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By: Josh Sloat
What are design patents?
When most people think or speak generally about patents, they’re really talking about utility patents – or patents that are primarily concerned with how an invention is used and how it works. But as it turns out, this is just one specific type of patent on the complete menu of options available for protecting your innovations. Another option, called a design patent, exists to – additionally or alternatively – protect the appearance of your invention.
Design Patents and Your Moat
Whether you find yourself in an either/or or a both situation, it’s important to consider all tools at your disposal in covering every uniquely protectable functional and visual aspect of your inventions. This is often referred to as building a moat around your business. In this month’s IP Market Insights Newsletter, former guest of the podcast, Louis Carbonneau, wrote that:
Morningstar’s research has consistently shown that companies with wide economic moats — those with defensible advantages expected to last 20 years or more — dramatically outperform those without. When Buffett said he looks for “economic castles protected by unbreachable moats,” he wasn’t being quaint. We couldn’t agree more. Design patents play a critical role in your broader portfolio and in making your moat as wide and unbreachable as possible. This is why we’ve enlisted the help of our very own Dr. Tiffany Miller to guide us through all of the do’s and don’ts. As you’ll hear today, Tiffany has some very unique and practical insights into how even the most nuanced aspects of design patents can significantly impact infringement cases. Episode Overview
Tiffany is a Patent Strategist here at Aurora and is making her Patently Strategic hosting debut, leading today's discussion with our all-star patent panel, delving deeply into all things design patents. Along the way, Tiffany and the panel discuss:
Mossoff Minute: Loss of American Leadership
In this month's Mossoff Minute, Professor Adam Mossoff discusses the unfortunate loss of American leadership on the international stage in terms of defending the fundamental rights and rules for how we protect patents. Month in and month out, Adam paints a very vivid picture of what I think can best be described as economic suicide if we don’t course correct. In the coming months, we’ll also explore how the system's attributes that are under constant attack are the very ones that gave rise to its profound success. It’s easy to get lost in the barrage of noise we’re bombarded with daily, but these are some of the most important things that not nearly enough people are discussing.
How to Listen
Patently Strategic is available on all major podcasting directories, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify. We're also available on 12 other directories including Stitcher, iHeart Radio, and TuneIn, so you should be able to find us wherever you listen to podcasts.
Resources.
To further explore the topics discussed, see the following past episodes and resources:
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Transcripts We're providing computer-generated transcripts for improved accessibility and additional reference opportunities. Slides For the visual learners out there, we also like to make our presenter slides available for your reference.
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By: Josh Sloat
What is willful infringement?
Willful infringement is a patent law concept that applies when someone infringes a patent knowingly or with reckless disregard for the patent holder’s rights. It goes beyond accidental infringement, often involving a deliberate choice to use protected work despite awareness of the rights holder. With unintentional infringement, the infringer can still be required to pay damages, negotiate a license, or face an injunction to halt the infringing activities. If the infringement is deemed willful, however, this can lead to significantly increased damages, sometimes up to three times the original amount!
This is something that patent holders need to be keenly aware of – both offensively and defensively. If found for infringement, is simply knowing about the competitor’s patent enough? What if it turned up in search results when examining prior art for your own invention? On the other side, if you’ve discovered that a competitor is infringing on you, what steps should you take to ensure that they’ve been clearly put on notice? The answers to these questions could mean millions. From Mistake to Misconduct
Unfortunately, like with a lot of things in the world of patenting, the answers aren’t always as obvious as we’d like them to be. The black-and-white statute from the 1952 Patent Act that governs enhancing damages doesn't actually have any limits or conditions on it. Eventually, as the panel will discuss – and for any regular listener, this might sound familiar – the Supreme Court came along and added its own conditions, but with the kind of we’re not really going to be helpful level of specificity we’ve come to expect from the high court. Looking at you, Alice.
But in fairness, this is an inherently complicated issue and one that, as you’ll see today, gets at the heart of one of the fundamental tensions of the patent system – disclosure for exclusivity. You get exclusive rights by disclosing your invention so that other people can improve upon it, and society benefits. Not hampering innovation with exclusive rights depends on being aware of the inner workings of the inventions of others. But the patent system is supposed to reward competition — not copying. So designing around is fair competition. Accidental overlap is unfortunate but civil, and has normal remedies. But deliberate disregard is something else entirely. So understanding when infringement crosses the line from mistake to misconduct – and penalizing accordingly – is really key to the whole system. Guest Co-host: Tamany Vinson Bentz
While the missteps can happen very early in the process, how they shake out in the wash happens much further down the road and in the courtroom, so we’ve enlisted the help of a litigation expert to co-host this episode alongside Patently Strategic regular, David Jackrel. This excellent pairing helps frame the conversation from the perspective of pre-prosecution considerations all the way to how judges and juries have been ruling on cases involving potential willful infringement. Tamany Vinson Bentz is our guest co-host today. Tamany is the founder of California IP Law, where she currently focuses on developing customized IP portfolios for businesses of all sizes. Prior to managing her own firm, she spent 20 years as a litigator in big law as a partner at both Venable and DLA Piper.
