Category
Intellectual Property
5 posts in this category, newest first.
What "Patent Pending" Actually Means (And What It Doesn't)
"Patent pending" is the most misunderstood phrase in startup pitch decks. It does not mean you have a patent. It does not mean your invention is protected. It means you have filed a placeholder, usually a provisional application at the USPTO, which gives you 12 months to file the real thing. Here is what that 12 months buys you, what it does not, and how to decide whether the conversion to a full patent application is worth the $5,000 to $15,000 it usually costs.
How to Conduct a Trademark Knockout Search Before You File
A 30-minute knockout search will not replace a full clearance search, but it will tell you whether the name you love is already off the table. Here is the workflow we use.
USPTO Fee Changes for 2026 and What They Mean for Small Filers
The January 2026 USPTO fee restructuring rewrote the math for small patent and trademark filers. Here is what changed, what stayed, and where strategy needs to shift.
Copyright vs. Trademark vs. Patent: Picking the Right Shield
Three forms of IP protection cover three different things. Pick the wrong one (or assume one of them protects something it does not) and you have spent money on a shield that does not cover the swing.
Provisional vs. Non-Provisional Patent Applications: A Founder's Primer
A provisional is a one-year option, not a patent. A non-provisional is the real thing. Here is when each makes sense, what the provisional actually buys you, and the drafting failures that cost founders the priority date.