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
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
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
Last week, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office released its new guidelines on how it will examine federal trademark applications for cannabidiol (CBD) products in light of the 2018 Farm Bill. While these new guidelines are...more
“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 June 25, 2018, GW Pharmaceuticals plc and its U.S. subsidiary, Greenwich Biosciences, made history in the cannabis industry by winning FDA approval of the drug Epidiolex, a cannabidiol (CBD) oral solution for the treatment...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
On June 19, 2017, in Matal v. Tam, previously Lee v. Tam, the Supreme Court handed down its most impactful interpretation of the disparagement clause of the Lanham Act to date by holding that at its intersection with the...more
6/22/2017
/ Disparagement ,
First Amendment ,
Free Speech ,
Lanham Act ,
Matal v Tam ,
Music Industry ,
SCOTUS ,
The Slants ,
Trademark Registration ,
Trademarks ,
USPTO
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