Protecting your patentable inventions and proprietary technology is a top priority. Without patent protection, technology improvements can be compromised resulting in lost profit and opportunity.

Items eligible for patent protection include:

• Methods or Processes: new methods of doing something may be patented. For example, a method of forming circuit patterns on semiconductor wafers, a method of making ceramic parts, and a method of diagnosing or treating diseases , may apply for patent protection from the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office.
• Machines and Mechanical Devices: engines, machinery, instruments, etc.
• Manufactured items: circuits, tools, structures, etc.
• Chemical and Biological Compositions: pharmaceuticals, chemical compounds, substantially purified natural substances, DNA sequences, and biological materials are all amenable to patent protection.
• Living organisms: genetically altered plants and animals.
• Computer programs: either alone or in conjunction with other equipment or a process.
• Business methods: new methods of doing business, especially those implemented by computers or the Internet.

To be eligible for a patent, an invention must be new, useful, non-obvious, and fit into a category of patentable subject matter listed above. Vague concepts and ideas, laws of nature such as gravity and magnetism, mathematical algorithms, purely mental processes, or statements of intended results without teaching how to apply the ideas or accomplish the results are not patentable.

In certain cases, patent protection may be warranted in strategically located countries throughout the world. Our firm does not practice patent law, but works with other firms that do. We can refer your matter to our colleagues with experience in domestic or international patent prosecution, including filing patent applications at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and under the Patent Cooperation Treaty.