Applied Knowledge

Searching The Lens can be done simply by using the search bar or the Structured Search page. After your initial...

The Lens provides Legal Status information for Patents. This information is important to determine whether: examination of a patent application...

Continuity data is information about continuation applications that may have been filed based on a parent application. The USPTO PAIR web site...

The term “continuation application” refers to an application that is based on an original patent application (often referred to as...

It is generally assumed that inventions claimed in a patent application are available to the public if a patent application...

The terms ‘author’ and ‘inventor’ are not synonymous. Generally, an author should be the individual(s) who wrote or contributed to...

In the USA and some other countries, the assignees of a patent may have rights to require a license and...

The patent system can serve as an incentive for innovation, but it doesn’t exist simply to reward innovators.  Indeed, it...

“Freedom to operate”, abbreviated “FTO”, is usually used to mean determining whether a particular action, such as testing or commercialising...

Uruguay Round Agreement Since the Uruguay Round Agreements in 1994, many countries have enacted laws providing that the enforceable term...

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...

Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) is arguably the most important and comprehensive international agreement on intellectual property rights. Member...

Many countries accept national phase patent applications based on “world patent applications” (WO publications) made under the Patent Cooperation Treaty...

There are five basic methods by which an entity may claim that it has a legal right to intellectual property,...

The specification, which is also called the disclosure, is a written description of an invention. The patent specification is drafted...

United States Exemplary publ. no. Code meaning US 2003/0157684A1 first publication of application US 2004/0038291A2 second or subsequent publication of...

The term “after-claiming” (also called “late claiming”) refers to a patent prosecution strategy in which a patent applicant introduces new...

Transitional phrases in patent applications are important, as they specify whether the claim is limited to only the elements listed,...

The claims are the most important part of a patent. The goal of the claims is to particularly point out...

A patent is only in force during its term and in its jurisdiction.  When the patent term runs out, or...