Lester William Polfuss, born June 9, 1915, known to most of us as Les Paul, passed away on August 13, 2009. In 2005, Les Paul was inducted in the National Inventors Hall of Fame. He is noted with transforming popular music by inventing the modern solid-body electric guitar. In addition to his success as a performer and recording artist, his innovative techniques transformed music-recording technology. We celebrate his inventive contributions by including his patents in the "Historic Patents" section of our library of interesting patents.

On August 1, 2009 patent attorney David J. Dawsey presented the "cons" of a potential deferred patent examination system to the American Bar Association (ABA) IP Section’s business session in Chicago.

Ever wonder what was the first patent? Well, it is not US Patent No. 1, but rather US Patent No. X000001. Prior to the issuance of US Patent No. 1 in 1836, the Patent Office had already issued close to 10,000 patents, but a fire destroyed many of the records. The Patent Office was able to restore 2,845 of these patents and these restored records were issued beginning with an X (they were called the X-patents). You can review both of these patents in the “Historic Patents” section of our Interesting Patents page.

Columbus Ohio patent litigation attorneys Michael Gallagher and David Dawsey will host a private seminar titled “New S.D. Ohio Rules in Patent Litigation - A Revolution in the Way we have Litigated Patent Cases” on July 22, 2009 for friends and clients of the firm. On September 1, 2009, new Local Rules will go into effect in the Southern District of Ohio that will dramatically change patent litigation practice in this District. New conferences and disclosures will be mandated, along with a planned 18-month “Rocket Docket” for the S.D. of Ohio. Changes will be retroactive to many pending cases!

Our patent lawyers have added new content to the Historic Patents page with nostalgic patents that issued in the month of June. The update includes a patent from 1837 with Charles Goodyear listed as the inventor of a process for working with rubber and a patent from 1895 for a road vehicle.

Our intellectual property lawyers have added new content to the Historic Patents page, which includes a collection of patents on flags. This month’s update includes a patent from 1875 honoring the original 13 colonies of the United States, and a design patent directed to a flag themed band-aid.

IP attorney David J. Dawsey will present on the subject of “Positioning Your Company for IP Litigation” at the Ohio State Bar Association’s Spring Seminar on Advising Corporate Directors, at their Lakeshore Drive headquarters in Columbus, on May 22, 2009. Click HERE for more information.

Check out another new article added to our I.P. archive. The Ohio intellectual property litigation lawyers at Gallagher & Dawsey Co. LPA explain the basics of trade secrets with their article Trade Secrets 101.

Trademark attorney David J. Dawsey was recently interviewed (4/14/2009) on the nationally syndicated The Small Business Advocate® radio program with Jim Blasingame on the subject of “Selecting Product and Service Names that Can be Protected.” Click here to listen.

Intellectual property attorney David J. Dawsey was recently admitted to practice to the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC) during a swearing in ceremony in the CAFC and presided over by Chief Judge Paul R. Michel, Senior Circuit Judge S. Jay Plager, and Circuit Judge Randall R. Rader.

The patent attorneys of Gallagher & Dawsey have added new content to the Patents for Your Pets page, which includes a collection of unbelievable animal patents. This month’s update includes patents directed toward your pets, including a combined leash and jogging belt for your pets and a bizarre leash and collar for your snake.

Our IP litigation attorneys have updated the Recent IP Litigation page to include more patent infringement cases, trademark infringement litigation matters, trademark cancellation proceedings, intellectual property licensing litigation, and trade secret litigation matters in the Southern and Northern Districts of Ohio.

Intellectual property lawyer David J. Dawsey will be attending the ABA’s 24th Annual Intellectual Property Law Conference in Arlington, Virginia at the beginning of April. Contact David if you are attending and would like to meet.

Another new trademark article has been added to our intellectual property archive. The trademark lawyers at Gallagher & Dawsey Co. LPA tackle the issue of trademark specimens of online ecommerce websites in their article Proper Use of Web Pages as Trademark Specimens.

The patent lawyers of Gallagher & Dawsey have added new content to the Historic Patents page, which includes a collection of historic, funny, weird, crazy, and ridiculous patents. This month’s patents are old and historically significant. The first addition is US Patent No. 50 directed to a stove and fireplace, and the second addition is US Patent No. 125 directed to making boots and shoes water-proof.

