A Trademark with 8 Legs?

Trademarks are used to protect a name, word, or symbol that is used for the purpose of identifying the source of goods or services.  Many economists have shown the direct relationship between the increasing importance of branding and the value of securing your IP - a lesson that the “Octomom” has clearly not missed!

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Patent Reform Act of 2009

On Tuesday, March 3, 2009 the “Patent Reform Act of 2009” was introduced in Congress. This is the latest effort to pass this legislation, which has been knocking around Washington for years, into law. The 2008 version died in the Senate last year. It is thought by many observers to have a better chance of becoming law this time around.  In fact the bill was approved on April 2, 2009, in a 15-4 vote of the Senate Judiciary Committee. The bill now moves to the Senate floor.

With the prospect of eventual passage of the bill, let’s take a look at it and see what we’re in for.

The Bill has two overriding objectives. The first is to amend the existing patent statute (Title 35 of the United States Code) to bring it closer into harmony with worldwide patent practices. The second and more controversial objective is to address concerns about patent litigation and so-called “patent trolls,” which are outfits that do not produce any goods or services but instead own patents and then sue for infringement on those patents.

read the full post from Matt Burr of Moster & Wynne:  “And the patent goes to…“