Practical insights on patents, trademarks, and intellectual property from Cedar Rapids patent attorney Jason Sytsma.
Explore Iowa patent services, software patents, and Iowa trademark services, or jump to a topic: Patents and Process · Software and Alice/Section 101 · Trademarks · Startups and Business IP.
Latest
- TTAB Cancels STORYTELLER OVERLAND Registrations for Nonuse: Two Lessons for Iowa Brand Owners (Oct 12, 2026)
- Do I Need an NDA Before I Show My Invention to Someone? (Oct 12, 2026)
- Own an Older Software Patent? Check It Against Alice Before You Sue (Oct 12, 2026)
- “ZEN Is Common” Wasn’t Enough: TTAB Affirms ZEN WAFFLES Refusal Over ZEN BAKERY (Oct 12, 2026)
- JASPE for Shirts and Pants Was Deceptively Misdescriptive, TTAB Says (Oct 5, 2026)
Patents and Process
Getting a patent, provisional applications, office actions, and choosing the right type of protection.
- When “Electric or Electromagnetic” Includes the Impossible: Federal Circuit Affirms Enablement Invalidity (Oct 5, 2026). Federal Circuit: claims covering electric signals over air were definite but invalid for lack of enablement; every “A or B” alternative must work.
- How Much Does a Patent Cost? USPTO Fees Explained for Iowa Inventors (Oct 5, 2026). Current USPTO filing, search, exam, issue, and maintenance fees, with small and micro entity discounts and what drives attorney costs.
- Responding to a USPTO Office Action: What Iowa Inventors Should Know (Sep 14, 2026). Deadlines, non-final vs. final rejections, claim amendments, and when to talk with counsel.
- Provisional Patent Applications for Iowa Inventors (Sep 9, 2026). What a provisional application does, how the 12-month clock works, and mistakes to avoid.
- How to Get a Patent in Iowa: A Step-by-Step Guide (Mar 21, 2026). An overview of the federal USPTO patent process, from invention to issued patent.
- Why Eastern Iowa Inventors Choose a Local Patent Attorney: A Practical Guide (Mar 10, 2026). Why proximity and communication matter when working with patent counsel.
- Utility Patents vs. Design Patents: What Iowa Inventors Need to Know (Mar 6, 2026). The difference between protecting how an invention works and how it looks.
Software and Alice/Section 101
Patent eligibility for software, SaaS, and computer-implemented inventions.
- Own an Older Software Patent? Check It Against Alice Before You Sue (Oct 12, 2026). Precedential Federal Circuit decision vacating a denial of Rule 11 sanctions and fees: why owners of pre-Alice software patents should check validity, not just infringement, before suing.
- Alice and Section 101 in Plain English: What Iowa Software Companies Should Know (Sep 28, 2026). What patent eligibility under Alice and 35 U.S.C. § 101 means for Iowa software, SaaS, and tech teams, with common pitfalls and practical next steps.
- Keywords, Browsing History, and a Revenue Score: Federal Circuit Says That’s Still Abstract Ad Targeting (Sep 28, 2026). The Federal Circuit held three AudienceScience ad-selection patents asserted against Google and YouTube claim abstract ad targeting. Claim-drafting and pleading lessons.
- One “Separable Interface” Saved a Claim Under Alice — Amazon Wants That Holding Gone (Sep 14, 2026). How one digital-frame claim survived Alice, the pending rehearing request, and drafting takeaways for software and device inventors.
Trademarks
Registration, ownership, refusals, and Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) decisions affecting brand owners.
- TTAB Cancels STORYTELLER OVERLAND Registrations for Nonuse: Two Lessons for Iowa Brand Owners (Oct 12, 2026). Two clothing registrations were cancelled for nonuse at filing, with lessons on use-based applications and pleading defenses. Jason represented the petitioner.
- “ZEN Is Common” Wasn’t Enough: TTAB Affirms ZEN WAFFLES Refusal Over ZEN BAKERY (Oct 12, 2026). The Board affirmed a 2(d) refusal because the “ZEN is common” argument had no admissible third-party evidence. Clearance and evidence lessons for Iowa food and farm brands.
- JASPE for Shirts and Pants Was Deceptively Misdescriptive, TTAB Says (Oct 5, 2026). The Board affirmed a 2(e)(1) refusal: jaspe is a fabric or pattern the goods lacked, with clearance notes for Iowa apparel, food, and farm brands.
- Adding “Honey Farm” to a Family Name Didn’t Make It Registrable, TTAB Says (Sep 28, 2026). Why a descriptive add-on did not overcome a surname refusal, with branding notes for Iowa farm and food businesses.
- Transferring a Challenged Trademark to a Tribe Won’t Stop a TTAB Cancellation (Sep 21, 2026). The TTAB’s first word on tribal sovereign immunity in a cancellation proceeding, and takeaways for Iowa brand owners.
- You Conceived the Brand Before You Were Hired — TTAB Still Said the Firm Owns It (Sep 14, 2026). Who owns a mark conceived by an employee before hire, with ownership takeaways for Iowa professional brands.
- Iowa State Trademark vs Federal USPTO Registration (Sep 9, 2026). Comparing an Iowa Secretary of State filing with federal registration: geography, clearance, enforcement, maintenance, and expansion.
- How to Register a Trademark in Iowa: A Step-by-Step Guide (Mar 24, 2026). The steps for federal USPTO and Iowa state trademark registration.
Startups and Business IP
IP basics for founders and growing businesses.
- Do I Need an NDA Before I Show My Invention to Someone? (Oct 12, 2026). What an NDA protects and what it doesn’t, how public disclosure affects patent rights, and when to file before you share.
- Startup IP Checklist for Eastern Iowa Founders (Sep 21, 2026). A practical checklist covering patents, trademarks, trade secrets, ownership, and when to talk with counsel.
- Trademark vs. Copyright vs. Patent: What Iowa Businesses Need to Know (Apr 1, 2026). A plain-English breakdown of what each type of protection covers and which combination a business may need.
For more information or to discuss a specific matter, request a consultation.
Attorney advertising. These articles provide general information, not legal advice, and do not guarantee any result. Reading them does not create an attorney-client relationship.
