![[IPWatchdog Logo]](https://ipwatchdog.com/wp-content/themes/IPWatchdog%20-%202023/assets/images/temp/logo-small@2x.png){kind=logo}
Other Barks & Bites for Friday, January 16: U.S.-Taiwan $250B Chip and Tariff Deal Announced; South Korean Creators Slam Korea AI Action Plan; and CJEU Says Private Copying Levies Don’t Violate Copyright Directive
This week in Other Barks & Bites: The Sixth Circuit affirms a dismissal of a declaratory judgment suit after finding no federal question of law raised by the suit’s copyright allegations; the EU’s highest court says that EU member states can pass rules implementing a private copying levy against manufacturers of computer hard drive storage; the governments of the United States and Taiwan announce a relaxation of some reciprocal tariffs in response for a $250 billion investment in American chip capacity; creators and copyright owners in South Korea raise concerns over the opt-out framework proposed by South Korean lawmakers in that nation’s AI Action Plan; the Fifth Circuit finds no territoriality issue with the global grant of copyright declared for the 1966 single “Double Shot (Of My Baby’s Love)”; and the USPTO announces a program to offer accelerated examination certificates to companies engaging in technological standards development.
Steve Brachmann
January 16, 2026, 11:30 PM
0
![[Advertisement]](https://ipwatchdog.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/IP-Author-Jan-22-2026-banner-with-speakers-1500x500-1.jpg)
Conservatives Urge Trump Admin to Voice Support for USPTO’s Proposed PTAB Rule
A group of conservative leaders on Wednesday sent a letter to the Director of the National Economic Council, Kevin Hassett, and Chief of Staff to President Trump, Susie Wiles, strongly supporting the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s (USPTO’s) Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) issued in October, titled “Revision to Rules of Practice before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board.” The NPRM modifies the rules of practice for inter partes reviews (IPRs) before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB), with the stated goal being “to focus inter partes review proceedings on patent claims that have not previously been challenged in litigation or where prior litigation was resolved at an early stage.” The deadline for comments was December 2 and the Office has received 11,442 total submissions.
Eileen McDermott
January 15, 2026, 04:15 PM
1
To Boost American Innovation, Allow Under 18 Inventors to File Patents for Free
There are lots of familiar recommendations to make U.S. businesses more competitive globally. All are valid, but none are particularly creative or original. One solution that hasn’t been pursued is not only simple, a variation of it has been implemented by America’s largest and most aggressive economic competitor: remove the filing fees for inventors and intellectual property (IP)creators under 18.
Dr. David Lenihan
January 15, 2026, 03:15 PM
7
IFI Report: U.S. Patent Applications Plunge 9% After Record High as IBM Falls Out of Top 10
On Tuesday, patent data analytics firm IFI CLAIMS published its annual report of the top 50 U.S. patent recipients for 2025. The list provides a comprehensive snapshot of the patent landscape with insights into growing trends in the industry. According to the IFI press release, after reaching a record high in 2024, U.S. patent applications declined by 9% in 2025, to their lowest level since 2019. The data also showed that total patent grants remained relatively steady, dipping by less than 1% from 324,064 in 2024 to 323,272 in 2025.
Rose Esfandiari
January 15, 2026, 08:15 AM
1
Patent Reset: 2025’s Pivotal Moments and What Comes Next
As we wind down 2025 it is time to reflect on the year that was, and what the future will bring. This year was punctuated by a structural reset for the U.S. patent system. What unfolded was not just incremental reform, but a coordinated shift driven by leadership change, policy realignment, economic pressure, and accelerating adoption of AI—all converging to reshape how patents are examined, challenged, monetized, and managed. This week on IPWatchdog Unleashed we explore the monumental changes and the biggest trends that impacted the patent and innovation industry during 2025, and which will play an important role in defining 2026.
Gene Quinn
December 22, 2025, 04:05 PM
1
Pioneering AI Innovations and Legacy: A Conversation with Inventor Gil Hyatt / IPWatchdog Unleashed
This week on IPWatchdog Unleashed, I sat down with prolific inventor Gil Hyatt, exploring his innovative journey and aspirations to leave a lasting legacy. One of the key highlights of the conversation was Gil’s creation of a non-profit Pioneering AI Foundation, which is aimed at advancing AI technology and bolstering U.S. economic interests. This non-profit organization is set to hold Gil’s substantial portfolio of AI patent applications, which cover his pioneering work dating back to the 1980s, and includes groundbreaking claims in artificial intelligence that could revolutionize sectors like education, manufacturing, and trade.
Gene Quinn
January 13, 2026, 02:15 PM
4
Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Becoming a Patented Inventor: Behind the Scenes with Renee Quinn
This week on IPWatchdog Unleashed, I sat down with my business and life partner, Renee Quinn. In addition to telling Renee’s story about how she found her way into the intellectual property world, and through our sometimes-comical banter, we together explore what it really takes to build, sustain, and continuously reinvent an entrepreneurial company like IPWatchdog. What emerged was a practical roadmap for entrepreneurship, invention, navigating platform risk, and focused on the necessity of constantly being ready to pivot as old business models start to show signs of age and ultimately falter. From Renee’s journey from IP outsider to patented inventor, to firsthand lessons learned navigating Amazon’s reseller ecosystem, the discussion highlights how intellectual property operates in the real world, not the classroom.
