Blog - Innovation to Profits

February 18, 2015 By Susan Gunelius Leave a Comment

Lego and Apple are the Most Powerful and Valuable Brands in 2015

Brand Finance has released its annual ranking of the most powerful and valuable brands in the world, the Global 500, which is based on brands’ trademark portfolios and protection strategies as well as brand strength related to marketing investment, brand equity accumulated with customers, staff, and other stakeholders, and brand revenues.

According to the 2015 valuations, Apple is the world’s most valuable brand while LEGO is the world’s most powerful brand, and Twitter is the fastest growing brand.

Let’s take a closer look at the valuations: [Read more…]

January 23, 2015 By Kelley Keller Leave a Comment

New USPTO Website to Launch on February 5, 2015

In just two weeks, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) will launch a new and improved website. The redesigned USPTO.gov is the culmination of hundreds of user interviews, and it’s just the first step in the USPTO’s plans to improve user experiences on its website.

On February 5, 2015, the redesigned USPTO website will offer improved navigation and a better mobile device experience overall. You can get a sneak peak at the new site design by visiting the USPTO beta site. Starting on February 5th, the beta site design will debut at USPTO.gov. [Read more…]

January 6, 2015 By Kelley Keller Leave a Comment

Trademarks Step-by-Step – New Online Course for Anyone in Business

Whether you’re business is small or large, and whether it’s a startup or well-established, you have valuable intangible assets that should be protected with trademarks.

Your business name, brand names, product names, logos, package designs, slogans, colors, sounds, and more can be federally registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) so only you can exploit them for profit in the marketplace.

You wouldn’t let someone else take your physical assets to sell them for profit, but if you haven’t taken the steps to identify and protect your trademarks, you’re letting other people profit from your intangible assets. Don’t do it anymore!

Take the First Step to Protect Your Innovation and Profits

The first step to making sure only you profit from your innovation is to register your trademarks. You’ll learn everything you need to know about trademarks in the Trademarks Step-by-Step video course from Innovation to Profits.

Your Business is at Risk if You Don’t Register Your Trademarks

If you don’t protect your trademark-able intangible assets, you’re putting your business at risk. Eventually, your profits will fall or they’ll be severely limited.

Imagine what would happen if you learn one day in the future that you have to stop using the brand name you’ve had for years because someone else owns the trademark for it. How much would it cost you to rebrand?

Some of the expenses you’d have to pay out of pocket include: [Read more…]

December 18, 2014 By Kelley Keller Leave a Comment

Trademark Fees Just Got More Affordable

money profits This week, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office issued a final rule that drops trademark fees for online application and renewal filings. The price reduction is intended to increase the number of electronic application filings, which will undoubtedly lead to savings for the USPTO (similar to how the IRS has been pushing electronic filing of tax returns for the past decade).

2015 Trademark Fee Reductions

The following fee reductions will go into effect on January 17, 2015 for applications submitted through its Trademark Electronic Application System (TEAS):

$50 fee reduction for filing a trademark application using the regular TEAS application form (dropping from $325 per class to $275 per class)
$50 fee reduction for a TEAS Plus application (dropping from $275 per class to $225 per class)
$100 fee reduction per class for a TEAS renewal application (dropping from $400 per class to $300 per class)

In addition to these application fee reductions, the fee for a new TEAS RF (the reduced fee category described in Section 2.23 of Title 37 of the Code of Federal Regulations) for a request to turn an “extension of protection to the United States” under the Madrid Protocol (for international marks) into a U.S. trademark application will be reduced to $50 less than the regular TEAS application fee. [Read more…]

October 31, 2014 By Susan Gunelius Leave a Comment

50 Most Innovative Companies of 2014 Have Some of the Most Valuable Brands

Apple and Google took the top two spots, respectively, in the 2014 ranking of the 50 most innovative companies in the world based on research by The Boston Consulting Group (BCG). Interestingly, Apple and Google also ranked as the most valuable global brands in BrandZ’s Most Valuable Global Brands 2014 ranking, but Google outranked Apple in that study.

Let’s take a closer look at the findings.

First, take a look at the chart below, which shows you the BCG ranking of the top 10 most innovative brands of 2014 as well as the top 10 best global brands of 2014 from Interbrand, the top 10 most valuable global brands of 2014 from BrandZ, and the top 10 most valuable brands of 2014 from Forbes. Notice the similarities? It would certainly seem from this data that “best,” “innovative,” and “valuable” go hand-in-hand. [Read more…]

October 27, 2014 By Kelley Keller 2 Comments

Entrepreneurs Turn Innovation to Profits: Mark Spicher

Mark Spicher Pinnacle Awards Mark Spicher is the owner of Spicher and Company, a leading manufacturer of framed artwork known for its focus on innovative design. That commitment to innovation, combined with Mark’s ability to lead, inspire, recognize, and cultivate talent, have helped him build a highly successful company.

Winning Awards for Creativity and Innovation

This month, Mark’s company and four innovative designers, Dani Cripe, Graphic Arts Director, Alysha Simko, Nicole Shenk, and Lea Brubaker, were recognized with a Pinnacle Award for its Vintage Vinyl Floorcloths products. You can see Mark in the photo above at the 19th Annual Pinnacle Awards banquet where he accepted the 2014 Pinnacle Award on behalf of Spicher and Company and the Vintage Vinyl Floorcloths design team. [Read more…]

June 24, 2014 By Kelley Keller Leave a Comment

Tesla Motors Opens Patent Portfolio on Electric Cars to the Public

Most people who obtain a patent on an invention want to reserve use of that invention for their own personal benefit. Elon Musk isn’t most people.

Sharing Is Caring?

As the CEO of Tesla Motors, Elon Musk recently made a drastic move by allowing others to use, in good faith, the patents Tesla has secured for electric vehicle technologies. Specifically, he stated, “Tesla will not initiate patent lawsuits against anyone who, in good faith, wants to use our technology.” Tesla is one of the world’s leading innovators in the field of sustainable transportation. [Read more…]