Category: Industrial Designs

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What to do if your email service provider is blocking our listserv postings

Back on about November 17 we migrated our listserv server from a shared-hosting server to a dedicated server.  This means that our listserv postings are coming from a different IP address now than they used to.

It seems that some email service providers have hair-trigger spam fighting systems that react in a very strong way to email traffic emanating from a new IP address.  Some of the members of our listservs have have found that some or even all of our listserv messages are failing to reach them.

if this has happened to you, there are several things that you can do to help. Continue reading “What to do if your email service provider is blocking our listserv postings”

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Today is the day! Israel now belongs to Hague Agreement

Yes, today is the day that the Hague Agreement enters into force in Israel.  This is an important development for the Hague system, which is the international filing mechanism for protection of industrial designs.

I blogged about this imminent development in Israel back on October 8, 2019.

As of today, companies and designers from Israel can begin using the Hague system to protect their industrial designs.  The applicant can pursue protection in many countries through a single international application and a single set of fees.

Likewise from today, those located outside of Israel will be able to seek design protection in Israel through the Hague system.

The two-letter code is “IL”.

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JPO is now a Depositing Office for designs

Japan Patent Office(Update:  We have a winner!  A trendy, modern and up-to-date Japanese design practitioner has won the prize.  Read the update blog article here.)

Design practitioners rely on the DAS system for the interchange of electronic certified copies of priority applications.  Such a system becomes more and more useful as more and more Offices participate.

Today is a big day.  Today, the Japanese Patent Office became a Depositing Office in the DAS system for industrial designs.

Continue reading “JPO is now a Depositing Office for designs”

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Get your numbers in for the 2019 Tote Boards

It’s that time of year again.   Get your numbers in if you want your firm to be listed in:

  • the Eighth Annual US Design Patent Top Filers Tote Board
  • the Fifth Annual US Trademark Registration Top Filers Tote Board
  • the Fifth Annual US Utility Patent Top Filers Tote Board
  • the Third Annual US Plant Patent Top Filers Tote Board

These Tote Boards will rank the top patent and trademark firms for carrying out filings in 2019 in these categories.  The 2019 Tote Boards will join the previous fifteen Tote Boards which go back as far as 2012.

The closing date for getting in your numbers will be Friday, January 31, 2020.

Every year, some firm misses out by failing to get its numbers in by the closing date.  Don’t be that firm!  Get your numbers in early.  Click here for the:

  • response form for the 2019 (eighth annual) US design patent top filers tote board
  • response form for the 2019 (fifth annual) US trademark registration top filers tote board
  • response form for the 2019 (fifth annual) US utility patent top filers tote board
  • response form for the 2019 (third annual) US plant patent top filers tote board
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January 1, 2020 is a holiday at the USPTO

Wednesday, January 1, 2020 will be a federal holiday in the District of Columbia.  This means the USPTO will be closed.  This means that any action that would be due at the USPTO on January 1 will be timely if it is done by Thursday, January 2, 2020.

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Today is the day for Viet Nam and the Hague Agreement

click to enlarge

It will be recalled that I blogged recently that Viet Nam deposited its instrument of accession to the Hague Agreement on September 30, 2019.  Thus today is the day.  The Hague Agreement enters into force for Viet Nam today.

Today Viet Nam achieves the trifecta, with membership in the Patent Cooperation Treaty, the Madrid Protocol, and now the Hague Agreement.

The two-letter code for Viet Nam is “VN”.

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December 24 and 25 are holidays at the USPTO

It was already known (blog post) that Wednesday, December 25, 2019 will be a federal holiday in the District of Columbia.  Today’s news is that in addition, by order of the President, the federal government will be closed on Tuesday, December 24.  This means the USPTO will be closed not only on December 25 but also on December 24.  This means that any action that would be due at the USPTO on December 24 or 25 will be timely if it is done by Thursday, December 26, 2019.

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December 25 is a holiday at the USPTO

Wednesday, December 25, 2019 will be a federal holiday in the District of Columbia.  This means the USPTO will be closed.  This means that any action that would be due at the USPTO on December 25 will be timely if it is done by Thursday, December 26, 2019.