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HOW A “LIFEBOAT” KEEPS YOUR PATENT RIGHTS AFLOAT

Sometimes a topic is important enough to revisit after a few years.  This one reexamines the frequent question of how to “extend” a provisional patent application beyond its natural 12-month life. My readers all know that the smart start for a small inventor or a new company with an invention to protect is a Provisional patent application. For a low flat fee of $1500, and with my personal guidance, templates and coaching, we earn First-to-File “Patent Pending” status by filing an inventor-created document that I review and verify can provide a foundation for  [...]

By Ben Langlotz | September 11, 2024 | Firearms | 0 Comments Read More »

STOP THE WORRYING!

A typical marketing consultant would tell me I’m crazy to reveal the secrets in this month’s newsletter, but I have to be honest with my readers:  Y’all worry too much*. *Yes, you might have detected a change in my language since our relocation to Texas now more than 10 years ago.  DFW is now our home port. The classic marketers say that the two greatest motivators are FEAR and GREED.  Looking at today’s ads, SEX might seem to be another biggie, but when it comes down to it there’s either the fear of not having it (Charles Atlas ads with sand kicked in  [...]

By Ben Langlotz | August 8, 2024 | Business, Intellectual Property Advice, Opinion Pieces, Patent | 0 Comments Read More »

HOW TO KILL A PATENT

Unpatented but Legally Potent (Photo Courtesy of Randall Rausch) It all started when I was on Facebook, innocently minding my own business. OK, as usual I was actually minding everyone else’s business on Facebook. Sometimes, when Karmen hears me typing furiously in the next room she calls out: “Honey, is someone wrong on the Internet again?” I have a zillion Facebook friends in the industry, so I sometimes catch wind of new trends before things go viral. On one ordinary day a few years back, it was a post about a gun company that sells stocks with an embedded  [...]

By Ben Langlotz | July 1, 2024 | Firearms, Firearms Industry Advice, Patent | 0 Comments Read More »

WHEN DARTH VADER TARGETED ONE OF MY FAVORITE CLIENTS

(And, the Hilarious Lawyer Letter I Never Got to Send) One of the things I love best about my work is working for creative inventors and firearms business owners.  One of the things I love least is dealing with some of the “other” lawyers out there. The saga begins when one of my oldest and favorite clients had me file a trademark application to secure the trademark DEATH STAR for their star-shaped moving steel target. The "Star of Death"? About that trademark pick: Every time a client suggests a trademark that makes people think of another business, the  [...]

By Ben Langlotz | June 10, 2024 | Business, Humor, Trademark | 0 Comments Read More »

WHEN IT’S SAFE TO LIFT THE SKIRT

The Surprises and Secrets of Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDA) Photo Credit: Oleg Volk In the patent world, one of the most important, yet surprisingly overrated, issues is secrecy. Yet while it’s a needless fear for many, it can make sense to protect yourself when you have to trust someone else with your secrets.  An NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement) is also known as a “confidentiality agreement” (CA), “confidential disclosure agreement” (CDA), “proprietary information agreement” (PIA), or “secrecy agreement” (SA).  They’re all the same  [...]

By Ben Langlotz | May 3, 2024 | Business, Firearms Industry Advice, Intellectual Property Advice, Opinion Pieces, Patent | 0 Comments Read More »

THE MOTHER OF ALL FACTORY TOURS

Plus, Will Elon Buy a Patent from Me? In my work over the decades, I’ve visited the factories of many clients.  The smell of machine oil takes me back to my engineering school shop class where I learned to operate Bridgeports and Hardinges.  I even learned how to use a newfangled computer to program a milling machine so I didn’t need to turn the wheels manually. Last month, I took an especially unforgettable factory tour.  Tesla’s Gigafactory Texas is the largest building in the world (based on floor space square footage – Boeing has a larger volume  [...]

By Ben Langlotz | April 12, 2024 | Opinion Pieces, Other, Patent | 0 Comments Read More »