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Patents

Patents | Defensive Patents | Patent Strategies

Patent Basics

Benjamin Franklin's invention of bifocal glasses in 1784; the Statue of Liberty in 1879; the Hula Hoop in 1964. Patenting ideas, inventions, and creations such as these has been an important practice in every civilized society.

A patent gives the inventor the right to exclude others from making, using, and selling that invention for a set period of time. In other words, a patent gives you the ability to protect, manufacture, and market your ideas as you see fit. Patent attorneys can help you determine if you need a patent or not. So if you've invented something new, exciting and marketable, then we can help you make sure that it's protected properly.

Patent Requirements

  1. Your idea must be subject matter that Congress has defined (and the courts have interpreted) to be patentable. Machines, processes/methods, and compositions of matter are examples of patentable subject matter. "Algorithms" and "laws of nature" (e.g. E=mc2) are examples of subject matter than cannot be patented.
  2. Your idea must be new.
  3. Your idea must be useful.
  4. Your idea must be nonobvious (or "new enough"). Most of the back-and-forth discussions between patent firms and the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) concern the nonobvious concept of "nonobviousness," which essentially means "not new enough."

"Clock Tower Law Group did a great job helping me file a couple of critical patents early in Right Media's lifecycle. I hadn't been through the patent process before, but I knew that getting patents that clearly represented the technologies and their business implications was critical. I tried working with a larger firm, but quickly became frustrated. I connected with Clock Tower, and while initially hesitant since we were in New York and they were in Boston, agreed to give it a try. Clock Tower was fantastic. The communication process was straightforward; Clock Tower Law Group picked up on the business and technical concepts quickly; the work product was excellent. I have nothing but good things to say. We continue to work with them on trademark and other IP projects, and actively refer people to Clock Tower Law Group. They're a great choice."
     - Brian O'Kelley, CEO, AppNexus (former CTO, Right Media)