Posts in Guest Contributors

Patent Filings Roundup: Video Codec Wars, Gaming Industry Stung by Section 325 Discretionary Denial, Remote Surgical Robotics Suit Filed

Patent filings were down ever so slightly last week, with 30 Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) petitions filed (29 inter partes reviews [IPRs] and one post grant review [PGR], the biggest chunk being Lenovo’s nine IPR filings against Nokia’s standard-essential patents) and 61 litigations. District court filings were driven in part by WSOU against their now-regular defendant, OnePlus Technology (Shenzhen), and in part by another wave of mostly Western District of Texas cases against another six major device manufacturers by Aquis Technologies—a decades-long Texas-based assertor of patents against USB-connection devices (the patents have already seen claim construction at least once; this brings the total number of defendants involved to 20 over the past 10 years.)

Getting a Patent: The Devastating Consequences of Not Naming All Inventors

Naming the correct inventors is critical when drafting a U.S. patent. Patents must have all inventors properly named. Deciding who is an inventor is a complicated task and great care must be taken to not add or omit people who are not inventors. It is possible that failure to properly name the inventors could result in losing your patent or its value. If inventors have been improperly added or omitted, the patent must be corrected or it could be declared invalid.

Trademarks are for Sellers: Banksy Store Created for Trademark Defense Fails to Protect ‘Flower Thrower’

One of street artist Banksy’s most iconic images—a mural sprayed on a Jerusalem building of a protester preparing to hurl flowers—failed to win trademark approval from the European Union in September because the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) doubted the sincerity of his attempt to merchandise the image. Banksy had hoped that the trademark would prevent unauthorized use of the image by a greeting card company, Yorkshire-based Full Colour Black. Famously private, the artist elected the unorthodox strategy of seeking trademark protection. The EUIPO said the artist’s company, Pest Control, had filed the mark in order to avoid using copyright laws, which would have required him to reveal his true identity—something he has managed to keep hidden for more than 15 years. (There are many theories about Banksy, including the possibility that he is a “we,” not a single individual but a team of street artists or artisans assisting him.) A copyright also would have limited the term of coverage.

Practice Tips Following USPTO Guidance on Applicant Admitted Prior Art

On August 18, 2020, the USPTO issued a guidance memorandum on the treatment of applicant statements in the challenged patent in inter partes review (IPR) proceedings under Section 311, which addresses the use of applicant statements as Applicant Admitted Prior Art (AAPA). When an IPR is filed, the basis of that IPR must be prior art consisting of either a patent or printed publication. An interesting situation arises when the disclosure of the challenged patent itself admits or allegedly admits certain material as prior art. This situation has presented itself to the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (Board) on a number of occasions and has received inconsistent treatment. The purpose of this memorandum is to clarify that an applicant’s own statements in the challenged patent cannot serve as the basis for instituting an IPR. But the use of AAPA is still available as evidence the Board may consider for more limited purposes.

China’s NMPA and CNIPA Propose Draft Measures on Patent Linkage for Public Comment: Implications for the Future of Innovative and Generic Drugs

The National Medical Products Administration (NMPA), in conjunction with the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA), recently solicited public comments on the draft of “Measures For the Implementation of Early Resolution Mechanisms for Drug Patent Disputes (Trial)” (“Draft Measures”). The purpose of the Draft Measures is to establish an early resolution mechanism for drug patent disputes. The deadline for submission of comments is October 25, 2020.

The Price of Paice and Complexity: Rules, Standards and Facts for Post-Judgment Royalty Consideration

The Supreme Court and Federal Circuit permit prevailing patentees to obtain a higher royalty rate for an infringer’s post-judgment infringing sales. But whatever the reason, district courts have oft-resisted, even establishing presumption-like rules that a court’s post-judgment rate will merely match the pre-judgment rate determined by the jury. While the Federal Circuit recognized the availability of post-judgment running royalties more than a decade ago, litigators addressing the issue at the trial level still have leeway to urge many of the principles that govern and can shape this process. We outline the developments in this area of law since its 2007 inception, including various open issues left for the Federal Circuit’s precedential consideration.