Protecting Your Brand in China
What the First-to-File Patent Change Means (And What IP Strategists Should Do About It)
The Corporate Law Report: First-to-File Patents, Hiring for Cultural Fit, Roth Conversions Post-Fiscal Cliff, and Global Corporate Insights
With the enactment of the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act (AIA), the U.S. patent system moved to a “first inventor to file” approach for examining all applications having an effective filing date on or after March 16, 2013....more
Representing the first decision of its kind, the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB or Board) instituted the first post-grant review (PGR) under the American Invents Act (AIA). American Simmental Association v. Leachman...more
U.S. patent applications filed after March 16, 2013, when the “First-Inventor-to-File” portion of the America Invents Act (AIA) took effect, have started to be published. Thus, it is a good time for applicants to consider...more
In this final post of our trilogy, we present a third scenario where the first-to-file regime under AIA offers previously unavailable opportunities for disqualifying certain prior art references....more
Our previous post discussed the need for invoking the first-to-file regime in order to maximize the value of certain pre-AIA applications that claim foreign priorities. Here, we present another scenario where the different...more
When should a patent application be filed? Should it be filed prior to submission of a manuscript or abstract for peer-review or just prior to publication? In highly competitive technologies, it is prudent to file as soon as...more
March 16, 2013 is rapidly approaching. This date is significant because it is the effective date of Section 3 of the American Invents Act (AIA). Section 3 of AIA includes the first-inventor-to-file provisions (FITF). Most of...more
Now that we are less than one month away from implementation of the First-Inventor-To-File provisions of the America Invents Act (AIA), stakeholders are considering whether to file new patent applications now, to secure...more
On July 26, 2012, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) published proposed Examination Guidelines for Implementing the First-Inventor-to-File Provisions of the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act (AIA), which...more
The America Invents Act (AIA), which was commonly referred to as the “patent reform bill,” was signed into law in 2011, rolled out in 2012 and 2013, and business owners are still wondering what, if anything, it means to them....more
In a press release issued earlier today, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office announced that examination guidelines and the final rule for implementing the first-inventor-to-file (FITF) provisions of the Leahy-Smith America...more
On March 16, 2013, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is changing from a First-to-Invent system to a First-Inventor-to-File system under the America Invents Act for all patent applications that have a priority date...more
The most significant changes in U.S. patent law since 1790 apply to patent applications filed after March 15, 2013. If you have any new inventions or improvements on old inventions that you are considering patenting, or...more
On March 16, 2013, the "first-to-file" provisions of the America Invents Act ("AIA"), will take effect, replacing the current first-to-invent system. Here we provide specific recommendations to optimize protection of your...more
Patent attorneys are expecting a flurry of patent filing activity by March 15, 2013. This is because under the American Invents Act, U.S. Patent Laws will change on March 16, 2013 and the U.S. will convert to a first-to-file...more
On March 16, 2013, the United States patent system will change fundamentally when we switch from a "First to Invent" to "First to File" system, thanks to the America Invents Act. What will it mean for businesses and...more
The recently enacted America Invents Act (AIA) introduces major changes to the U.S. patent laws, with some significant provisions taking effect on March 16, 2013. These provisions provide several compelling reasons to file...more
As you may know, the America Invents Act (AIA) has introduced several changes to U.S. patent law. On March 16, 2013, the AIA moves the U.S. from a First-to-Invent system to a First-to-File system. This and other provisions...more
As we advised previously, on September 16, 2011, the President signed the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act, the most comprehensive overhaul of the U.S. patent system in more than 60 years. Most of the changes required by the...more
On Saturday, March 16, 2013, the first-inventor-to-file provisions of the America Invents Act1 (AIA) take effect. The provisions fundamentally alter United States patent law. For patent applications examined under the...more
MARCH 16, 2013 is the effective date for major changes made to the U.S. Patent Act by the America Invents Act (“AIA”). These changes should motivate inventors to consider filing their patent applications before the changes...more
The America Invents Act or “AIA” was signed into law by President Obama on September 16, 2011. After an eighteen month waiting period, on March 16, 2013, two months from today, the US patent system officially changes to a...more
On Saturday, March 16, 2013, the “first-inventor-to-file” provisions of the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act (“AIA”) go into effect. These provisions replace the current “first-to-invent” system. In addition to various other...more
On March 16, 2013, the America Invents Act (AIA) changes U.S. patent law from a first-to-invent system to a first-inventor-to-file system, which moves U.S. patent law into closer harmony with most industrialized nations...more