The intellectual property attorneys at Gallagher & Dawsey Co. LPA are pleased to announce the launch of their IP video library. Click HERE to watch a series of videos answering frequently asked patent, trademark, and copyright questions.

The intellectual property lawyers of Gallagher & Dawsey have added new content to the Historic Patents page, which includes a collection of historic, funny, weird, crazy, and ridiculous patents. This month’s historical additions include the patent for a safety pin and the patent for the blue jeans, assigned to Levi Strauss in 1873.

Intellectual property lawyer David J. Dawsey was recently interviewed (2/6/2009) on the nationally syndicated The Small Business Advocate® radio program with Jim Blasingame on the subject of "The Role of Trade Secrets in Small Businesses." Click here to listen.

The patent lawyers at Gallagher & Dawsey Co. LPA have added yet another new article to their IP Newsletter archive of over 80 intellectual property articles. This month our lawyers examine how a provisional patent application (PPA) differs from a nonprovisional application, and review the advantages and disadvantages of provisional patent applications. The article is titled Perspectives on Provisional Patent Applications; 15 Years Post-GATT.

The Gallagher & Dawsey IP lawyers have added new content to the Interesting Patents page, which includes a collection of funny, weird, crazy, and ridiculous patents. This month’s additions include a "Thumb Sucking Deterrent" patent (USPN 4665907) and a "Bionic Exersuit" patent (USPN 5820534).

The classics are timeless… Check out one of our most read newsletter articles "Intellectual Property Goals for the New Year".

Our Columbus Ohio patent attorneys have added new content to the Interesting Patents page. The page includes a collection of patents that are funny, bizarre, interesting, weird, crazy, and ridiculous. The latest update includes an “Instant Snowman” patent (USPN 7,178,342) and a “Heated Eyewear” patent (USPN 7,410,352). Keep warm everybody!!

IP attorney David J. Dawsey was recently interviewed (12/4/2008) on the nationally syndicated The Small Business Advocate® radio program with Jim Blasingame on the subject of “Common Copyright Issues and Myths.” Click here to listen.

With the cold weather upon us and ski season in full swing, our patent lawyers have added new content to the Interesting Patents page. The page includes a collection of patents that are often amusing and wacky. The latest update includes a “ski fan” patent (USPN 4,189,019) and a “nose wipe” patent (USPN 4536889) that is “snot” a bad idea!

Check out the latest intellectual property article added to our I.P. archive. The patent attorneys at Gallagher & Dawsey Co. LPA dispel some common patent myths with their article Common Patent Myths.

On October 22nd intellectual property lawyer Michael Gallagher spoke to the Ohio Credit Union League Seminar on the subject of IP. The presentation included the topics of trademark and copyright protection for financial and business firms. More information on the seminar can be found here.

In honor of Halloween, our patent attorneys have added new content to the Interesting Patents page. The page includes a collection of patents that are fun, interesting, weird, crazy, and ridiculous. The latest update includes a camouflage and decoy patent (USPN 5197216) that may put a wearer’s life at risk, as well as a rollerblading sail patent (USPN 5713603) that will have the wearer cruising down the street while looking like they should be on a catwalk.

Check out the latest intellectual property article added to our I.P. archive. The copyright lawyers at Gallagher & Dawsey Co. LPA dispel some common copyright myths with their article Common Copyright Myths.

Our IP lawyers have added new content to the Interesting Patents page. The page includes a collection of patents that are fun, interesting, weird, crazy, and ridiculous. The update includes an invention created and patented by Michael Jackson, a fold-up coffee maker, and a toaster shaped like a slot machine.

Intellectual property lawyer David J. Dawsey was recently interviewed (8/19/2008) on the nationally syndicated The Small Business Advocate radio program with Jim Blasingame on the subject of “Common Patent Myths.”
Click here to listen.

Jennifer Warner has joined Gallagher & Dawsey Co., LPA, as a Senior Intellectual Property Paralegal. Jenny has over 13 years of experience in intellectual property law, including experience in private practice as well as an in-house Intellectual Property Administrator’s position at Cardinal Health.

