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A Conversation with Joff Wild, Editor-in-Chief of IAM Magazine
As patents become more essential to more businesses, investors are going to want to have more information about them. They're going to want to have more visibility …
PTAB challenges are a costly, uphill battle for patent owners
Often, a PTAB proceeding is threatened by an accused infringer to successfully settle the dispute with the patent owner. Often, no PTAB petition is ever filed. When …
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Seinfeld Moves to Dismiss Copyright Claims over ‘Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee’
In early February, a copyright complaint was filed in the Southern District of New York against comedian Jerry Seinfeld and a series of companies involved with the …
USPTO memo explains changed Alice Step 2B to examiners
Yesterday the USPTO issued subject matter eligibility guidance to its examining corps in a memorandum that changes how examiners approach their Alice Step 2B analysis. Specifically, the …
Commerce Secretary ready to push update to tech transfer laws to ensure greater commercialization
Secretary Ross gave an unequivocal endorsement of Bayh-Dole specifically, and more generally saying laws need to be updated to address business and technology realities of today, and …
CAFC Upholds Section 101 Invalidity Finding on Rule 12(b)(6) Motion, Nixing Patents Covering App Management
On Monday, April 9th, the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit upheld the invalidity of a series of patents asserted against the American subsidiary of Japanese …
USPTO issues 101 guidance limiting examiner ability to merely conclude elements are well-known, convention or routine
The Notice is significant because in a 101 rejection, an examiner cannot simply assume that elements or a combination are "well understood, routine or conventional." Examiners will be …
Are fewer continuations the sign of a healthy patent system?
Hirshfeld explained to me that he is well aware of all of the portfolio reasons why continuations are very important, but the Office does really want to …
Innovative Use of Patent Examiner Statistics Improves Efficiency and Strengthens Portfolios
We recently handled an application in which the examiner rejected the independent claims as obvious in view of six references from a variety of different fields. Submitting …
USPTO Director Andrei Iancu Discusses Patentability of Algorithms, PTAB Proceedings at Senate Judiciary Committee
Sen. Harris followed up by asking whether algorithms were mathematical representations of laws of nature. “You’re getting right to the heart of the issue,” Iancu said. …
Director Iancu tells Senate: 101 is an issue “we must all address”
"The PTO we will work to provide more concrete tests – to the extent possible given Supreme Court precedent," Director Iancu said speaking about patent eligibility. "This is …
How to Customize Your Prosecution Strategy for Your Examiner
What would you change about your prosecution strategy if you knew more about your assigned examiner’s behavior and could identify cases that require extra care and …
Increases in Innovation, Patent Boom Leads to Development in China
The patent boom China has been experiencing is easy to explain. China as a country has been unwavering in its support for domestic patent production in recent …
IPWatchdog Seeks to Hire One or More Law Students for Summer
IPWatchdog.com is seeking to hire one or more part-time law students with an interest in intellectual property. We are looking for individuals with strong research and …
USPTO Director Iancu Makes Surprise Appearance at Inventor Conference
"We are focused on delivering reliable and predictable IP rights," Director Iancu told the Inventor Group Presidents gathered at the Patent Office as he addressed them to …
Samsung Galaxy Smartphones Targeted in Infringement Case Over Secure Device Authentication Patents
Texas-based patent owner PACid Technologies filed a complaint alleging patent infringement committed by South Korean consumer electronics giant Samsung (KRX:005930). The case, filed in the Eastern District …
Federal Circuit Allows USPTO to Defend Appeal from Inter Partes Reexamination
In Knowles Elecs. LLC v. Iancu, Knowles appealed the inter partes reexamination decision of the Board, which affirmed an examiner’s finding that certain claims were anticipated …
U.S. Patent System Falls to 12th Place in Chamber Global IP Index for 2018
While the United States continues to do well overall, patent protection continues to be problematic. In 2017 the U.S. ranked 10th worldwide in terms of offering patent …
The Muppets: An Intellectual Property Success Story
The Muppets aren’t just our friends, they’re an intellectual property success story. And there are thousands more like it – showing IP as the backbone of …
Grumpy Cat Wins $710,000 Verdict for Copyright, Trademark Infringement Against Beverage Maker
A jury awarded $710,000 in damages for trademark and copyright infringement to Grumpy Cat Limited, the entity holding the rights to the Internet cat celebrity Grumpy Cat. The …
Andrei Iancu confirmed by Senate as Director of the USPTO
Andrei Iancu was confirmed by the United States Senate to become Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and the Director of the United States Patent and …
Bloomberg Innovation Index is Latest Sign US Innovation Economy is in Dire Straits
For the first time since the inception of the Bloomberg Innovation Index, the U.S. ranked outside the top 10, ranking 11th out of the 50 economies. This latest …
Why is the Trump DOJ arguing patents are a public right?