Episode Overview
Tamany and Dave lead today's discussion with our all-star patent panel, delving deeply into all things willful infringement. Along the way, they discuss:
How to Listen
Patently Strategic is available on all major podcasting directories, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify. We're also available on 12 other directories including Stitcher, iHeart Radio, and TuneIn, so you should be able to find us wherever you listen to podcasts.
Mossoff Minute: Apple's Predatory Infringement
In this month’s Mossoff Minute, Professor Adam Mossoff discusses Apple’s predatory infringement practices that have once again been put on full display in the most recent chapter of its long-running patent infringement dispute with PanOptis.
Resources.
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Transcripts We're providing computer-generated transcripts for improved accessibility and additional reference opportunities. Slides For the visual learners out there, we also like to make our presenter slides available for your reference.
By: Josh Sloat
What is patent abandonment?
Patent abandonment is the premature relinquishment of patent rights for an invention. Abandonment can happen voluntarily for various strategic and cost reasons, but can also happen silently and unintentionally. It can happen before the right is even granted in the case of public disclosure – and we’ve covered this a lot. But it can also happen after the patent has been granted at many key points in its otherwise useful life and window of exclusivity. Like with other property rights, securing your patent isn’t the end of the line in maintaining that property right. Like property taxes for land and annual registration for automobiles, patents have deadlines and fees that, if not properly managed, can lead to loss of that right. And in all cases – whether abandoned intentionally or by accident - the invention becomes part of the public domain, and the rights holder's exclusivity window to prevent others from using, making, and selling the invention is terminated short of the otherwise expected 20–year term.
Episode Overview
Fortunately, with careful management, the problem can be avoided entirely. And for many unintentional cases, if caught quickly enough, there are remedies for reviving your rights. To help unpack all of this and conquer your fears of abandonment, Albert Du, Patent Strategist and Chief Mindfulness Counselor at Aurora, leads today's discussion with our all-star patent panel, delving deeply into all things patent abandonment and revival. Along the way, Al and the panel:
How to Listen
Patently Strategic is available on all major podcasting directories, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify. We're also available on 12 other directories including Stitcher, iHeart Radio, and TuneIn, so you should be able to find us wherever you listen to podcasts.
Resources.
To further explore the topics discussed, see the following past episodes and resources:
Related Episodes
Related Reading Transcripts We're providing computer-generated transcripts for improved accessibility and additional reference opportunities. Slides For the visual learners out there, we also like to make our presenter slides available for your reference.
By: Josh Sloat
What are your options for protecting inventions across Europe? In this month’s episode, we’re taking a journey across the pond with a discussion on European Patent Practice. This episode is part two of a series we’re doing on International Patenting and follows Ashley’s exceptional Travel Guide to Foreign Protection from earlier this season. Even in a globalized economy, patents are still nationalized documents. For example, a U.S. patent only grants the right to exclude others from making, using, selling, and importing the claimed invention within the United States. It has no bearing on activities in Europe, Canada, Mexico, China, or anywhere else in the world. To restrict activities there, you will typically need a patent granted in each relevant country. This can boil down to filing and prosecution on a per-country basis. However, those seeking protection in Europe do have some additional options for a single application granting protection in multiple nations. Guest Host: Dr. Will Doherty
To help navigate the very complicated European landscape, we reached out to a good friend of Aurora’s—Dr. Will Doherty of Albright IP. And we’re so glad we did. In this episode, Will puts on an absolute masterclass on European patent practice.
Beyond being a great teacher with a sharp sense of classic British humor, Will is an experienced Chartered British Patent Attorney, European Patent Attorney, and IP Litigator. As a Patents Director at Albright, he prepares, files, and prosecutes patents with great success in a wide range of technical sectors globally, in addition to handling patent infringement matters. Will is a member of and regulated by IPReg, the independent professional regulatory body in the UK for Patent and Trademark Attorneys. He is also a long-standing member of the Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys in the UK and the European Patent Institute. Will’s academic background is in Chemistry, with a doctorate in Physical and Theoretical Chemistry. Episode Overview
Along the way, Will and the panel discuss:
Mossoff Minute: UK Price Controls
In this month's Mossoff Minute, Professor Adam Mossoff is discussing an issue that could cause huge problems in Europe and for the global innovation economy, more broadly.