Patent lawyer David J. Dawsey was quoted in the August 8, 2008 issue of Columbus Business First regarding the viability of a medical device technology incubator in Columbus.

Intellectual property lawyer Michael Gallagher has been asked to be a presenter at the Ohio Association for Justice Intellectual Property Seminar that will be held at the Ohio Association for Justice offices 395 East Broad Street, Suite 200, in downtown Columbus, Ohio on October 31, 2008. He will be speaking on the topic of the role of general litigators in intellectual property law from 10:00 to 11:00 am.

IP attorney David J. Dawsey was recently quoted in Lawyers Weekly USA regarding intellectual property issues businesses face in tough times.

The August 2008 edition of the UK magazine Today’s Golfer contained a special section on golf inventions in which our own golfing patent lawyer David J. Dawsey and his Golf-Patents blog were cited several times.

Intellectual property attorney David J. Dawsey will be attending the August 2008 ABA Annual Meeting in New York City.

IP attorney Michael Gallagher was featured in the May 9, 2008 issue of Columbus Business First regarding the significance of intellectual property in the value of a company.

Patent lawyer Michael Gallagher will be a speaker at the USPTO Boot Camp: Patent Edition, in Alexandria, VA on September 22 and 23, 2008; hosted by the American Conference Institute. The Institute is devoted to providing the business intelligence that senior decision-makers need to respond to challenges both here in the U.S., and around the world; and counts more than 25,000 senior business and public sector executives, attorneys, and other professionals from around the world among its attendees each year. More information on this conference, along with registration details, can be found here.

Intellectual property lawyer David J. Dawsey was recently interviewed (4/18/2008) on the nationally syndicated The Small Business Advocate® radio program with Jim Blasingame on the subject of “Setting Up a Small Business Intellectual Property Protection System.” Click here to listen.

Intellectual property lawyer Michael J. Gallagher will speak on "Rational Intellectual Property Protection for the Small Business That Wants to be Bigger" at the American Chemical Society’s Central Regional Meeting on June 13, 2008 in Columbus, Ohio. More information on the program and meeting can be found here.

Intellectual property attorney David J. Dawsey will be attending the ABA’s 23rd Annual Intellectual Property Law Conference in Arlington, Virginia from April 10th – 12th.

IP lawyer David J. Dawsey was recently quoted in Golf Business News Magazine regarding golf ball patent infringement litigation.

IP lawyer David J. Dawsey was recently interviewed (1/17/2008) on the nationally syndicated The Small Business Advocate® radio program with Jim Blasingame on the subject of “Piracy, Counterfeiting, and Employer-Employee Intellectual Property Issues.” Click here to listen.

IP attorney Michael J. Gallagher will serve as this year’s coordinator for the Ohio State Bar Association’s Spring Seminar on Intellectual Property, at their Lakeshore Drive headquarters in Columbus, on March 12, 2008. In addition to directing the program, he will give talks on the Basics of Patent Protection, and Intellectual Property Litigation. More information, and a brochure on the program, is available from the OSBA at (614) 487-2050.

Patent lawyer David J. Dawsey was quoted in the January 19, 2008 issue of Golfweek magazine regarding patent issues associated with USGA golf club adjustability rules.

Patent attorney David J. Dawsey was recently (12/29/2007) a guest on the Tee Time Radio show regarding his popular Golf-Patents blog, recent golf patents, and patent infringement lawsuits against clone golf club makers.

The classics are timeless… Check out one of our most read newsletter articles “I.P. Goals for the New Year”.

Intellectual property attorney Michael J. Gallagher has been named as program coordinator for the Ohio Sate Bar Association’s Spring Seminar on Intellectual Property Law. The half-day program will be held in Columbus on March 12, 2008. Check for updates on the program’s details next month.

Intellectual property lawyer David J. Dawsey joined Jim Blasingame, host of the nationally syndicated The Small Business Advocate® radio program, on Thanksgiving to discuss general intellectual property issues of small businesses. Click here to listen.

IP lawyer David J. Dawsey has been selected to participate in the ABA Section of Intellectual Property Law Fellowship Program for a three year term. The Fellowship Program provides young lawyers the opportunity to participate in key meetings of the Section, which has nearly 20,000 members and is the world’s largest intellectual property organization. Since 1894, the Section has contributed significantly to the development of our system for the protection of intellectual property rights.

