By Gary Shuster Copyright is one of the oldest and most widely applicable forms of intellectual property protection. If you’ve ever written an email, taken a photo, or sketched on a napkin, congratulations — you’ve created copyrighted work. Here’s what…
By Gary Shuster Fair use is one of the most misunderstood concepts in intellectual property law. It’s the legal doctrine that allows limited use of copyrighted material without permission — for purposes like commentary, criticism, education, news reporting, and parody.…
By Gary Shuster Nintendo made headlines when it sued Pocketpair, the makers of Palworld, over patent infringement. The case raises fascinating questions about how patent law applies to video games — and specifically, how patent territoriality works when dealing with…
By Gary Shuster Provisional patent applications are one of the most valuable tools available to inventors. They let you establish a priority date, secure “patent pending” status, and buy yourself time — all at a fraction of the cost of…
By Gary Shuster Non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) are one of the most common legal tools in business and innovation. They’re simple in concept — one party agrees not to share the other party’s confidential information — but the details matter enormously.…
By Gary Shuster The very first patent issued by the United States was signed by President George Washington himself, along with Thomas Jefferson (then Secretary of State) and Edmund Randolph (Attorney General). It was granted on July 31, 1790, to…
By Gary Shuster What is a Trade Secret? A trade secret is just what it sounds like: a piece of information that’s secret and gives a business a competitive edge. To qualify as a trade secret, the information must derive…
By Gary Shuster Today, we’re tackling a big, broad topic: Intellectual Property (IP). If you’ve ever felt intimidated or confused by “patentese” or overly legal terminology, or wondered how to protect your creations, this is for you. Let’s break it…
By Gary Shuster A continuation application is a powerful tool in U.S. patent law. It allows you to pursue additional or modified claims from the same original disclosure, without having to start the entire patent process over, and without having…
By Gary Shuster Patent assignments aren’t the heart-pounding, edge-of-your-seat excitement that gets you out of bed in the morning, but they are critical for anyone involved in intellectual property. While the subject may seem dry, the stakes couldn’t be higher.…