Gene Quinn
January 6, 2026, 02:15 PM
0
![[Advertisement]](https://ipwatchdog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/ClearstoneIP-Jan-27-2026-banner-1500x500-1.jpg)
Iancu Urges House Trade Subcommittee to Address Weakening of U.S. IP Rights By America’s Trading Partners
On Tuesday afternoon, the U.S. House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee’s Subcommittee on Trade convened a hearing titled Maintaining American Innovation and Technology Leadership, which explored a host of regulatory and other legal burdens being placed on tech industry trade by foreign governments to the detriment of American innovators and consumers. Among the panel witnesses at the subcommittee hearing was former U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) Director Andrei Iancu, who spoke to several ways that our nation’s adversaries and trading partners alike are weakening American IP rights and how those issues should be addressed by U.S. policymakers.
Steve Brachmann
January 14, 2026, 05:44 PM
1
Issa’s Latest Litigation Funding Bill Debated in House Judiciary Without Reaching Vote
The House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday considered the Protecting Third Party Litigation Funding (TPLF) From Abuse Act as part of a lengthy markup hearing that chiefly focused on escalating immigration enforcement operations in the United States. The bill did not reach a vote after committee members recessed for votes on the House floor and never reconvened. Sources tell IPWatchdog the bill has now been pulled.
Eileen McDermott
January 14, 2026, 10:15 AM
2
Pioneering AI Innovations and Legacy: A Conversation with Inventor Gil Hyatt / IPWatchdog Unleashed
This week on IPWatchdog Unleashed, I sat down with prolific inventor Gil Hyatt, exploring his innovative journey and aspirations to leave a lasting legacy. One of the key highlights of the conversation was Gil’s creation of a non-profit Pioneering AI Foundation, which is aimed at advancing AI technology and bolstering U.S. economic interests. This non-profit organization is set to hold Gil’s substantial portfolio of AI patent applications, which cover his pioneering work dating back to the 1980s, and includes groundbreaking claims in artificial intelligence that could revolutionize sectors like education, manufacturing, and trade.
Gene Quinn
January 13, 2026, 02:15 PM
4
The Slow Death of AIA Trials: A Look into the USPTO’s ‘One-and-Done’ Rule Package
There’s a lot going on at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) right now, and it’s not just the usual noise about discretionary denial. The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has published a one-and-done rules package that, if it survives, would fundamentally change how inter partes review (IPR) challenge works, who can challenge patents, and when. The comment window on the proposed one-and-done rule has now closed. With more than 10,000 comments received by the USPTO and over 700 individual commenters weighing in, the proposed rules package has become a flashpoint for questions that go way beyond discretionary denial and AIA trials, with many asking whether the USPTO is functionally trying to engage in de facto legislation to neuter the PTAB.
Gene Quinn
December 9, 2025, 03:15 PM
9
Navigating the Changing Patent Landscape with Gene Quinn and John White | IPWatchdog Unleashed
This week on IPWatchdog Unleashed, I was joined by my longtime friend John White, who is the the creator of the patent bar review course I’ve taught for almost 27 years. Together we explore the intricate and ever changing patent landscape. First, we begin by discussing the bar exam and how it is changing, then we pivot to the evolving role of AI in patent law more generally. Our conversation traversed decades of personal history, friendship and professional insights, revealing how the industry has transformed over the years and what it means for the current and future generation of patent practitioners.
Gene Quinn
December 2, 2025, 12:15 PM
0
AI, IP and Data Risk: Responsibly Adopting AI While Safeguarding IP | IPWatchdog Unleashed
This week on IPWatchdog Unleashed, we feature a panel discussion that took place on October 27 as a part of our annual life sciences program. Initially styled as a conversation about how artificial intelligence is transforming life sciences, it became quickly apparent that the conversation was not going to be limited to the life sciences sector. Instead the discussion evolved into a robust discussion about data risk and intellectual property, focusing on what every innovative company should have front of mind when considering the adoption of AI tools.
Gene Quinn
November 25, 2025, 12:15 PM
0
![[Advertisement]](https://ipwatchdog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/PTAB-Masters-2026-banner-regular-price-1500x500-1.jpg)
Varsity Sponsors
![[Advertisement]](https://ipwatchdog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/ClearstoneIP-Jan-27-2026-sidebar-700x500-1.jpg)
![[Advertisement]](https://ipwatchdog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/PTAB-Masters-2026-sidebar-regular-price-700x500-1.jpg)
![[Advertisement]](https://ipwatchdog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/LIVE-2026-sidebar-early-bird-new-700x500-1.jpg)
Latest Podcasts
IPWatchdog Events
Webinar: An Integrated AI Approach to Streamlining Patent Prosecution and Reducing Timelines
January 22 @ 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm ESTWebinar: The FTO Paradox – Conducting Thorough Patent Diligence While Protecting Privilege and Avoiding Willfulness
January 27 @ 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm EST
Industry Events
Subscribe to IPWatchdog
This is the best way to stay informed. We send a daily roundup of our latest news, press releases, and events.
Get Email Updates
Sponsored Content
Recent Podcasts
![[Advertisement]](https://ipwatchdog.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/WEBINAR-336-x-280-px.png)
