The US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) announced that Certificates of Registration for federally-registered trademarks and service marks will change to a new format beginning this month.  The new certificate will be printed on stock white paper in either black and white or color, as appropriate.  The certificate will still carry the gold foil seal [...]

I just posted the updated and revamped Trademark Use FAQ. Trademarks are becoming more and more important with the rise of lifestyle goods and the social network, as people claim their affinity for brands and product lines as a means of self identification and a way of quickly locating potential friends with common interests. The [...]

2006 was a banner year for intellectual property, according to a press release issued by the the US Patent and Trademark Office.  440,000 patent applications were received, and 332,000 applications were examined by the Office.  The allowance rate (the ratio of patents granted to applications) was 54%, the lowest on record. The PTO processed 378,111 [...]