When is the deadline to apply for a patent: 1 year after it is first sold or 1 year after the start of "official" marketing

Either of the dates you describe could be the "trigger" date depending on the circumstances and which came first. As a general proposition, if an...

Some company is in possession of my intellectual property and is attempting to use it. What should I do?

Once you "wrote" the source code you had a "common law" copyright. However, to enforce it, you would need to apply for a federal copyright...

We were thinking of making Tee shirts with nicknames of the players would this be a in violation.

Your question is a bit vague. It isn't clear whether you're referring to famous sports figures' names or to names, e.g., of kids from a local...

What fees are absolutely necessary to file for a utility patent?

There simply is no way around this: a utility patent application can cost thousands of dollars to prepare and file properly. If a patent...

About Invention Patents - Is the following statement different?

Per the Avvo Terms of Use, this does not constitute legal advice nor establish an attorney-client relationship. Consult an attorney for legal...

Selected as the best answer

IPod docking system infringing patent # 7277765 ?

To underscore some very critical points, foremost, do not ignore the "complaint." Second, whether the iPod/iPhone is a "computer" and whether...

What is the basis for sharing the rights in a patent with several contributors?

The place to begin is with claims and the inventors listed on the patent. By law, those who "contributed" to any one of the claims is an...

Infringement Settlement

It's pretty typical for the party that's writing the agreement to "bias" it a bit in their favor. However, if they truly want to settle, setting...

Trademark Application Cost

Sounds like you want to apply for federal trademark registration of your "word" mark (maybe a related design as well) AND an acronym of the word...

I have a good idea for an invention, can you get an idea pattented. military family, low income, cheapest solution?

Start with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office website: www.uspto.gov. There are frequently asked questions and basic information there, which...