they are brushing their teeth with Minions toothbrush and toothpaste. It’s even more fun if you and your kids dance around to the music together as you brush.  

How about you? Have something to share? Share any of your tricks in the comments below.

Quarter-life crisis.

Since I turned 27, every year, a few months before my birthday, which is in October, has been very difficult for me. I am now turning 32 and this year has been the worst.

Even though I have the most supportive husband, beautiful kids, a stable job, our own house and a car I still feel that there is something missing in my life. I am sad most of the time and been crying whenever I am alone. May it be in the car, in the office or at the mall. My life has been full of ups and downs. Name it and I’ve been through it (I think). But what’s most stressing me out is that not a lot of people, including the ones closest to me, choose to understand or even ask how I am doing. People tend to judge you without even knowing what you are going through. When they see you happy and enjoying yourself they will jump to conclusion that you are already a bad person. That you are not taking care of your family. That you do not love your kids anymore. Which is totally not true. It is sometimes wrong that you show people that you are happy although deep inside you are partly broken.

I am a strong person. I’ve always been the life of the party. I love to go out and be with my family and friends. But whatever it is that I am going through hinders me from being myself.

When I am at home, I just love to stay in the room and be alone and cry with no reason at all. During the weekends, I love to be outside partying the whole night. I want to be surrounded with people younger than me. I want to do the things young people are doing these days. I envy their youngness (if there is such a word). I envy their generation (not that I am not proud to be a 90’s kid because I love it, see the confusion?).

I lived a happy life. I had a pretty decent childhood. We may not be well off before but we had almost everything that is necessary to live. I was fed, housed, loved and educated.

At 19, I was a stow-away. I went with my, now, husband and lived separately from my parents. I was an undergrad. We started really rough and poor since he was still studying then. I had to work nightshifts, full-time at a very young age. Now that I am older, I just suddenly realized that I was not able to enjoy my younger years. I was not able to party, do overnights with friends, drink till dawn and travel. Not that I am regretting what I have now because I am really grateful and thankful for all of it but I just feel so incomplete and unhappy. And this is REAL. TRUE.

I fear getting older. I fear DEATH. I fear the future. Not sure why or if I should be. I made some research about what I’ve been going though and I found out that there is such a condition so most likely I am not the only one experiencing this.

“Gerascophobia is an abnormal or persistent fear of growing old or ageing.^[1] Gerascophobia is a clinical phobia generally classified under specific phobias, fears of a single specific panic trigger. Gerascophobia may be based on anxieties of being left alone, without resources and incapable of caring for oneself,^[2] Sufferers may be young and healthy.

Symptoms include the fear of the future and the fear of needing to rely on others to do daily functions. Many also fear they will not play an active role in society when they get older.”

Although, the reasons stated are not the same reasons that I have, this sums up what I have been feeling.

It’s hard. Really hard. As I get very emotional easily. I get very irritated easily. I feel very alone easily.

I did this writing to express myself and to be able to tell people that this kind of thing is serious. I do not know if this is depression already or maybe part of my post-partum. Not sure until when I will be feeling this way. But I hope that I’ll be back to my jolly self soon.

I hate it when people tell me that this is just all in my mind and that I can easily get through this. They keep on telling me to just look at my blessings. Who doesn't want to do that? Who wants to be lonely? Who wants to cry all the time? Again, I am really proud of myself for what I have achieved. I am happy with what I have. But family and status are not my issue. This is something rooting from deep inside of me.

We all go through different issues and struggles. We have different strengths and weaknesses. And everyone has a different way of dealing with stress.

I am sure that people will still not understand this. That they will raise an eyebrow when they read this. But this is me saying that I don’t care. I will get through this at my own pace. I will not rush. I am intelligent and I know that I will be able to surpass this. But for now, I will just try to enjoy life as much as I can. With the support of my husband who loves me so much.

I hope this helps others in some ways. Let’s do this together.

Kimukatsu: My Katsu of choice

Decided to go a little Japanese for my husband's birthday and we wanted to eat somewhere that we have never eaten before. Good thing we were not wrong in opting to go to Kimukatsu. It is a quaint little restaurant in High Street. Unlike the other famous Katsu house, this restaurant is simpler and smaller.

They offer 25 layers of mille-feuille Katsu in multiple flavors.

The ambiance is nice and warm. And the food choices are really mouthwatering.

The servers are welcoming and always have a smile on their faces.

Ebi Fry- 1pc- 130

Scallop Fry- 1pc- 120

Cheese Katsu Set- 390

Salmon Set- 490

Katsu sets also come with unlimited rice, miso soup and shredded cabbage.

I strongly suggest this restaurant. The value of your money will be surpassed by the taste of their food. Good job!


G/F Bonifacio High Street, Bldg 7, 7th AveFort Bonifacio, Taguig(02) 809-0333

Valentine's Day 2016 the Mona Lisa way

I don't usually get excited about Valentine's day. But, this year it was different. We had our reservation in place a few weeks ahead of time because we know finding a good restaurant may give us a  hard time. We have also planned to invite my parents and our children on this date.

The mall was full-packed this day and most of the restaurants are fully-booked as well. So, good thing we made our plans already.

We ate at Mona Lisa Ristorante which is located at the 5th floor, SM Aura.

Risotto Mona Lisa- Solo 370

This is a good risotto. Even my 2-yr old daughter loved it.

Canneolloni ai Calabrese- Grande 600

Filetto di Manzo alla Griglia- 1200

This one's a bit underwhelming. The price doesn't really justify the serving and the taste.

This was my second time in this restaurant and I think that the first time was better.

https://www.zomato.com/manila/mona-lisa-ristorante-bonifacio-global-city-taguig-city/menu