2025 has been a year of breaking news, including in the intellectual property space. While AI developments and big court decisions grabbed many of the 2025 headlines, the most immediate and practical changes to U.S. trademark...more
On July 17, 2024, the Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO) launched a new electronic system and portal, MyCIPO Patents, as part of its Next Generation Patents initiative. While the platform will be extremely helpful...more
Every October, we’re reminded that the scariest things are often the ones you don’t see coming. For patent owners, that’s true year-round. Beneath the surface of even the most impressive-looking portfolios can lurk hidden...more
A recent decision from the Canadian Federal Court of Appeal (FCA) underscores the importance of implementing multi-layered patent docketing systems to prevent the loss of rights due to unpaid maintenance fees. ...more
The Trump administration is considering changing the U.S. patent maintenance fee structure from the existing three fixed flat fees to an annual, value‑based “tax” model where patent holders would pay 1%–5% of the estimated...more
U.S. patents are currently subject to maintenance fees paid to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) at 3.5, 7.5, and 11.5 years from the date of grant to keep the patent live. The maintenance fees escalate over the...more
On July 17, 2024, the Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO) launched a new electronic system and portal, MyCIPO Patents, as part of its Next Generation Patents initiative. The launch has been fraught with difficulties,...more
In January 2025, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) implemented a broad set of fee increases and structural adjustments intended to address rising operational costs and encourage more efficient patent...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
KEY FACTS OF REAL ESTATE ACQUISITIONS UNDER SINGAPOREAN LAW - INTRODUCTION - There are two systems of land registration in Singapore: registration under the Registrations of Deeds Act, known as “unregistered land”, and...more
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) will implement a new fee schedule this month, introducing significant changes across all fee categories, including initial trademark application filing fees....more
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released the annual pesticide registration maintenance fee materials for fiscal year (FY) 2025. The deadline for payment of EPA’s annual maintenance fee for pesticide...more
Most companies recognize patent portfolios as valuable business assets. They protect the investments made in research and development, and the efforts to bring products to market. As businesses evolve, and that cycle has only...more
On July 1, 2024, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) issued a final rule to adjust location and maintenance fees for federal unpatented mining claims, mill sites, and tunnel sites. The Mining Law of 1872, 30 U.S.C. § 28j(c)...more
KEY FACTS OF REAL ESTATE ACQUISITIONS UNDER SINGAPOREAN LAW - INTRODUCTION - There are two systems of land registration in Singapore: registration under the Registrations of Deeds Act, known as “unregistered land”,...more
A Massachusetts federal court judge has ruled that an OEM-branded prepaid vehicle maintenance plan sold and administered by a third-party to auto dealers is not subject to the Massachusetts Motor Vehicle Dealer Act and...more
California’s common law “business judgment rule,” as described by the courts, protects from court intervention “those management decisions which are made by directors in good faith in what the directors believe is the...more
The January 17, 2023, deadline for payment of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) annual maintenance fee for pesticide registrations is approaching. The Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA)...more
During commercial leasing negotiations, landlords and tenants will often extensively negotiate the terms of a cap on the controllable operating expenses under a lease. Often, however, the issue of whether the cap will be...more
KEY FACTS OF REAL ESTATE ACQUISITIONS UNDER SINGAPOREAN LAW - INTRODUCTION - There are two systems of land registration in Singapore: registration under the Registration of Deeds Act, known as “unregistered land”, and...more