Intellectual property attorney Michael Gallagher was quoted in the November issue of Columbus CEO regarding how companies safeguard their intellectual property.

On October 22, 2007 patent lawyer David J. Dawsey will present to the Nassau County Bar Association in Mineola, New York. 

Intellectual property litigator Michael Gallagher will host a national Webinar on “IP Litigation for the Civil Litigator,” sponsored by the Ohio Association for Justice, on October 2, 2007. The Webinar will appear through www.trialsmith.com. The Webinar will cover aspects of patent, trademark, and copyright litigation and is directed to trial lawyers needing help with these specialized areas of trial practice.

IP attorney David J. Dawsey was recently interviewed (9/28/2007) on the nationally syndicated The Small Business Advocate® radio program with Jim Blasingame on the subject of “Intellectual Property Strategy.” Click here to listen. 

Gallagher & Dawsey Co. LPA is pleased to announce the launch of their PatentMarvel.com website. PatentMarvel is a free online patent tool for U.S. patent lawyers and inventors to create free clean PDF copies of U.S. patents and published applications. PatentMarvel will eventually include numerous tools developed by our patent attorneys to ease the lives of US patent attorneys, inventors, and intellectual property owners.

Check out the new Article “When can Government Contractors Assert Immunity in a Patent Infringement Case?” authored by our patent litigators.

IP lawyer David J. Dawsey was recently (9/1/2007) a guest on the Tee Time Radio show regarding his popular Golf-Patents blog, which is the only resource dedicated to the intellectual property issues of the golf industry, including golf inventions, patents, trademarks, and litigation. David was also honored to be a guest on the UK’s “Pods and Blogs” Radio Show on BBC Radio 5 Live (9/4/2007) to discuss patents on various golf swings.

Our patent attorneys have added content to the Interesting Patents page. The page includes a collection of patents that are fun, interesting, weird, crazy, and ridiculous. The update even includes an invention created by guitar genius Eddie Van Halen!

IP lawyer David J. Dawsey was recently interviewed (7/20/2007) on the nationally syndicated The Small Business Advocate® radio program with Jim Blasingame on the subject of “The Single Biggest Intellectual Property Mistake of Small Businesses.”
Click here to listen.

Intellectual property attorney Michael Gallagher was recently (August 3rd) quoted by the Columbus Business First newspaper regarding a trademark infringement lawsuit between Levi Strauss and Abercrombie & Fitch.

Patent lawyer David J. Dawsey was honored to be a guest on the July 7th and July 28th broadcasts of the Tee Time Radio show regarding his popular Golf-Patents blog, which is dedicated to the intellectual property issues of the golf industry, including golf inventions and patents, golf trademarks, and golf litigation.

Intellectual property lawyer David J. Dawsey recently wrapped up his four year term as an Officer of the Columbus Intellectual Property Law Association (CIPLA). During his tenure he served as President (06-07), Vice-President (05-06), Secretary (04-05), and Treasurer (03-04).

Intellectual property attorney David J. Dawsey was recently (5/19/2007) a guest on the Tee Time Radio show regarding his popular Golf-Patents blog, which is the only resource dedicated to the intellectual property issues of the golf industry, including golf patents, golf trademarks, and golf litigation.

Patent lawyer David J. Dawsey served as an Honorary Judge for the Columbus' Regional Invention Convention Competition on May 19th, 2007. Young inventors from grades K-8 competed at Veteran's Memorial Hall for numerous scholarships and awards.

Patent attorney David J. Dawsey had his article “What's Holding Up Patents for Processor Architectures?” published in the May 2007 Edition of Embedded Systems Design magazine.

Intellectual property litigator Michael J. Gallagher will speak on May 11, 2007 at the Ohio Academy of Trial Lawyers Annual Convention in Columbus, Ohio; on the topic, “The Role for General Litigators in IP Litigation.”

Intellectual property attorney David J. Dawsey was recently interviewed (4/23/2007) on the nationally syndicated The Small Business Advocate® radio program with Jim Blasingame on the subject of “Common Intellectual Property Mistakes of Small Businesses.”

