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
The United States patent system underwent a significant change with the enactment of the First-Inventor-to-File (FITF) provision of the America Invents Act, which became effective on March 16, 2013. The FITF provision...more
As part of the America Invents Act (“AIA”), Congress moved the patent system from a first-to-invent to a first-inventor-to-file system. For patents governed by the new first-to-file system, the Act also eliminated...more
This case addresses certain implications of the Laehy-Smith America Invests Act (AIA), namely whether patents with a filing date after March 16, 2013 (pure AIA patents) may be part of an interference proceeding under pre-AIA,...more
One of the wonderful (as in, it makes one wonder) and frustrating (which needs no explanation) aspects of patent law is that just when you think a question is settled it either isn't or the conventional interpretation is...more
A patent is eligible for post-grant review (“PGR”) only if the patent is subject to the first-inventor-to-file provisions of the AIA. In Tricam Indus., Inc. v. Little Giant Ladder Sys., LLC, the PTAB explained that...more
With the implementation of the America Invents Act and the United States moving to a first-to-file regime, there is greater time pressure to file patent applications than ever before. When patent protection in ex-US...more
Today, technology companies are conceptualizing new ideas and improving upon those ideas at a blistering pace. Previously, under the United States’ first-to-invent patent system, such companies could afford to wait until new...more
Patent services provider RWS inovia recently released its eighth annual report on global patent and IP trends. In compiling "The 2017 U.S. Global Patent & IP Trends Indicator," RWS inovia, which produces products for PCT...more
Did you know that the individual often credited with popularizing karaoke did not reap the financial rewards of his invention to the extent possible? It's true—Japanese musician Daisuke Inoue invented karaoke in Kobe, Japan...more
Today’s patent practice is rapidly transforming. The practice is undergoing sea changes in patent eligibility, enforcement strategies, and damages. Now more than ever, innovative companies need to adopt best practices to...more
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
The Federal Circuit affirmed a decision by the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts that it lacked subject matter jurisdiction under 35 U.S.C. § 146 pursuant to changes in the statute provided by the...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
It has been over three years since the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act was signed into law by President Obama, and just over eighteen months since the effective date of the first-inventor-to-file changes to 35 USC § 102....more
MadStad Eng’g, Inc. v. USPTO - The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit faced an issue of first impression when a named inventor on three patents challenged the first-inventor-to-file provision of the America...more
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office announced that it will host seven roadshow events across the country to increase public understanding of the First Inventor to File (FITF) provisions of the America Invents Act. The...more
The America Invents Act (AIA) came into law back in September 2011, but it was not until last March that its provisions were completely phased in. The changes last year included not only the switch from a “first-to-invent” to...more
Reflecting upon the events of the past twelve months, Patent Docs presents its seventh annual list of top biotech/pharma patent stories. For 2013, we identified fourteen stories that were covered on Patent Docs last year...more
The Leahy–Smith America Invents Act (AIA) was passed by Congress and enacted into law on September 16, 2011. Named for its lead sponsors, Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX), the Act changed the U.S. patent...more
Last week, a coalition of more than 100 companies and organizations including the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO), the California Healthcare Institute (CHI), and Eli Lilly & Company, sent a letter to Congressional...more
On September 16, 2013–the second anniversary of the America Invents Act (AIA)–the USPTO will host a forum on the AIA at its Alexandria, Virginia campus. The USPTO AIA forum will provide an overview of AIA implementation to...more
Over the last few years, companies have increasingly recognized the value of design patents, which are directed to the ornamental (non-functional) appearance of a product....more
In This Issue: - Avoiding Repricing Pitfalls - America Invents Act: Practical Considerations for Portfolio Companies. - Excerpt from Avoiding Repricing Pitfalls: Perhaps it is no more than a result of...more