Stephen E. Zweig

Experienced patent attorney with a strong technical background, over 250+ issued patents, and many trademarks.

In addition to my legal background, I have a Biophysics STEM background (PhD) and experience with medical devices, software, electronics, and biotech. I have a lot of experience with startups, due diligence, and litigation support.

William Howard Taft University

J.D. (2011) | Law School

Honors: Graduated with Honors

University of California - San Diego

Ph.D. (1980) | Biophysics - Biology

Studied how cell membranes work using techniques from biophysics, immunochemistry, and protein chemistry, with focus on red cell maturation during erythropoiesis. Also studied protein chemistry of myosin heavy chain isozymes.

Activities: Worked under John Singer, discoverer of the fluid mosaic model of cell membranes, now taught in every biology textbook.

University of California - Santa Barbara

B.A. (1974) | Physics, Biology

Double major in Physics and Biology, with additional courses in Computer Science and Electrical Engineering.

Owner (Solo Practice)

PatentAssociate - Stephen E. Zweig, PhD JD, Patent Attorney

2007 - Current

IP attorney with an emphasis on patent drafting and prosecution, as well as trademarks. I handle a broad range of topics, from simple to complex, but I particularly like technically difficult and interdisciplinary (electronics-software or medical device-biotech) cases.

Medical device and IP strategic advisor

CliniSense Corp.

2002 - 2007

Ran consulting company focusing on Intellectual Property (patents), and medical devices for Beckman-Coulter and other firms. Among other work, developed a new type of electronic stability monitoring technology (LifeTrack®) to detect deteriorated drugs, vaccines, medical supplies, and other materials.

Founder, Chairman and CTO

Avocet Medical, Inc.

1991 - 2001

Founded VC backed medical diagnostics company that produced a point-of-care home diagnostic test for anticoagulants (warfarin, Coumadin). CEO 1991-96, Chairman and CTO 1997-2001. Ran R&D, Engineering, and Intellectual Property departments. The product was FDA cleared, and is still marketed as the Acon Laboratories, Inc. "Mission PT Coagulation Monitoring System"

Director R&D and Operations

LifeScan, a Johnson and Johnson Company

1985 - 1991

Headed up the R&D/operations department that scaled up the "One-Touch", which was the first highly successful blood glucose test strip for diabetes (sales approached nearly a billion dollars a year). After the One-Touch was launched, headed up the R&D team that did the initial R&D for the successful "SureStep" diabetes test strip system.

Advances in vaccine stability monitoring technology

Vaccine

August 14, 2006

Mobile robotic system with web server and digital radio links

USPTO patent 6,658,325

February 11, 2002

Verification device for optical clinical assay systems

USPTO patent 6,061,128

May 9, 2000

Membrane-based dry-reagent prothrombin time tests

Biomed. Instrum. Tech.

June 30, 1996

Best research paper of 1997

American Association of Biomedical Instrumentation (AAMI)

1997

SBIR Phase I and II award

National Institutes of Health

1992

Postdoctoral Fellow

Arthritis Foundation

1980

American Bar Association  # 02064556

Member

Current

California

State Bar of California

ID Number: 283095

Since 2012

USPTO patent bar (Federal Jurisdiction)

ID Number: 60144

Since 2007

Q. How to protect my SOS beacon light design despite finding a similar patent from 2010?

April 20, 2025

A: It is pretty common to find patents and prior art that may have been previously overlooked. So this is quite possible. You can check for authenticity by looking up the patent online.

Here, the details of what this other patent teaches become very important. If there is 100% overlap with your design, then you are out of luck. But if there are some significant differences, you still may be able to proceed by focusing your claims on these significant differences. Remember, however, that SOS signalling devices are well known in any event.

If you are trying for a US patent, you should cite this prior-art patent at the patent office. Other countries have different rules.

Q. Could I develop a video game using the story and characters from "The Little Prince" and sell it in the US?

May 28, 2024

A: Not yet. According to a quick search of copyright law. Copyrights last a long time, often 95 years from the publication date. In this case, "The Little Prince" will become public domain in the US in 2039.

So, come back in 15 years.

Q. Do you have to mark the patent number on the product packaging or website?

December 28, 2023

A: This is covered by Federal law 35 USC 287.

The law limits the patent holder's ability to recover for past patent infringement damages to the first point in time when the infringer was notified about the patent. By contrast, by marking the product, the infringer is legally assumed to have notice as of the time the patent holder first started marking the product.

So this can make a big difference in patent damages. Say an infringer had been infringing your patent for the last three years, but you had never marked your patent product with the patent number. Then you discover the problem and send the infringer a notification letter. The infringer only owes damages from the time of your letter, and not the previous three years. ... Read More