Author: Aindrila Mitra
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Divisionals After PCT National Phase: Timing and Tips
When your startup’s invention reaches the global stage through a PCT application, it feels like a big win. You’ve taken your idea from local to international—protecting it across borders and showing the world you’re serious about what you’ve built. But once your PCT application enters the national phase, a new question often comes up: What…
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CIP vs New Application: Scope, Cost, and Risk Tradeoffs
If you’ve ever updated your invention and wondered whether to file a new patent or build on your old one, you’re not alone. This is one of those moments every founder or engineer faces once the idea starts evolving faster than the paperwork. You’ve already filed something once, maybe months ago, but now you’ve made…
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How to Draft Specs Today to Enable Tomorrow’s CONs
When you’re building something new — a system, a product, or a bit of deep tech magic — you’re also building its story. The specs you write today don’t just describe what your invention does right now; they set the stage for every future version, upgrade, and continuation that might follow. Think Beyond the First…
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Using Continuations to Add Method, System, and Product Claims
When you file a patent, you’re not just locking in an invention — you’re setting the rules for how others can’t use what you’ve built. But here’s the thing most founders and engineers miss: your first patent application isn’t the end. It’s just the start of something you can build on, expand, and strengthen over…
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From Provisional to CON/CIP: Building a Strong Chain
When you’re building something new — a product, a system, or a piece of code that could change your field — your focus is speed. You want to launch, get users, and iterate. But there’s this other piece sitting quietly in the background that can either protect your entire future or leave you exposed: your…
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Patent Term Impact: How CONs, CIPs, and TDs Affect PTA
When you build something new, you want to protect it. A patent is how you lock that in. But here’s the tricky part—how long that lock actually lasts can change, and not always in ways you expect. Small choices in how you file your patent can quietly shorten or extend your protection. That’s where things…
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Divisionals in Europe vs US: Key Differences You Must Know
When you file a patent, you’re often told you have “one invention per application.” But real inventions don’t always fit neatly into one box. Ideas grow, twist, and evolve. That’s where divisional applications come in. A divisional lets you spin off parts of your original patent into new applications—without losing your original filing date. It’s…
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Continuations for Fast Allowance: Examiner and Art Unit Tactics
Getting a patent allowed quickly isn’t just about having a great invention—it’s about knowing how the system really works. And one of the smartest moves inventors and startups can make is learning how to use continuation applications to your advantage. Using Continuations to Build Momentum, Not Start Over When you think about a continuation, don’t…
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Appeal vs Continuation: Picking the Better Path
When you file a patent application, you hope the examiner will see your invention the way you do — new, clever, and worth protecting. But often, that doesn’t happen. The examiner might reject your claims. Maybe they say your idea isn’t novel, or it’s too close to something already out there. Suddenly, you’re stuck at…
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IDS and Cross-Citation Across the Family: Best Practices
When you’re building something new—something that matters—it’s easy to focus on code, customers, and capital. Patents can feel like the last thing you want to deal with. But here’s the truth: if your invention is valuable enough to build, it’s valuable enough to protect. How IDS Works and Why It’s Non-Negotiable When a business invests…