Tag Archives: Patents

Decentralized Domains: Metaverse Land Grab

Photo of Lisa Bollinger GehmanPhoto of Kevin WallacePhoto of Deborah A. WilcoxBy Lisa Bollinger Gehman, Kevin Wallace and Deborah A. Wilcox on Posted in Trademark
As the metaverse continues to become a more established marketplace, and consumers become more familiar with non-fungible tokens (NFTs), NFT marketplaces, decentralized domains, bitcoin, crypto wallets and the blockchain, it is no surprise that intellectual property (IP) owners are starting to see an increase in unauthorized uses of their trademarks and copyrights. There is a … Continue Reading

Considerations For Applicants and Practitioners Due to Recent EPC Guidelines Regarding Description Amendment Requirements

Photo of Mark EinsiedelBy Mark Einsiedel on Posted in Patents
Article 84 of the European Patent Convention (EPC) requires that the claims of a European patent application “shall define the matter for which protection is sought” and “shall be clear and concise and be supported by the description.”[i] To assist practitioners and patent examiners, the European Patent Office (EPO) provides patent examination guidelines interpreting the … Continue Reading

Close Case for Non-obviousness of Pharmaceutical Formulations — Adapt Pharma v. Teva Pharma

Photo of Scott ConleyBy Scott Conley on Posted in Patent
In Adapt v. Teva, the Federal Circuit affirmed the district court’s findings that methods of administering a naloxone nasal spray formulation were invalid as obvious. The decision, which the Court notes was a “close case,” reminds us how difficult it is to show non-obviousness of pharmaceutical formulations and their use. The patents at issue relate … Continue Reading

While CBD is Widely Available, Registering Marks for Ingestibles with CBD is Not

Photo of Robert HorowitzBy Robert Horowitz on Posted in Trademark
In two recent decisions, the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) made it abundantly clear that attempting to register a mark for ingestibles containing cannabidiol (CBD) likely will be an exercise in futility. In In re Harbor Hemp Company LLC, SNs 88377702 and 88377730 (TTAB Jan. 27, 2022) [not precedential] and In re AgrotecHemp Corp., … Continue Reading

Federal Circuit Requires Definitive Written Description Support for Quantitative Values and Ranges

Photo of Michael Schwartz Ph.D.By Michael Schwartz Ph.D. on Posted in Federal Circuit, Patents
Under U.S. law, every patent claim must be supported by an adequate written description, which conveys to those skilled in the art the nature and breadth of the invention.[1] The Federal Circuit recently decided two cases that found that claiming both a quantitative value and a quantitative range requires particular clarity in the disclosure. In … Continue Reading

Courts Rule That AI Inventorship Can Rust in Peace

Photo of Alaina J. LakawiczBy Alaina J. Lakawicz on Posted in Federal Circuit, Patent, Patents, USPTO
On Sept. 2, 2021, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia addressed what it called a “core issue”—whether an artificial intelligence (AI) machine can be an “inventor” under the Patent Act. It ruled that the “clear answer” is no. The Patent Applications Plaintiff Stephen Thaler, Ph.D., is the owner of a Device … Continue Reading

“Teaching Away” – A Change To This Historically Inconsistent Doctrine

Photo of Phillip WolfeBy Phillip Wolfe on Posted in Patent
Teaching away is an important concept when considering the obviousness of a patent claim. The Federal Circuit’s recent decision in Chemours v. Daikin[1] makes it easier to find that a reference teaches away from an invention, potentially increasing the difficulty of invalidating a patent claim for being obvious. There, the Circuit reversed the Patent Trial … Continue Reading

Bio-Rad Co-ownership Defense Fails at the CAFC

Photo of John HiltenBy John Hilten on Posted in Patents
On April 29, 2021, the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC) affirmed an International Trade Commission (ITC) decision holding the importation and sale by Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc. (Bio-Rad) of certain microfluidic systems and components used for gene sequencing or related analyses infringed certain 10X Genomics Inc. (10X) patent claims and, moreover, … Continue Reading

Supreme Court to Decide Fate of Assignor Estoppel

Photo of Stephanie HatzikyriakouBy Stephanie Hatzikyriakou on Posted in Patents
In Hologic, Inc. v. Minerva Surgical, Inc. (Fed. Cir. April 22, 2020), the Federal Circuit declined the “invitation to ‘abandon the doctrine’ of assignor estoppel” and, after concluding that the district court did not abuse its discretion in applying the doctrine, affirmed the district court’s grant of summary judgment of no invalidity.  Opinion at 16, … Continue Reading

