The United States Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”) periodically evaluates the delicate balance of the U.S. patent system to protect innovation without excessively stifling competition. U.S. patents give patent owners the...more
On May 10, 2024, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) issued a notice of proposed rulemaking that, if enacted, would tie the enforceability of every claim of a patent subject to a terminal disclaimer to the...more
This CLE webinar will guide patent counsel on obviousness-type double patenting (ODP), including the recent decisions that have relied on Cellect. The panel will also discuss the USPTO's proposed terminal disclaimer rule and...more
On May 10, 2024, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”) published a notice of proposed rulemaking in the Federal Register that could dramatically impact prosecution practices, especially for those...more
As discussed at length in a previous post on this blog (see "USPTO Proposed Rule Change to Terminal Disclaimer Practice"), the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has proposed amending the form of terminal disclaimer to be used...more
The USPTO on May 10, 2024, issued a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) raising the requirements for accepting a Terminal Disclaimer (TD) to obviate obviousness-type double patenting (ODP). Specifically, the newly proposed...more
If the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is going to implement fee changes in January 2025, we should see a Federal Register Notice detailing the proposed fees soon. The USPTO started this round of fee-setting in April...more
Innovators in life sciences at companies and universities often collaborate and conduct research under a joint research agreement (JRA). The Cooperative Research and Technology Enhancement Act of 2004 (the “CREATE Act”) was...more
The doctrine of obviousness-type double patenting is one of the most complicated and most confounding aspects of U.S. patent law. Although a Terminal Disclaimer can overcome most obviousness-type double patenting rejections,...more
Though there are many similarities between U.S. and Canadian patent law, the following significant differences can affect the key decision of whether to file in Canada. 1. Grace period time limit - Sections 28.2 and...more
PATENT CASE OF THE WEEK - SimpleAir, Inc. v. Google LLC, Appeal No. 2016-2738 (Fed. Cir. 2018) - In SimpleAir, Inc. v Google LLC, the Federal Circuit vacated a district court’s motion to dismiss pursuant to Rule...more
A recent U.S. District Court decision has clarified a potential danger when filing terminal disclaimers that contain overly-broad language. The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois in Hagenbuch v. Sonrai...more