How to Listen
Patently Strategic is available on all major podcasting directories, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify. We're also available on 12 other directories including Stitcher, iHeart Radio, and TuneIn, so you should be able to find us wherever you listen to podcasts.
Resources
To further explore the topics discussed, see the following past episodes and resources:
Transcripts We're also providing computer-generated transcripts for improved accessibility and additional reference opportunities.
By: Josh Sloat
Reimagining Learning and Work: The Transformative Impact of AI
Our very own Dr. Ashley Sloat will be teaming up with Mallory King of Breathe Brand Protection for a talk at Northwestern Michigan College's (NMC) upcoming 10th Annual Conference. The talk is titled "Policy Implications for Colleges at the Crossroads of Artificial Intelligence and IP Law" and examines the evolving landscape of intellectual property (IP) in the age of Artificial Intelligence (AI). It covers how AI impacts copyright and patent law, infringement risks, and AI's effects on IP across various educational disciplines. The presentation concludes with guidance for institutions on establishing AI policies and best practices for academic integrity and innovation.
Date: October 14, 2025 from 1:20p to 2:15p ET. Location: HS116 (Health Science building) on NMC’s main campus. NMC’s 10th Annual October Conference
This year’s conference, Reimagining Learning and Work: The Transformative Impact of AI, promises to be extra special with more than a dozen community leaders joining to share their insights. Classes are cancelled and most offices are closed so faculty and staff can attend this day-long professional development event. You can view the entire conference schedule here and the session summary guide here.
Speaker: Mallory King, J.D.
Mallory King is the owner of Breathe Brand Protection, PLLC, a boutique law firm specializing in brand protection legal services, including trademarks, copyrights, and contracts. Mallory is passionate about helping entrepreneurs and small business owners protect, defend, and navigate their intellectual property rights. Mallory grew up around the corner from NMC’s campus and is thrilled to be presenting at the conference this fall.
Speaker: Ashley Sloat, Ph.D
Ashley is a USPTO-registered patent practitioner with a Ph.D. in biomedical sciences from the University of Michigan. She specializes in building and managing patent portfolios for startups and emerging growth companies across a wide range of technologies, including Artificial Intelligence. Ashley partners closely with engineering and executive teams to align IP strategy with business goals—maximizing portfolio value while minimizing legal costs. She is a frequent host of the Patently Strategic Podcast, serves on the Board of Directors for 20Fathoms, and was named to Traverse City Business News’ 2024 40 Under 40. Ashley leads Aurora Patents, serving clients nationwide and internationally.
Brand Protection Podcast Collaboration
For more great education with Ashley and Mallory, also be sure to check out this pop culture-fueled Patently Strategic Podcast episode that breaks down high-profile Supreme Court cases as a vehicle to get a deeper understanding of copyrights and trademarks and some of the sharpest corners you should be aware of when managing your own brand protection.
By: Josh Sloat
Drafting Tips. Filing Insights. Long-Term IP
Strong patents don’t happen by accident — they are the result of smart strategies from the very start. Join MichBio’s IP & Legal Affairs Committee members, Dr. Ashley Sloat, President and Director of Patent Strategy here at Aurora, and Kristen Pursley, Intellectual Property Attorney/Registered Patent Attorney at Dobrusin Law Firm, for an engaging session on how to maximize the value of your patent applications.
This webinar will cover practical approaches to:
Whether you are preparing your first application or refining a broader IP strategy, this session will provide actionable insights to strengthen your intellectual property portfolio and ensure long-term leverage for your innovations! Date: Wednesday, October 15, 2025 Time: 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM (EDT) About MichBio
Since 1993, MichBio has been driving bio-industry growth in Michigan by providing access to resources and information critical to success, advocating for policy decisions that support the long-term viability of the life sciences, and connecting the people, companies, and ideas necessary to create the next generation of bio-innovation. Ashley is a proud member of MichBio’s IP & Legal Committee, where she helps shape the legal frameworks supporting innovation.
By: Josh Sloat  Join us tomorrow in Novi with Lawrence Technological University and Centrepolis Accelerator for a look into the future of U.S. manufacturing! More than 450 industry leaders, corporate innovators, hard-tech startups, and investors will gather to discuss the importance of US reindustrialization and how innovation in both product development and operational efficiencies is critical to enabling the competitiveness of domestic manufacturing. Areas of focus will include supply chain innovation, defense and national security tech, and AI and smart manufacturing.
