"What can be patented?";

"Almost any idea can be patented. For example, software, business methods, methods of manufacture, systems, apparatus, medical devices, algorithms, consumer products, and biotechnology can be patented. There are a few concepts, however, that cannot be patented. In particular, abstract ideas, natural phenomena, and laws of nature, such as the theory of relativity, cannot be patented.

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"How is an inventor of a patent application determined?";

"US patent law provides that whoever “invents” patentable subject matter is entitled to a patent. In the United States, invention is a two-step process: Conception of the idea or subject matter of the patent claims, which may be comprised of several claims; and reduction of the idea to practice, or making a working example of the claimed invention. Proper inventorship is almost always decided on the conception step. An inventor is not a worker or technician who simply performs experiments or assembles the invention. An inventor is also not a supervisor or manager who just oversaw the invention. Inventorship has to be correct when the patent issues. Otherwise, the patent could be invalid if there was an error and it is found out in litigation.


"Who files IP?";

"The term of a copyright for a particular work depends on several factors, including whether it has been published, and, if so, the date of first publication. As a general rule, for works created after January 1, 1978, copyright protection lasts for the life of the author plus an additional 70 years. For an anonymous work, a pseudonymous work, or a work made for hire, the copyright endures for a term of 95 years from the year of its first publication or a term of 120 years from the year of its creation, whichever expires first.

Trade secrets last as long as the secret can be kept. If the secret is leaked or disclosed to an unauthorized party, the trade secret would likely no longer qualify as a secret.

Trademarks do not expire after a set period of time. Trademarks will persist so long as the owner continues to use the trademark. Once the USPTO grants a registered trademark, the owner must continue to use the trademark in ordinary commerce. The trademark owner also must file certain documents at specific time periods to make sure the tradmark does not expire.

Patents usually last for 20 years from the date of filing.



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"What are the different types of IP?"

There are 4 main types of IP. These are:
1) copyrights, 2) trade secrets, 3) trademarks, and 4) patents. Some also consider licensing as a type of IP.



"What are the durations of every type of IP?"

The term of a copyright for a particular work depends on several factors, including whether it has been published, and, if so, the date of first publication. As a general rule, for works created after January 1, 1978, copyright protection lasts for the life of the author plus an additional 70 years. For an anonymous work, a pseudonymous work, or a work made for hire, the copyright endures for a term of 95 years from the year of its first publication or a term of 120 years from the year of its creation, whichever expires first.

Trade secrets last as long as the secret can be kept. If the secret is leaked or disclosed to an unauthorized party, the trade secret would likely no longer qualify as a secret.

Trademarks do not expire after a set period of time. Trademarks will persist so long as the owner continues to use the trademark. Once the USPTO grants a registered trademark, the owner must continue to use the trademark in ordinary commerce. The trademark owner also must file certain documents at specific time periods to make sure the tradmark does not expire.

Patents usually last for 20 years from the date of filing.



"How does a business register IP?"

In the U.S., a person or business registers (files) a trademark application or a patent application with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). The USPTO website is https://www.uspto.gov/. Copyrights are filed in the Copyright Office. Their website is www.copyright.gov. Trade secrets are not registered.



"Can IP be filed in other countries besides the U.S.?"

The short answer is yes.

Most patent offices around the world operate similar to or the same as the USPTO. To file a patent application in other countries, you can file with the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) and / or hire a foreign associate to file the patent application in their respective Patent Office. In the PCT, you can file in multiple countries for a fixed price. For trademarks, you also can file in the Madrid protocol and / or hire a foreign associate to file the trademark application in their respective Trademark Office. Like the PCT, in the Madrid Protocol, you can file in multiple countries for a fist. In general, filing a patent application or a trademark application in other countries usually costs much more money than filing in the U.S. only.

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(Published in 2019)

                                                                        "According to the latest estimates from IDC, Apple shipped 4.2 million Apple Watch units during the quarter ending in

                                                                        September (2018) for a 13.1% share of the global market. The figure, up 54% from 2.7 million units shipped during the

                                                                        same period last year, was good enough to put Apple in the No. 2 spot behind Xiaomi.

                                                                       Though Apple launched a redesigned Apple Watch Series 4 with larger display and advanced health monitoring features

                                                                       last quarter, it was the Series 3 that accounted for a majority of its wearable sales. A slate of new features delivered

                                                                       alongside watchOS 5 and a reduced price point stoked demand for the year-old smartwatch, IDC said."

                                                                       Apple Watch Series 4 is protected by patents, trademarks, and copyrights. We make no claim to these, and we are in no

                                                                       way associated with Apple Inc.

There are many patents on the Apple Watch. One patent (10,296,047; May 21, 2019; by Apple Inc.) details the following:

"A case for an electronic device comprises a body defining an interior volume configured to receive the electronic device therein. The body comprises a user input region formed from a deformable material having an electrical resistance that decreases in response to a touch force on the deformable material. The body further comprises an electrode pair in contact with the deformable material and configured to be operatively coupled to a sensing circuit configured to detect a change to the electrical resistance of the deformable material due to the touch force.

The body further comprises a connector configured to operatively couple the electrode pair to the electronic device.

An electronic device comprises a display device forming a front surface of the electronic device, a sensing circuit, and a housing forming a back surface of the electronic device opposite to the front surface. The back surface comprises a user input region formed from a quantum tunneling material, where the sensing circuit is configured to detect a change in an electrical property of the quantum tunneling material in response to a deformation resulting from a touch force of a user input.

A wearable electronic device comprises a housing, a processing unit within the housing, and a band coupled to the housing and configured to couple the wearable electronic device to a user. The band comprises an input region formed from a touch-sensitive material. The touch-sensitive material is operatively coupled to the processing unit, and the processing unit detects a deformation of the input region based on a change in an electrical characteristic of the touch-sensitive material.

An input device for an electronic device comprises a first layer comprising a first touch-sensitive material, and a second layer comprising a second touch-sensitive material disposed below the first layer. An electrical resistance of the first and second layers changes differently in response to application of a force to the first layer."

The first claim of this patent (the words that embody the invention) includes:

"1. A case for an electronic device, comprising: a body defining an interior volume configured to receive the electronic device therein; a user input region having an area comprising: a first layer of a first deformable material having a first hardness; and a second layer of a second deformable material positioned below the first layer and having a second hardness that is different from the first hardness, wherein a touch force on the user input region causes an electrical resistance of the first layer to change by a first amount and an electrical resistance of the second layer to change by a second amount different from the first amount; and a connector configured to operatively couple the user input region to the electronic device; a first electrode pair in contact with the first deformable material and configured to be operatively coupled to a sensing circuit configured to detect a change to the electrical resistance of the first layer; and a second electrode pair in contact with the second deformable material and configured to be operatively coupled to the sensing circuit configured to detect a change to the electrical resistance of the second layer, wherein the user input region is at least partially surrounded by another area greater than the user input region area formed from the first or second deformable material."

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Patents to Products