Patent lawyer David Dawsey was recently interviewed by the accomplished Canadian broadcast journalist Chris Henry regarding intellectual property protection in the golf industry. Chris posted the interview on April 13, 2007 under the heading “The Golf Patent Game.” Click here to listen to the interview.

Intellectual property lawyer David J. Dawsey was recently interviewed (3/2/2007) on the nationally syndicated The Small Business Advocate® radio program with Jim Blasingame on the subject of “IP Protection Not Just for Big Business.”

Check out the new Article “Can A Government Grant Proposal Prevent You From Getting A Patent?” authored by our patent lawyers.

IP attorney Michael J. Gallagher was a guest consultant for the Generalitat Valenciana, the government of the state of Valencia, Spain, during the week of February 26th to March 2nd. He delivered two conferences on patent law and guided a workshop in the practical aspects of U.S. and European patent applications. He also consulted with a number of individual companies in Valencia under the auspices of SEPIVA, the Valencian government agency in charge of promoting private industrial innovation in western Spain.

Patent lawyer Donald O. Nickey joins Gallagher & Dawsey Co. LPA as “of counsel.” Don has over thirty years of experience practicing intellectual property law, including experience in private practice as well as key in-house positions at Cardinal Health, The Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company, and Abbott Laboratories.

IP attorney David J. Dawsey had his copyright article “Copy This!” published in the January 2007 Edition of Live Design Magazine.

The March 21, 2007 OSBA Intellectual Property Seminar brochure is now available. The seminar will include sessions on Basics of Intellectual Property, Employer-Employee Issues in IP, Managing a Successful Corporate IP Program, Licensing Intellectual Property, E-Commerce and Privacy, and Cost-Effective IP Litigation.

Check out the new Article “Medical Device Industry Patent Litigation Likely to Rise?” authored by our intellectual property litigation lawyers.

Intellectual property attorney Michael Gallagher has been invited by the Ohio State Bar Association to coordinate, and speak at, the Association’s annual program on intellectual property law. The six hour presentation, scheduled for March 21, 2007 in Columbus, will cover such areas as Basic Intellectual Property Law, Cost-Effective I.P. Litigation, Employer-Employee Issues, and more.

“Plant Patents and IP Law for the Horticulture Industry” will be the title of an August 9, 2007 seminar, given by biotechnology patent attorney Michael Gallagher, at the Perennial Plant Association’s Annual Meeting at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Columbus, Ohio.

Check out the most recent trademark Article authored by our trademark attorneys. The article is titled “Protecting A Logo: One Key to Branding Success.”

I.P. lawyer Michael J. Gallagher had his article “Famous” Trademarks Get Enhanced Legal Protection published in the Winter 2007 Edition of Lawyers Quarterly.

Patent lawyer Kevin Kuehn, Esq. will present “Inventing and Patenting” in Grove City, Ohio on January 17, 2007 from 6:30 – 8:00 pm. Please contact Kevin if you would like to attend.

Intellectual property attorney Michael J. Gallagher, Esq. will present “Fundamentals of Intellectual Property Protection” and “Strategic Aspects of Intellectual Property Protection” at the “The Art & Science of Building an Investment Ready Business” program sponsored by Ohio SBDC and TechColumbus. The program takes place in Columbus, Ohio on December 14, 2006. Please contact Michael if you would like to attend.

Trademark attorney David J. Dawsey, Esq. was recently interviewed (11/29/06) on the nationally syndicated The Small Business Advocate^® radio program with Jim Blasingame on the subject Trademark Dilution and Small Business.

Check out the new Articles authored by our patent attorneys. The articles include “Willful Patent Infringement: Opinions of Patent Counsel & Waiver of Privilege,” “Use It or Lose It: Guidelines for Proper Trademark Use,” and “Trademark Dilution: ‘Famous’ Trademarks Get Enhanced Legal Protection."

Check out our new Interesting Patents page created by our patent lawyers. The page includes a collection of patents that are fun, interesting, weird, crazy, and ridiculous. Our patent attorneys have also included patents that shaped the development of Ohio and the United States, famous historic patents, patents by famous inventors, and famous inventions.