It is no surprise to anyone that patent rights in the United States suffered enormously under the two terms served in the White House by President Barack …
How Google and Big Tech Killed the U.S. Patent System
Banana Republics are societies characterized by their starkly stratified social classes and a ruling-class plutocracy composed of the business, political and military elites. The Elites rule over …
Jury finds Corel willfully infringed Microsoft Office patents
Microsoft argued that Corel willfully infringed the ’828, ’036, ’237, ’140, ’532, and ’865 patents. The asserted Microsoft patents are directed to graphic user interfaces used in Microsoft products, such as Microsoft Office. …
Google Downplays Importance of STEM Education Despite Increased Job Opportunities and Wage Prospects for Workers
Looking at the results of multi-year studies conducted by Google into its own employment practices, including hiring standards and team productivity, Davidson noted Google’s own findings …
Judge Finds Taylor Swift Lyrics Lack Originality and Creativity
So uncreative did Judge Michael Fitzgerald find Taylor Swift's 2014 hit Shake It Off, he dismissed a copyright infringement case filed against her. In his opinion Judge Michael …
Patents, Copyrights and the Constitution, Perfect Together
James Madison — the fourth President of the United States and the father of the U.S. Constitution — wrote the usefulness of the power granted to Congress in …
Conservative Leaders to Trump: 301 investigation of China represents a good first step
Conservative leaders wrote the White House applauding this initiative, based on the property rights implications of IP expropriation. These conservative leaders note that China is hardly the …
Mohawk Tribe Ready to Battle over Ex Parte Communications between PTAB Judges
Attorneys for the Mohawk tribe have notified the USPTO that ex parte communications between an APJ assigned to the IPRs and an APJ not assigned to the …
PTAB Judges Shockingly Inexperienced Compared to District Court Judges
This study uncovered several shocking revelations. First, 12.64% of PTAB judges were appointed with less than 5 years of experience prior to their appointment as APJs (i.e., 5 years …
TTAB denies Beyoncé requests in BLUE IVY CARTER Trademark Opposition Proceedings
In late December, Beyoncé’s trademark holding company lost out on a motion to amend the TTAB’s standard protective order to make certain information confidential under 37 …
Federal Circuit Affirms TTAB Refusal to Register ‘CHURRASCOS’
In a May 13, 2016 decision, the Federal Circuit affirmed a Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) decision upholding an Examiner’s denial of registration based on a finding …
Alternate Approaches to the Valuation of Intellectual Property
Techniques for valuing intellectual property continue to develop, especially as access to information becomes easier and more efficient. The practice of valuing intellectual property has only been …
Design Patent Infringement: How to decide if you should sue
First, look at the merits of the infringement claim. They may be stronger than you think, and you can thank a 2008 ruling for that. That year, the …
Reflections on Taking the Patent Bar Exam
If you are reading this article beyond the title, you are either preparing to take the USPTO’s patent bar exam or you are considering whether you …
The Myth of the 18-Month Delay in Publishing Patent Applications
Starting in November 2000, the USPTO started publishing patent applications 18 months after their earliest filing date. So the simple assumption is that you file a patent and 18 months …
What happens when lifestyle drugs like Viagra and Cialis lose patent protections?
Each year, millions of men rely on pharmaceuticals like Viagra and Cialis for their erectile dysfunction (ED), but they may not be the only ones facing dysfunctionalities. …
Beat the Odds: How to Get Your Invention Licensed
Many inventors believe the way to get a company interested in their inventions is to write a letter – and then hope they receive an invitation to begin …
Does University Patent Licensing Pay Off?
