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Minneapolis Intellectual Property Law Blog
Welcome David Swenson – Litigation Practice Chair!
Patterson Thuente IP is pleased to welcome our new Litigation Practice Chair, David Swenson. An innovative trial attorney and appellate advocate with more than 25 years of experience in IP law, David has successfully represented a variety of companies in high-stakes...
Webinar: An analysis of women inventorship
Join the University of Minnesota SIPLA chapter for a presentation by Dr. Michelle Saksena, an economist from the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office, for a discussion of Progress & Potential, a report released last year by the USPTO that examines women...
Court of Appeals revives denied trademark application
Two companies with similar marks operated in the same region for more than 40 years without any actual confusion arising for consumers. Nonetheless, the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) found a disqualifying likelihood of confusion when one company tried to...
Aerospace innovations and how they can affect our lives
Innovation in the aerospace industry can be incredibly exciting and formative. In the span of one project, a solution could change the way we understand and navigate our world. Beyond that, the solutions that people and companies are pursuing today could have a...
Tips for conducting a trademark clearance search
Any business owner looking to distinguish themselves would be wise to protect the elements that set them apart. This can be possible through trademarking any word, symbol, design or phrase your company uses to identify itself in the marketplace. However, owners must...
The truth about false advertising claims
The advertising industry is massive; companies spend billions of dollars on campaigns designed to sell products or services and increase brand awareness. Considering how much businesses put into advertising, false advertising claims could prove to be disastrous. As a...
Supreme Court slaps down PTO pursuit of attorneys’ fees
The U.S. Supreme Court has weighed in on a new U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) practice when patent applicants appeal adverse decisions in district court. And the Court’s conclusion is welcome news for applicants who want to go this route to contest the denial...
Protecting trade secrets: It doesn’t happen automatically
Automation and technology are among the most innovative and dynamic industries today. Global companies are competing alongside startups to deliver the newest, the best and the smartest products to consumers. In such a competitive environment, protecting proprietary...
Attorneys’ fees awards in trademark cases
Appellate court lowers the bar When most people think about what it takes to qualify as “exceptional,” they probably imagine a fairly high bar. That’s not how the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit sees it, though — at least when it comes to the standard...
Prescription for copyright protection: Register stat!
Copyright protection generally takes effect as soon as you create an original work, but it might not be as extensive as you think. To get the full protection, including the ability to sue for infringement, you must register your work with the U.S. Copyright Office —...