Check out the new Articles from our newsletter. The articles include "Nanomaterials: A Promise of New Technology" and "Choosing a Trademark: A Couple of Important Considerations"

Kevin E. Kuehn, Esq. will present a 2-hour evening seminar titled "Inventorship & Patenting" on September 14th and October 12th, 2006 from 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm in Grove City, Ohio. Please contact Kevin if you would like to attend.

Check out the new Articles from our newsletter. The articles include "Border Check: Recording Your Intellectual Property With U.S. Customs & Border Protection" and "Setting Up A Small Business Intellectual Property Protection System: Top 10 Considerations"

Gallagher & Dawsey Co. LPA was recently identified by Columbus Business First as having the third largest patent practice in the city.

David J. Dawsey, Esq. was recently interviewed (9/6/06) on The Small Business Advocate^SMradio program with Jim Blasingame on the subject Comparative Advertising and what small businesses can do to avoid potential problems.

Michael J. Gallagher, Esq. will present a 2-hour evening seminar titled "Inventorship & Patenting" on September 27, 2006 from 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm in Upper Arlington, Ohio. Please contact Michael if you would like to attend.

David J. Dawsey, Esq. was recently interviewed (7/31/06) on The Small Business Advocate^SM radio program with Jim Blasingame on the subject Competitive Intelligence and how small businesses must be aware of their competitor's intellectual property.

David J. Dawsey, Esq. was recently (6/15/2006) profiled in the Columbus Bar Today regarding his career and community activities.

David J. Dawsey, Esq. was recently interviewed (5/23/06) for The Small Business Advocate^SM radio program with Jim Blasingame on the subject of The Supreme Court: Bay v. MercExchange and Patent Injunctions.

David J. Dawsey, Esq. served as an Honorary Judge for the Columbus' 11th Regional Invention Convention Competition. Young inventors from grades K-8 will compete on May 20th, 2006 at Veteran's Memorial Hall for numerous scholarships and awards. Click HERE to learn more about the Invention Convention.

Michael J. Gallagher, Esq. was the guest of the Polytechnic University of Valencia, Spain, on May 3-4, 2006, to deliver several lectures on "The Protection of Intellectual Property in the United States and the European Community" at the Seminar and Workshop on The Protection of Innovation. In June, he will travel to the 4th Annual CONIDEAS Congress in Mexico City, Mexico, to speak on "Intellectual Property Protection - A Hemispheric Perspective."

Patent attorney Andrew Mason, Esq. joins Gallagher & Dawsey Co. LPA. The partners of Gallagher Co. LPA are excited to have Andrew join the firm and are anxious to put Andrew's unique legal and technical skills to work assisting our growing client base.

Partner Michael Gallagher, Esq. was recently interviewed and quoted in Columbus Business First (4/14/06) on the issue of trademark infringement.

David J. Dawsey, Esq. was recently interviewed (4/10/06) for The Small Business Advocate^SM radio program with Jim Blasingame on the subject of The DaVinci Code Copyright Litigation and Copyright Strategies for Small Business

David J. Dawsey, Esq.was recently interviewed (2/8/06) for The Small Business Advocate^SM radio program with Jim Blasingame on the subject of New Technologies Products (NTP) vs. Research in Motion (RIM): The Blackberry Patent Infringement Lawsuit - Is Your Service at Risk?

Michael J. Callagher, Esq. will present at five Ohio State Bar Association seminars throughout the months of March and April, 2006, on the subjects of Patent, Trademark, and Copyright Law as well as Positioning Your Company for Intellectual Property Litigation.

Partner Michael J. Gallagher completes advanced legal studies program, earning an LLM in International IP from Univ. of S. Africa.  Over the past two years, his studies have included patent law, trademarks, copyright, and anti-competition law from European, African, and Asian perspectives. 

Partner David J. Dawsey appears as frequent guest on the nationally syndicated radio show The Small Business Advocate^SM with Jim Blasingame to discuss intellectual property issues relevant to small businesses.

Gallagher & Dawsey Co., LPA listed on IPLawandBusiness.com as a " Global Guardian" as part of the publication's story on which IP law firms represent  world's largest companies.

J Brady and Mark Slovacek join the firm as technical advisors.  In addition to their duties at Gallagher & Dawsey Co., LPA, Mark is currently a student at Capital University College of Law while J is entering his final year at The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law.