Carstens, Allen & Gourley, LLP Recognized as Texas Super Lawyers of 2023
We are proud to announce Texas Super Lawyers has again recognized Carstens, Allen & Gourley, LLP in its 2023 annual award listing. This list of Super Lawyers, published by Thomson Reuters, is based on peer recognition and professional achievements. Of those nominated, no more than five percent of the total lawyers in the state are selected […]
Overview of Intellectual Property Law for Architects: Copyrights
This article is part of a series of articles addressing intellectual property law for architects. Intellectual property law encompasses copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets and patents. This particular article focuses on basic copyright law and copyrights for architects. Definition of Copyright Generally, an original work fixed in a tangible medium of expression is a copyright. For […]
Why Should I File for a Trademark Registration? Part One
You may be wondering why you should register your business’s trademarks. A business’s brand and identity are two of its most valuable assets. Recently, Nike was said to have received over 22 million dollars from Tiger Woods’ win at the 2019 PGA Masters solely because of the publicity of its trademark swoosh during the tournament. […]
Clarifying the Distinction Between the “Inventive Concept” and “Patentability” Requirements When Determining Patent-Eligible Subject Matter
In the continuing wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s attempt in Alice v. CLS Bank to define what is eligible to be the subject matter of a patent, two recent decisions have been issued by the Federal Circuit that provide an important piece of the puzzle the Supreme Court left us with more than two […]
Who Carries the Burden in IPR—And, Does it Matter?
The Inter Partes Review (“IPR”) proceeding, part of the America Invents Act, sets up a streamlined procedure for any party (“petitioner”) to challenge the validity of the claims of an issued patent, not in a court, but in the US Patent Office, generally at a much lower cost when compared to federal court. An IPR […]
You’ve Worked Hard to Develop Your Brand, But Is Your Investment Protected?
Don’t let someone else steal your brand. Imagine this: you’ve worked hard for about 10 years to develop your brand and name recognition. After years putting in sweat equity, your business is finally starting to take off. It might even be time to expand to a neighboring state. There’s only one problem. A couple from […]
IP Trends We’ll Be Following in the Coming Year
As we transition in to a new year, we re-focus our efforts in certain trends in the area of intellectual property law. Four trends are briefly discussed below. Data Privacy and Protection Big Data Growth and Use Post-Grant Patent Review via IPR Patent Subject Matter Eligibility after Alice Corp. v. CLS Bank Data Privacy and […]
