News
Should genes be patented?
(08/27/10)
Should genes be patented in the United States?
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Means-plus-function case
(08/27/10)
Another case on the limits of means-plus-function claiming
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Patent Office social networking
(08/23/10)
The United States Patent and Trademark Office is a social networker.
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Ombudsman Program review
(08/23/10)
Ombudsman Pilot Program review.
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Inequitable conduct reform
(08/23/10)
Patent applicants and owners have hope that the court will clarify its inequitable conduct law
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Means-plus-function claims
(08/23/10)
Be careful about using means-plus-function claims
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Reasonable interpretation
(08/23/10)
Broadest reasonable interpretation must be reasonable
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Offer of sale outside the U.S.
(08/23/10)
An offer of sale can infringe a U.S. patent even if the offer is presented outside of the U.S.
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Patent Office funding increased
(08/13/10)
U.S. Patent and Trademark Office funding increased.
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Patent application backlog
(08/13/10)
The Patent Application Backlog Reduction Stimulus Plan is extended.
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“Mastermind” requirement
(08/13/10)
The Federal Circuit requires a “mastermind” for joint infringement determinations.
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Patent marking police file lawsuits
(07/30/10)
Patent marking police continue to file cases after Solo Cup Case.
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Guidelines for patent subject matter
(07/30/10)
U.S. Patent and Trademark Office issues interim guidelines for examining subject matter patent eligibility of processes in view of Bilski v. Kappos.
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Expedited patent applications
(07/23/10)
Agreement between the European Patent Office and the United States Patent and Trademark Office for Expedited Examination of Patent Applications may expire on September 30, 2010.
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Carefully drafted patents
(07/16/10)
The importance of a carefully drafted patent specification: Telcordia Technologies, Inc. v. Cisco Systems, Inc. (Fed. Cir. July 6, 2010).
In two ways the decision in Telcordia Technologies shows how the specification of a patent application can limit or even invalidate the claims that are issued in a patent.
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Patent Office applies In re Bilski
(07/16/10)
The Patent Office applies In re Bilski to processes eligible for patenting: interim instructions for patent examiners encourage applicants to explain why their claimed inventions are not directed to abstract ideas even if they fail the machine or transformation test.
On June 28, 2010, the acting associate Commissioner for Patent Examination Policy, Robert Bahr, gave preliminary guidance to patent examiners for applying the In re Bilski decision that the Supreme Court handed down that day.
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European Union limits protection
(07/16/10)
The highest court of the European Union limits the legal protection of a biotechnology invention: Monsanto Technology LLC v. Cefetra BV (Court of Justice, July 6, 2010).
The highest European Union court determined in Monsanto v. Cefetra that soybean meal imported from Argentina (where Monsanto has no patent on genes added to soybeans to increase resistance to herbicide) to Europe (where such genes of modified soybeans are patented) is not forbidden.
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