For a Few Facts More

Photo of Scott FeldmannBy Scott Feldmann on Posted in Patents
After TC Heartland tightened up patent venue, Judge Albright’s local patent rules drew plaintiffs wanting a quick courtroom shootout. According to Lex Machina and IP Law360, Judge Albright, by himself, picked up 793 patent litigations last year in the Western District of Texas (WDTex). In just a year, Judge Albright accumulated 20 percent of newly-filed … Continue Reading

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

Photo of Fabian KoenigbauerBy Fabian Koenigbauer on 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

USPTO Waives Petition to Revive Fees for Patents, Patent Applications, Trademarks and Trademark Applications Abandoned Because of an Inability to Respond Due to COVID-19

Photo of Fabian KoenigbauerBy Fabian Koenigbauer on Posted in Patents, Trademark, USPTO
To give patent and trademark applicants as well as patent and trademark owners relief from the implications of the COVID-19 outbreak, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) determined that the COVID-19 outbreak qualifies as an “extraordinary situation” and exercised its authority to waive certain petition fees. For patent owners and applicants unable to … Continue Reading

CAFC: Patents Enjoy a Presumption of Subject Matter Eligibility

Photo of Phillip WolfeBy Phillip Wolfe and Michael Stein on Posted in Patent
In Cellspin Soft, Inc. v. Fitbit, Inc.,[1] the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC) rendered an important decision declaring that the presumption of validity under § 282 includes the presumption that claims are patent eligible under § 101. Claimed Invention and Procedural Posture Cellspin sued several companies for infringing various claims of four … Continue Reading

Update: Patent and Trademark Fees in Venezuela

Photo of John MuellerBy John Mueller on Posted in Trademark
As previously reported on this blog, the issue of payment of fees related to trademark applications/registrations in Venezuela is currently in a state of flux. Specifically, given the current U.S. sanctions generally forbidding U.S. corporations from transacting business with the Venezuelan government, it has been difficult for these U.S. entities to pay fees associated with … Continue Reading

Patent and Trademark Fees in Venezuela

Photo of John MuellerBy John Mueller on Posted in Trademark
On Feb. 1, 2019, the Venezuelan Ministry of National Commerce sent a notification that patent and trademark fees shall be paid in the Venezuelan cryptocurrency “PETRO.” HOWEVER, the United States government, by Executive Order 13827 (March 19, 2018), expressly prohibits such transactions by U.S. persons, including individuals and companies, relating to any digital currency, digital … Continue Reading

Federal Circuit Splits on Approach to Analyzing Graham Factors

Photo of David FarsiouBy Wade Haaland, Allen Sokal and David Farsiou on Posted in Patent
In Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp. v. Hospira, Inc.,[1] the Federal Circuit affirmed the lower court’s ruling that the asserted claims of Merck’s U.S. Patent No. 6,486,150 (the ’150 patent) were obvious despite evidence of commercial success and copying by others. Concerned that the majority’s opinion constituted a shortcut around a proper Graham analysis, Judge … Continue Reading

Visual Memory v. NVIDIA: The Importance of a Robust Written Description

By Michael Stein on Posted in Patent
Introduction In Visual Memory v. NVIDIA (Fed. Cir. 2017), the Federal Circuit reversed the district court’s holding that Visual Memory’s U.S. Patent No. 5,953,740 is drawn to patent-ineligible subject matter. Instead, the court ruled that the ’740 patent claims an improvement to computer memory systems and is not directed to an abstract idea. The ’740 Patent … Continue Reading

A Split Panel of the Federal Circuit Debates the Standards for Definiteness

By Allen Sokal on Posted in Federal Circuit, Patent
In Cox Communications, Inc. v. Sprint Communications Co. LP, Appeal No. 2016-1013 (Fed. Cir. Sept. 23, 2016), the panel, consisting of Chief Judge Prost (authoring the opinion) and Judges Newman and Bryson, unanimously reversed the district court’s summary judgment of invalidity for indefiniteness under 35 U.S.C. § 112, para. 2. But Judge Newman vigorously rejected the … Continue Reading

Supreme Court Denies Sequenom’s Petition for Certiorari

Photo of Ron KernBy Ron Kern on Posted in Uncategorized
On June 27, 2016, the U.S. Supreme Court, without comment, denied Sequenom’s petition for certiorari, leaving in place the Court’s previous rulings prohibiting the patenting of laws of nature and natural phenomenon. Sequenom filed its writ of certiorari with the U.S. Supreme Court on March 21, 2016, asking the Court to provide clarification regarding the … Continue Reading

First Post-Grant Review Written Opinions from PTAB Invalidate Two Patents for Livestock Valuation

By Shannon McCue on Posted in Patent
The Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) issued its first written opinions based on a trial of the relatively new Post-Grant Review (PGR) proceeeding and genetic factors. American Simmental Association (ASA) brought the petitions for review of the Leachman patents in response to a lawsuit filed by Leachman. ASA is an organization formed in 1968 … Continue Reading
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