Tag Archives: Coronavirus

Wielding Trademark Rights to Fight COVID-19 Scams

By Kevin Wallace on October 30, 2020 Posted in Trademark

Trademark owners are wielding their intellectual property rights to stop COVID-19 scams and prevent the spread of misinformation about the ongoing pandemic. With the injunctive power of the Lanham Act, medical supply companies, software companies and even educational institutions are able to quash scams and misinformation. Earlier this year, 3M launched what has grown into … Continue Reading

Moderna’s IP Vault Paves the Way for COVID-19 Treatments

By Fabian Koenigbauer on October 12, 2020 Posted in Patents

On Oct. 8, Moderna, Inc., issued a statement on intellectual property matters during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the statement, Moderna acknowledged the importance of the role of intellectual property “in encouraging investment in research.” Nevertheless, Moderna feels it has a special obligation to allow others access to its patented technologies; accordingly, Moderna indicated that it … Continue Reading

Strategic Considerations for Participation in the USPTO’s COVID-19 Deferred-Fee Provisional Application Pilot

By Fabian Koenigbauer on September 21, 2020 Posted in USPTO

On Sept. 17, the United Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) issued a notice implementing a deferred-fee provisional application pilot program for COVID-19-related technologies. The pilot is designed “[t]o disseminate information designed to combat COVID-19 on a more expedited basis while still securing rights for inventors.” I. Fundamentals of the Pilot Program Participation is limited to … Continue Reading

‘Something of an Experiment’: District of Delaware Prepares for Socially Distanced Patent Trial Tentatively Set for August 2020

By Andrew Samuels on July 6, 2020 Posted in Patents

In an earlier blog post, we commented on how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected and may continue to affect patent litigation. A recent order from one of the country’s busiest patent courts, the District of Delaware, reflects the ways in which the pandemic may affect patent trial practice. On July 2, in Sunoco Partners v. … Continue Reading

USPTO Grants Additional COVID-19-Related Relief to Patent Applicants

By Fabian Koenigbauer on July 1, 2020 Posted in USPTO

On June 29, 2020, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) issued another notice under the authority granted by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act to grant COVID-19-related relief to patent applicants. In issuing the notice, the USPTO recognized that some stakeholders, in particular small businesses and individuals, will require additional … Continue Reading

Patent-demic: How COVID-19 Has Affected Patent Litigation

By Harrison Rose on June 18, 2020 Posted in Patent

As it has almost every industry and business around the world, the COVID-19 pandemic has altered the practice of law. While these unprecedented times present myriad problems, patent attorneys are among the best equipped to adapt and embrace the changes. Because of the global nature of patent law, which often necessitates regular travel to appear … Continue Reading

USPTO Grants Relief for Patent Applicants Who Failed to Timely File Patent Applications Due to the COVID-19 Outbreak

By Fabian Koenigbauer on June 18, 2020 Posted in USPTO

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has again exercised its authority under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act to grant patent applicants additional COVID-19 outbreak-related relief. In addition to the prior actions taken to help patent applicants, the USPTO has issued a notice granting relief also to applicants seeking to restore … Continue Reading

Fast-Track Examination for COVID-19-Related Trademarks and Service Marks

By Lisa Bollinger Gehman on June 16, 2020 Posted in Trademark

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) issued a notice on June 12 announcing a new, accelerated examination program for certain COVID-19-related trademark applications. The USPTO will begin accepting petitions for fast-track examination on June 16, 2020. This is great news for those developing and researching new products to help combat COVID-19. Applications are typically … Continue Reading

The Potential Patent Risks Associated with COVID-19 Collaborations

By Fabian Koenigbauer on June 15, 2020 Posted in Patent

As researchers at universities and pharmaceutical companies rush to find treatments for COVID-19, new potential patent risks arise. While owners of existing patents that may be useful for COVID-19 treatments may have agreed to free up access to their patent rights through licensing or initiatives like Open COVID Pledge (U.S.) or the Open COVID-19 Declaration, … Continue Reading

USPTO Further Extends Certain Patent Due Dates Only for Small and Micro Entities

By Fabian Koenigbauer on May 28, 2020 Posted in USPTO

Under the authority granted by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, on March 31, 2020, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) originally extended certain patent due dates falling between March 27, 2020, and April 30, 2020, by 30 days as long as a statement indicating that the delay was due … Continue Reading

Can a Good Deed Ever Go Unpunished? Patent Infringement Considerations for Technologies Used to Combat COVID-19

By Jeffrey Lyons and Aaron Rabinowitz on May 18, 2020 Posted in 3D Printing

With the COVID-19 outbreak, institutions and corporations are scrambling to develop and produce COVID-19 tests and cures, while at the same time hospitals are facing a lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) and lifesaving medical devices such as ventilators. Major companies are using their large-scale production capabilities to mass-produce products for hospitals. For example, some … Continue Reading

Industry Initiatives to Ensure Access to Intellectual Property Rights Associated With COVID-19 Treatment

By Fabian Koenigbauer on May 15, 2020 Posted in Property Rights

In response to the COVID-19 outbreak, all sectors of industry have taken almost unprecedented steps to ensure access to intellectual property, mainly patent rights, associated with COVID-19 treatments. Through these initiatives, it is possible to use the intellectual property to develop COVID-19 treatments without concerns about infringement. In the United States, the Open COVID Pledge … Continue Reading