Patent licensing or creating new companies is not a get rich quick path for schools despite the occasional blockbuster invention or Google spin-out. Indeed, enriching universities is …
Do Patents Truly Promote Innovation?
Invention, it has been shown, is driven primarily not by genius or happenstance but rather by markets and the expectation of the profit that can be gained …
Comic-Con Considerations: Cosplay, the Right of Publicity, and Copyright Concerns
For as much as Comic-Con is about comics, TV, and upcoming movies, it’s not hard to see that a large portion of its allure for fans …
These Are the 20 Hardest and Easiest Art Units
Art Unit 3689 has the lowest allowance rate at 7.7%. Art Unit 3659 has the highest at 98.3%. Oddly enough, these two art units are from the same technology center. It’…
10 Years Later – A Look at the Efficacy of the Pre-Appeal Brief Conference Program
For 61% of the non-defective requests, the panel decided that there was an actual issue for appeal, such that the applicant would either need to file an Appeal …
Top Patent Firms for 2016
A list of the top patent firms that are ranked based on the total number of U.S. utility patents that issued in 2016 where the patent firms …
Top Patent Firms for 2015
We compiled a list of the top patent firms, which are ranked based on the total number of U.S. utility patents that issued in 2015 where the …
A Post-Alice Playbook: Practical Strategies for Responding to Alice-Based Rejections
Although the Supreme Court in Alice declined to provide an express definition of “abstract idea,” the opinion is packed with evidence that the Court intended for the …
The Cost of Obtaining a Patent in the US
Estimating US patent costs is a difficult matter because so much depends on the technology involved, but answering "it depends" is not particularly insightful or helpful. What …
Protecting Ideas: Can Ideas Be Protected or Patented?
Unfortunately, despite what you may have heard from late night television, satellite radio commercials or snake oil salesmen, there is no effective way to protect an idea… …
Moving from Idea to Patent – When Do You Have an Invention?
In order to protect an idea it must mature into an invention first. This means that you need to be able to explain to others how to …
Patent Claim Drafting 101: The Basics
When writing a claim it is important to describe how the various components are structured and how the various components interact and connect. First, include a claim …
Patent Searching 101: A Patent Search Tutorial
Inventors and entrepreneurs who are looking to cut costs frequently want to do their own patent search. This is a wise first move, but inventors need to …
The Top 5 Mistakes Inventors make with their Invention
Generally speaking the first step toward commercializing an invention and making money is typically to pursue the patent path. For those new to the industry it is …
Good, Bad & Ugly: Truth About Provisional Patent Applications
Whether that provisional patent application can ever be useful moving forward is unknown and unknowable at the time it is filed, which allows for those who knowingly …
The Benefits of a Provisional Patent Application
Like any other patent application, a provisional patent application is effective to stop the clock relative to so-called statutory bars and immediately upon filing a provisional patent …
Getting Your Invention to Market: Licensing vs. Manufacturing
Of course, whether you are going to pursue licensing or manufacturing, for the first lesson is to realize that there are no tricks to invention marketing. It …
Patent Drawings and Invention Illustrations, What do you Need?
If you are going to file a patent application you must have drawings to include in the application, but patent drawings are not the only type of "…
Tricks & Tips to Describe an Invention in a Patent Application
One excellent way to make sure you are including an appropriately detailed description that treats a variety of variations and alternatives is to have many professional patent …
Utility Patent Applications – Content and Substance
In order to obtain a utility patent one must file what is referred to as a non-provisional application or a non-provisional utility application. It is called “non-provisional” …
When is an Invention Obvious?
That being said, the possibility that a utility patent could be obtained cannot be definitively ruled out even if an invention seems quite likely to be obvious, …
The Law of Recipes: Are Recipes Patentable?
In most cases the typical recipe for a "killer Margarita" or "the best barbeque sauce ever" will not be patentable, but the only way to know for …
Patent Drawings 101: The Way to Better Patent Applications
To properly accomplish the goal of having the best disclosure possible you should also not think in terms of a single patent drawing or illustration, but rather …
