Opinion Pieces

WHY YOU PROBABLY DON’T NEED A PATENT SEARCH


And the Key Signs That Indicate When You Do I love to give advice, especially when I know my prediction will never be wrong.  My favorite advice is to predict “a 50-50 chance of success,” because no matter the outcome I’m never wrong. My other favorite advice is recommending a patentability search.  Because no matter the results, my client is happy.  If we get  [...]

LET’S GO BRANDIN’!


How to Pick Trademarks That Help You Sell, and Won't Get You Sued One of the most fun parts of my law practice is helping clients pick trademarks.  I don’t charge extra if I come up with an idea you love enough to use on a new product, or for your new company.  I always promise that some day when my portfolio of successful brand picks is impressive enough, I’ll put a  [...]

REMEMBERING THE REMINGTON ROYALTY LESSON


Too Big to Fail? Remington’s Bizarre “Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?” Campaign It was fourteen years ago that I wrote about one of our industry friends playing an interesting voicemail at the SHOT Show. Consider all that has changed since then. These friends are innovators, with some valuable patents in their portfolio. Because Remington liked one of their inventions,  [...]

ARE YOU READY FOR THE SILENT EARTHQUAKE?


Can Ending a $200 Tax Transform the Industry? Just like that, the $200 transfer tax on suppressors (and SBRs etc.) is gone.  Without much fanfare Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill repealed a tax that may prove to have been the primary roadblock to innovation and economic success. I won’t weigh in on the Elon perspective that the Bill spends too much (I tend to agree with  [...]

MICROMANAGING THE “MICRO ENTITY” PATENT FEE DISCOUNT


As a few years have passed since Congress threw a little bone to start-up inventors, we’ve learned a few things. The good news is that you might qualify for reduced patent fees under the patent laws, thanks to a “gift” from Congress to small inventors.  I didn’t follow the battle, but I expect it was a way for them to look like they are being generous in some small  [...]

TAKING THE TESLA TEST (AGAIN)


This isn’t an ordinary rerun.  It’s a TIME CAPSULE.  Five years is an eternity when looking at a company like Tesla, especially as I was merely a curious observer then, and am now an enthusiastic multiple owner and shareholder. For reasons I suspect those in our conservative community are comfortable with now that Elon helped Trump get elected.  I’ll try to leave  [...]