Date: September 30, 2025 Time: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM Location: Suburban Collection Showplace Address: 46100 Grand River Ave, Novi, MI 48374
By: Josh Sloat
We’ve all seen patent numbers on physical products. Much like their copyright and trademark cousins, these designations are far from cosmetic. And instead serve a statutory requirement to provide public notice about your protected intellectual property. In the case of patent marking, not only does it reduce the risk of infringement because you are informing potential infringers of the patent's existence, but the notice also marks the point in time from which you can go back to for collecting on awarded damages. As the panel will discuss in today's episode, American patent law operates on a simple principle: mark your products with patent numbers, or watch your damages disappear.
Episode Overview
Kristen Hansen, Patent Strategy Specialist at Aurora, leads today's discussion with our all-star patent panel, delving deeply into the Do’s and Don’ts for patent marking – both physical and virtual, for US and abroad. Along the way, Kristen and the panel discuss:
Mossoff Minute: Patent Office Reforms
In this month’s Mossoff Minute, Professor Adam Mossoff celebrates the accomplishments of Acting USPTO Director Coke Morgan Stewart. Her tireless efforts over the past months are helping to light the path back toward reliable and effective patent rights for innovators across the country and in the global economy.
How to Listen
Patently Strategic is available on all major podcasting directories, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify. We're also available on 12 other directories including Stitcher, iHeart Radio, and TuneIn, so you should be able to find us wherever you listen to podcasts.
Resources.
Transcripts
We're providing computer-generated transcripts for improved accessibility and additional reference opportunities. Slides For the visual learners out there, we also like to make our presenter slides available for your reference.
By: Josh Sloat
Strategic Fundraising and Patent Value
Whether you’re a founder looking to take the next fundraising steps beyond bootstrapping, an aspiring angel investor looking to understand the risks of seed investing, or even a practitioner hoping to get a better grasp of how this all works hand-in-hand with patent strategy, this month's episode of the Patently Strategic Podcast provides an incredible springboard into the high risk, high reward world of strategic fundraising for early-stage startups!
Our Guest Host: Charlie Pascal
To help us with the specifics, we’ve enlisted the assistance of Charlie Pascal. Charlie is the founder and principal attorney at Pascal Advisory LLC, where he’s spent the last decade focused primarily on working with early-stage tech and life science companies to navigate the legal complexities of everything from the pre-incorporation cocktail napkin stage to helping founders pick teams and build a board, on through our focus today, which is advising on all of the funding rounds from friends and family on through venture capital. Much like Aurora does with many of our early-stage clients, Charlie functions as what you can essentially think of as fractional general counsel for companies that aren't yet ready or able to engage full-time in-house legal counsel.
Episode Overview
Charlie and the panel discuss:
How to Listen
Patently Strategic is available on all major podcasting directories, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify. We're also available on 12 other directories including Stitcher, iHeart Radio, and TuneIn, so you should be able to find us wherever you listen to podcasts.
Resources.
To further explore the topics discussed, see the following past episodes and resources:
Transcripts We're also providing computer-generated transcripts for improved accessibility and additional reference opportunities.
By: Josh Sloat
Responsible Engagement with Engineering Firms
Please join us June 5th online with our good friends at MichBio for an essential talk on prenuptial patenting! You have your big idea and now it’s time to breathe it into existence, but you need some help with the development. Like many others, you may turn to the aid of an engineering firm or dev shop. This relationship is a marriage of sorts. But it’s a marriage that is designed to inevitably end in divorce. How cleanly, smoothly, and successfully this separation goes depends on the steps that you take before it officially begins.
In this talk, Dr. Ashley Sloat will lead an exploration into responsible engagement with engineering firms, or what we affectionately refer to here as “Prenuptial Patenting”. Ashley will walk you down the aisle and explore everything you need to know to experience marital bliss and an amicable divorce with your engineering partners. This talk covers the full life cycle from vetting partners to post development concerns and everything in between – with particular focus on relationship complexities like IP ownership, assignment from engineering firm inventors back to you, and how to avoid the traps of viral IP. About MichBio
Since 1993, MichBio has been driving bio-industry growth in Michigan by providing access to resources and information critical to success, advocating for policy decisions that support the long-term viability of the life sciences, and connecting the people, companies, and ideas necessary to create the next generation of bio-innovation. Ashley is a proud member of MichBio’s IP & Legal Committee, where she helps shape the legal frameworks supporting innovation.
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Ashley Sloat, Ph.D.Startups have a unique set of patent strategy needs - so let this blog be a resource to you as you embark on your patent strategy journey. Archives
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