Mass mailers have been around in the U.S. since at least 1835.i Most are innocuous. “10% off at your local pizzeria.” “Weekly specials on bananas and ground beef at your local grocery.” Rarely do they catch your attention or...more
In Arthrex v. Smith & Nephew, the Supreme Court determined: (i) whether the authority of Administrative Patent Judges (APJs) to issue decisions on behalf of the Executive Branch is consistent with the Appointments Clause of...more
2019 Patent Trial and Appeal Board Key Practice Updates: A Year in Review -
2019 has been an active year for procedural changes in the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (“PTAB”). These changes include not only the PTAB’s...more
Almost one year ago, the 2018 Farm Bill was signed into law, and, for the first time, hemp and hemp-derived cannabidiol (CBD) were federally legalized. Under the statute, legal hemp is defined as “the plant Cannabis sativa L....more
2019 has been an active year for procedural changes in the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (“PTAB”). These changes include not only the PTAB’s issuance of a Trial Practice Guide July 2019 Update, but also a number of...more
USPTO Issues CBD Trademark Guidelines in Light of the 2018 Farm Bill: Key Takeaways -
On May 2, 2019, the USPTO released its new guidelines on how it will examine federal trademark applications for CBD products in light of...more
6/6/2019
/ Cannabidiol (CBD) oil ,
Controlled Substances Act ,
Copyright ,
Design Patent ,
Due Diligence ,
Farm Bill ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
IP License ,
Lanham Act ,
Licenses ,
Licensing Rules ,
Open Source Software ,
Patent Ownership ,
Patent Validity ,
Patents ,
Software ,
Software Patents ,
Trademarks ,
USPTO
“We live in an age where IP is important, so we need to focus on how we use it to our greatest benefit.” – Andrei Iancu, USPTO Director, February 19, 2019, Chicago, IL.
MBHB recently co-sponsored a fireside chat between...more
On January 3, 2019, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) issued a Final Written Decision in Insys Development Co., Inc. v. GW Pharma Ltd. (IPR2017-00503), a landmark inter partes review...more
On Friday, June 22, 2018, the Supreme Court reversed the judgment of the Federal Circuit in WesternGeco LLC v. ION Geophysical Corp. Justice Thomas (joined by Chief Justice Roberts and Justices Kennedy, Ginsburg, Alito,...more
6/25/2018
/ 35 U.S.C. § 271(f)(2) ,
35 U.S.C. § 284 ,
Appeals ,
Damages ,
Domestic Injury ,
Extraterritoriality Rules ,
Foreign Profits ,
Foreign Sales ,
Lost Profits ,
Patent Act ,
Patent Infringement ,
Patents ,
Remand ,
SCOTUS ,
Vacated ,
WesternGeco LLC v Ion Geophysical Corporation
For companies in the cannabis industry seeking to protect their innovations, patent protection is typically available for cannabis-related inventions (including the plant itself), just like it is for any other invention—they...more
As an endcap to a recent webinar Andrew Williams and I did on the most important PTAB stories from the past year, I addressed the effects that multiple, often serial, petitions can have on patent owners and their patents, and...more
Since Attorney General Jeff Sessions was sworn in, the cannabis industry has been watching and waiting to see if he would indeed keep his word to crack down on state-legal cannabis businesses. On January 4, 2018, just four...more
As with any billion dollar market, patents are an important consideration for the cannabis industry. Despite its current classification as a Schedule I drug under the Controlled Substances Act, however, the U.S. Patent and...more
The DTSA After One Year: Has the Federal Trade Secrets Law Met Expectations? -
On May 11, 2017, the Defend Trade Secrets Act (DTSA) – the law that created a Federal cause of action for trade secret misappropriation –...more
9/18/2017
/ Defend Trade Secrets Act (DTSA) ,
Forum Selection ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Marijuana ,
Misappropriation ,
Patents ,
Principal Place of Business ,
TC Heartland LLC v Kraft Foods ,
Trade Secrets ,
Venue ,
Water Splash v Menon
The legal U.S. cannabis market, which includes medicinal and recreational sales, is booming. Last year alone, the industry accumulated an estimated $7.2 billion in revenue, and that number is projected to grow to $21.2...more
Preparing patent applications for examination at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) requires proficient writing, detailed knowledge of the requirements of the Patent Act, and technical acumen. Once a patent...more
Decided September 30th, this Federal Circuit case is already making waves. The majority opinion seems to be at tension with the Court's outcome in BASCOM Glob. Internet Servs., Inc. v. AT&T Mobility LLC, but the real...more