Patenting Improvements of Existing Inventions

(60) Although it occasionally does happen, most new inventions are combinations of well known parts or processes, or just improvements of other inventions. The patent system encourages innovations by making it possible for us to read other patents and improve or add to them. This video discusses how improvement patents work and limitations that we have when practicing improved inventions. Enjoy!

#intellectualproperty #patentattorney #patentimprovement

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This Channel provides ideas and education for Entrepreneurs and other Creative Visionaries. Topics in these videos include intellectual property, patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, licensing, and general business practices.

John Ferrell is a founder and patent attorney at the Silicon Valley law firm of Carr & Ferrell. The author of two books and a growing YouTube channel on Intellectual Property, John’s passion for creating and protecting intellectual property is reflected in his representation of many of the world’s most important companies and inventors - some 5,000 so far. Founded in 1992, Carr & Ferrell has filed more than 10,000 patent applications covering nearly every imaginable technology.

Representative clients have included: 3Com, A10 Networks, Analogix, Apple Computer, Ariat, ASG Technologies, Atmel, Autodesk, Bank of America, Broadcom, Cadence, Canon, Caterpillar, Charles Schwab, Cirrus Logic, Cisco Systems, CSX, Dreamworks, Elasticsearch, Epson, Facebook, FireEye, Fonality, Fujitsu, Hewlett Packard, Hitachi, Icon Aircraft, IDEO, Intuit, Intuitive Surgical, KLA-Tencor, Knowles, Kodak, Lam Research, Lockheed, LSI Logic, Lucent, Marvell Technology, Mitsumi, Netgear, Olivetti, Oracle, PeopleSoft, Polycom, Philips, Plantronics, Princess Cruise Lines, Proofpoint, Rambus, Raytheon, Ricoh, Rohm Semiconductor, Ruckus Wireless, SDL, Seagate, Sega, Seiko Systems, Silver Peak, Sonos, Sony, Sun Microsystems, Sutter Health, Swagelok, Synnex, Synthetic Genomics, Technogym, The Ferrero Group, Trend Micro, Urban Outfitters, VIA Technologies, vArmour, Veritas, VMware, Wells Fargo, Western Digital, and Xilinx.

Distinguished by his demonstrated technical and legal expertise, John has been noted in the Silicon Valley Business Journal list of Who's Who in Silicon Valley and Northern California's Super Lawyers. He was also listed by the Los Angeles Daily Journal as one of California's top Rainmakers, by San Jose Magazine as one of Silicon Valley's top Legal Eagles, and by San Francisco Magazine as one of Northern California's top lawyers. Additionally, under his leadership, the firm has been recognized by Corporate Counsel Magazine as a Go to Law Firm for Intellectual Property. John has received an AV® Peer Review Rating from Martindale-Hubbell® (a representation of the highest level of professional excellence). Over the past three decades, John has presented on and spoken about patent and intellectual property issues, both legal and technology business forums around the globe.

In addition to practicing law, John is an active technology investor and member of The Band of Angels, Silicon Valley's oldest seed fund organization.

Please note that this Channel provides general legal and business information for education purposes only and is not intended to provide legal advice or create an Attorney-Client relationship. John Ferrell is admitted to practice law in California, before the USPTO (U.S. Patent and Trademark Office), before various U.S. Federal District and Appeals Courts and before the Supreme Court of the United States.

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John Ferrell, Esq.
Monopoly Architect, Patent Strategist, Attorney
Carr & Ferrell LLP
411 Borel Ave., Ste. 603
San Mateo, CA 94402

[taseenahmed]

Sir, then what's the point of filing a patent in cases when inventors invention is a improvement on to existing idea/ prior art or even in cases when the invention application is entirely different, for example a person comes up with a way of inventing the same out put of a invention with blending it with other technology and by doing that he is reducing a lot of important element that are costly in prior art and can bring down the cost and acchive same or better results, but there is no benefit even if the inventor got the patent if he can't commercialy sell it and bcs invention involves elements of prior art, I got that the inventor can stop others from doing it but that's a costly processes and a lot of times gets nowhere and filing patent is also costly and other companys may also not Licenc it from the inventor due to prior art element. Please make a video on this topic if possible explaining if there is a benefit! or a way of commercialising the improved invention!

[blackheart]

I have seen replies from applicant/attorney in office action response mentioning the reason (the novelty) why the patent should be granted. If a patent is granted only on novelty basis why don't they just put novel part in the claim. Usually applicants have other claim restrictions as well along with the inventive step, making their claims narrower and hence it becomes easy for a potential infringer to circumvent the claims