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- I'm Tom Galvani, a patent and trademark lawyer in Phoenix, Arizona. I help inventors, entrepreneurs, and businesses develop and control their intellectual property. I host this site and the blog on it to give you an idea of the services I provide and to keep you updated on current developments and helpful information related to patents, trademarks, and copyright.
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Tag Archives: patent application
Sampled “Success” Rates of Patent Applications, Courtesy Patently-O
Patently-O did a brief post yesterday on a selected group of patent applications to see how the applications have proceeded through the PTO. Of the applications filed in February 2006, 57% have matured into a patent, 28% are abandoned, and … Continue reading
Patent Dashboard Displays a Clear, but Sad, View of Patent Pendency
The Patent Office has taken a number of steps in the last year or so toward transparency, approachability, and clarity. It recently released the Patent Dashboard, or “Data Visualization Center.” The Dashboard is a simple display of the average time … Continue reading
What is an effective filing date?
What is an effective filing date? If you”ve done some reading about patents, you may have seen references to an “effective filing date.” For instance, while patent attorneys will often shorthand an explanation of patents by saying they offer protection … Continue reading
Posted in Patent
Tagged effective filing date, filing date, patent application, patent FAQ
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Filing a Non-Publication Request
Not very long ago, patent applications were maintained in secrecy until they issued as patents. Today, however, an application is published 18 months after its effective filing date, meaning that anyone can see your invention after you file it. By … Continue reading
Patents Explained: Claims
At last, the claims! The heart of the patent! Appropriately bringing this series of explanatory posts to an end, the claims conclude a patent. A patent can have one claim or many; generally, though, they’ve got 20 or less because … Continue reading
Patents Explained: Description of the Drawings
Continuing the post series explaining patents, we now address the drawing descriptions. The description of the drawings is just that. It refers to each drawing by number and explains what the drawing is. The description is brief – it isn’t … Continue reading
Patents Explained: The Summary
Next up in the Patents Explained series: the summary section of the patent. The summary is similar to the background of the invention, and, in that same vein, some consider it extraneous and potentially damaging to the patent as a … Continue reading

