Monthly Minute | Design Patents
The Government has made the notification rules which determine the circumstances in which 2026 transactions will need to be notified to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) under the new Part IVA of the...more
While there’s no definitive consensus, economists are closely monitoring the possibility of entering a recession this year. Economists agree a recession is not imminent, but caution the odds of facing a recession are higher...more
Some issuers will be subject to higher FINRA fee caps beginning July 1, 2025. Section 7 of Schedule A to the FINRA By-Laws sets forth the fees associated with filing documents pursuant to the Corporate Financing Rule....more
A name is often crucial to who you are. It forms part of your identity. It helps family, friends, and even strangers recognize you. Despite its importance, changing your name in California is often a straightforward process....more
We previously reported that on January 18, 2025, the USPTO implemented its new fee schedule, setting certain new fees and raising some existing ones. Now that the fees have been in place for a while, this Client Alert is to...more
The European Patent Office (EPO) provides reductions to many of the official fees due during the grant procedure of a European patent application. These reductions can significantly reduce the total costs of bringing a...more
Effective May 13, 2025, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) will implement a significant change to its patent issuance process, substantially reducing the time between issue notification and patent issuance....more
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has introduced new trademark fees for 2025. These changes are designed to address increased operating costs and examination times and they will impact many routine...more
Under the United States Patent and Trademark Office’s (USPTO) modernization efforts, the time between paying the issue fee and issuance of the patent is being reduced. Faster patent issuance gives patent applicants less time...more
Effective July 1, 2024, the California Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (OPR) was renamed to the Governor’s Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation (LCI). The announcement from the Governor’s Office regarding this...more
The new fee structure is presented as a neutral pricing adjustment to replace the current TEAS Plus and TEAS Standard application filing options with a single base application option that changes based on the "complexity and...more
On April 15, 2025, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”) informed the public that, effective May 13, 2025, the USPTO will be accelerating the process for issuing patents. Currently, the time between Issue...more
ComplexDiscovery Editor’s Note: The March 2025 Hart-Scott-Rodino (HSR) filings dropped to 89 transactions, marking the lowest monthly total since the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic in April and May 2020. This...more
On 19 January 2025 the USPTO enacted a new Information Disclosure Statement (IDS) size fee. A new IDS size fee, codified under 37 C.F.R. 1.17(v), is accrued for any pending application when the number of cumulative references...more
When applying for a patent application, certain entities are entitled to reduced USPTO filing fees. Applicants who qualify for small entity status can reduce many USPTO fees by 60%. Applicants who are micro entities can...more
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) adjusts the minimum dollar jurisdictional thresholds that determine reportability under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976 (HSR Act) based on changes to gross national...more
Our Investment Funds Team reviews changes to two fees from the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) that begin July 1, 2025....more
The Canadian Patent Office (CIPO) has advised that as of January 14, 2025, it had granted patents for which final fees were processed in the old system. CIPO has started to process applications where final fees were paid in...more
On February 7, 2025, Delaware Governor Matt Meyer signed into law Delaware House Bill 40 (“HB 40”), which amends Chapter 459, Volume 84 of the Laws of Delaware and Titles 6, 29 and 30 of the Delaware Code relating to the...more
For employers seeking to sponsor foreign national professionals, awareness of the H-1B cap registration deadline is critical. Registration for the FY 2026 H-1B Cap lottery will start at 12 p.m. Eastern Time on March 7 and end...more
It’s finally here. After months of warnings, announcements, and uneasiness about their application, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office implemented a number of trademark-related fee changes in January 2025. These fees...more
It's that time of year again: H-1B CAP season! The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) initial registration period for H-1B CAP will open at 12:00 p.m. ET, on March 7, 2025, and run through 12:00 p.m. ET, on...more
New fees affecting trademarks and patents have taken effect at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). The new fee structures will dramatically influence trademark and patent filings. Applicants need to rethink...more
On January 22, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) published in the Federal Register its annual adjustments for notification thresholds regarding proposed mergers and acquisitions under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust...more
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) could see fewer trademark applications filed in numerous Classes with lengthy descriptions of goods and services as a result of an increase in trademark fees and new surcharges...more