Key UPSTO Initiatives to Ease Burden On Patent Owners and Patent Applicants During the COVID-19 Outbreak

By Fabian Koenigbauer on May 13, 2020 Posted in USPTO

Since the COVID-19 outbreak, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has tried to ease the burden on patent owners and applicants. The key USPTO initiatives are summarized below. I. Waiver of paper filing requirements for plant patent applications and related correspondence Normally, the USPTO does not allow the electronic filing of plant patent … Continue Reading

A Brief Summary of the Key USPTO Initiatives to Speed Up Development of Treatments for COVID-19

By Fabian Koenigbauer on May 12, 2020 Posted in USPTO

Since the COVID-19 outbreak, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has implemented initiatives designed to expedite the grant of patents directed to COVID-19 treatment or to expedite the licensing/commercializing of patents/published patent applications directed to COVID-19 treatments. The key USPTO initiatives are summarized below. I. COVID-19 Prioritized Examination Pilot Program for small and … Continue Reading

Takedown Tips for Brands Battling Unauthorized Distribution During the COVID-19 Pandemic

By Lisa Bollinger Gehman on April 22, 2020 Posted in E-commerce

The hair salons are closed – now what? During this COVID-19 pandemic, many consumers are resorting to buying hair care products online, including products such as permanent hair colorants that are designed solely for use by licensed cosmetologists. Brands should monitor e-commerce sites for the unauthorized distribution of their salon-only products that are being dumped … Continue Reading

3M Joins the Fight Against Rampant Price Gouging

By Kevin Wallace and Brady Cummins on April 21, 2020 Posted in Price Gouging

Private enterprise has joined state and local governments in the fight against rampant price gouging during the COVID-19 pandemic. In response to the pandemic, state and local governments across the country have declared states of emergencies, triggering laws prohibiting price gouging. Consumers are not the only targets of price gouging; state and local government procurement … Continue Reading

All’s Fair in Love and War . . . So What About Fair Use in the Time of Coronavirus?

By Aaron Rabinowitz on April 20, 2020 Posted in Copyright

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, schools, colleges, universities, libraries and other institutions have closed and migrated their in-person classes and other offerings to an online model. But with the rapid migration of physical content to online platforms, questions have arisen regarding the application of copyright law to books and other texts that now are … Continue Reading

Federal Circuit’s COVID-19 Response Brings Public Telephonic Oral Arguments and Patent Cases Decided on the Briefs

By John Murphy on April 13, 2020 Posted in Patent

The Federal Circuit’s April court week, held amid the COVID-19 pandemic, was like no other in the court’s history. Instead of hearing 12 oral arguments per day in its three courtrooms, the Circuit held a handful of telephonic oral arguments and decided the great majority of this month’s cases on the briefs. As a side … Continue Reading

Considerations for 3D Printing of Medical Devices, Accessories, Components and Parts During the COVID-19 Pandemic

By Katrina M. Quicker, Lindsay Holmes, Lee H. Rosebush and Marc Wagner on April 13, 2020 Posted in 3D Printing

The medical device industry and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have been experimenting with three-dimensional (3D) printing for years. Shortages of medical devices such as personal protective equipment (PPE) and ventilators abound, making 3D printing particularly interesting with regard to fighting COVID-19. The FDA even issued some guidance on 3D printing of medical devices, … Continue Reading

US Patent and Trademark Office Issues FAQ on Temporary Extension of Due Date in Patent and Trademark Matters Authorized by CARES Act

By Fabian Koenigbauer on April 10, 2020 Posted in USPTO

As previously noted, on March 31, the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) used its authority granted under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act to extend by 30 days due dates for certain patent and trademark matters having an original due date between March 27 and April 30. The USPTO now has … Continue Reading

3D Printing Comes of Age in the COVID-19 Crisis

By Aaron Rabinowitz on April 2, 2020 Posted in 3D Printing

Thanks to the global availability of additive manufacturing and 3D printing (3DP) and to the easy sharing of 3DP designs, a teenager in Iowa with a 3D printer can print face shields based on a design uploaded only minutes earlier by an engineer in France. Indeed, in only a few weeks, the world has seen … Continue Reading

US Patent and Trademark Office Uses Authority Granted Under CARES Act to Temporarily Extend Due Date for Certain Patent and Trademark Matters

By Fabian Koenigbauer on April 1, 2020 Posted in USPTO

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act gives the director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) the ability to manage due dates in patent and trademark matters if certain criteria are met. On March 31, the director of the USPTO issued a notice of waiver of patent-related timing deadlines (patent notice) … Continue Reading

Invoking Equity in the Time of COVID-19

By Christina Moser on March 31, 2020 Posted in Patent

Talk about bad timing. On Friday, March 6, 2020, non-practicing patent holding company Labrador Diagnostics formed in Delaware and obtained a patent portfolio directed to testing patients for the presences of coronavirus—when the United States had 282 cases. Three days later, Labrador Diagnostics decided to file a lawsuit seeking damages and injunctive relief against a … Continue Reading

Patent Portfolio Considerations During Times of Financial Uncertainty

By Erin Caldwell on March 27, 2020 Posted in Patent

In response to the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, many companies are reevaluating their expenditures. Some may look to their intellectual property portfolios as a place to cut costs. But any decisions to scale back on investments in patents should be driven by business considerations and not by panic. In order for a well-informed … Continue Reading