Kalispell Trademark Attorneys & Lawyers

What Is a Patent Search?

Patent search tools help you conduct a patent search. Conducting a patent search helps ensure your invention hasn't already been patented by someone else. You can also get insight about what your competitors are developing.

Most commonly, an inventor conducts a patent search to find out if someone has already patented their invention. This involves sorting through existing patents, patent applications, and information about unpatented inventions. All of these preexisting inventions are called prior art.

Why Is a Patent Search Important?

A patent search tells you if pursuing a patent on your invention is worth it. If your search reveals a nearly identical invention has already bee

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Key Takeaways

• Keyword advertising involves bidding on search engine keywords, which may include competitor trademarks.
• Trademark holders may claim infringement if keyword use causes consumer confusion.
• Courts analyze factors like consumer sophistication, evidence of confusion, and fair use when deciding infringement claims.
• Defensive keyword strategies can mitigate legal risk, such as purchasing your own trademarks.
• Search engines typically avoid liability; the burden falls on the advertiser.

What is Keyword Advertising Trademark Infringement?

Keyword advertising trademark infringement occurs when online search engine companies sell trademarked words and phrases to competitors of the trademark owner. Keyword advertising trademark infringement is a relatively new concept since search engines have become more widely used in the last decade.

Trademark owners a

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Acceptable Identification of Goods and Services Manual: What Is It?

The Acceptable Identification of Goods and Service Manual is the guide put out by the United States Patent and Trademark Office or USPTO that describes the appropriate terms to use when describing goods and services on a trademark application that is filed with the USPTO.

Acceptable identification of goods and services is part of the trademark application process through the USPTO. The section requires the applicant to describe any goods and services that are being registered with clear or concise language.

Though the list given in the Acceptable Identification of Goods and Services Manual isn't exhaustive, it is more extensive than the alphabetical list that's given under the Nice Classification.

The Acceptable Identification of

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Key Takeaways

• Trademark protection applies to words, phrases, logos, colors, sounds, and more that identify and distinguish a brand’s goods or services.
• Trademark rights arise from both use (common law) and registration with the USPTO, with registration offering stronger legal advantages.
• A trademark only protects against confusion within the same or similar industries.
• Effective trademark protection requires consistent usage, active enforcement, and periodic maintenance.
• Registering a trademark with the USPTO can expand protection to national and even international markets.
• Not all elements are eligible for trademark protection—generic or merely descriptive terms generally cannot be protected.
• Trademark enforcement can involve cease and desist letters, litigation, and international customs protections.

What Does a Trademark Protect?

A trademark

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