News

  • USPTO women leaders

    (2/5/13)
    All USPTO top leaders are women
    read more
    _

  • Unitary European patent

    (2/5/13)
    Unitary European patent
    read more
    _

  • Patenting software

    (2/5/13)
    Patenting software
    read more
    _

  • AIA Corrections Bill

    (2/5/13)
    AIA Corrections Bill
    read more
    _

  • Micro-entity fees status

    (2/5/13)
    Micro-entity fees status available in 2013
    read more
    _

  • International design patent

    (12/25/12)
    International design patent application
    read more
    _

  • Monsanto seed patents

    (12/25/12)
    Supreme Court to review Monsanto seed patents
    read more
    _

  • Gene patents

    (12/25/12)
    Supreme Court to review gene patents
    read more
    _

  • Reverse payments

    (12/25/12)
    Supreme Court to review reverse payments
    read more
    _

  • David Kappos departure

    (12/25/12)
    David Kappos to depart from USPTO
    read more
    _

  • Divided infringement

    (9/16/12)
    Akamai Technologies, Inc. v. Limelight Networks, Inc. and McKesson Technologies, Inc. v. Epic Systems Corp.
    read more
    _

  • Changes to patent law

    (9/16/12)
    September 16, 2012 changes to patent law - AIA
    read more
    _

  • Apple’s patent verdict

    (9/06/12)
    Apple’s billion-dollar patent verdict
    read more
    _

  • Monsanto’s verdict

    (9/06/12)
    Monsanto’s billion-dollar verdict
    read more
    _

  • Solicitor General and Monsanto

    (9/06/12)
    Solicitor General sides with Monsanto
    read more
    _

  • Text2PTO

    (9/06/12)
    New Text2PTO service
    read more
    _

  • Provisions of the AIA

    (8/19/12)
    More provisions of the AIA to become effective
    read more
    _

  • Isolated DNA molecules patentable

    (8/19/12)
    Isolated DNA molecules patentable
    read more
    _

  • Supreme Court in civil action case

    (5/21/12)
    Supreme Court affirms Federal Circuit in Section 145 civil action case
    read more
    _

  • Supreme Court in drug case

    (5/21/12)
    Supreme Court reverses Federal Circuit in drug case
    read more
    _

  • Patent fee increase

    (5/21/12)
    Patent fees to increase in October 2012
    read more
    _

  • International patents

    (5/21/12)
    International patent exhaustion?
    read more
    _

  • First Sale Doctrine

    (5/21/12)
    First Sale Doctrine case goes to Supreme Court
    read more
    _

  • Prometheus reaches the internet

    (5/21/12)
    Prometheus reaches the Internet
    read more
    _

  • GVR issued in Myriad

    (4/3/12)
    GVR issued in Myriad
    read more
    _

  • USPTO issues guidance

    (4/3/12)
    USPTO issues Prometheus guidance
    read more
    _

  • Mayo v. Prometheus

    (4/3/12)
    New Patent-Eligible Subject Matter Case
    read more
    _

  • EPO Fees increase

    (3/16/12)
    EPO Fees increase April 1, 2012
    read more
    _

  • Statute of Limitations

    (2/22/12)
    Statute of Limitations rules
    read more
    _

  • Miscellaneous Post-Patent

    (2/22/12)
    Miscellaneous Post-Patent rules
    read more
    _

  • Inventor’s Oath or Declaration

    (2/22/12)
    Inventor’s Oath or Declaration Rules
    read more
    _

  • Supplemental Examination

    (2/22/12)
    Supplemental Examination rules
    read more
    _

  • Proposed patent fees

    (2/22/12)
    List of proposed patent fees
    read more
    _

  • Patents for humanity

    (2/22/12)
    Patents for humanity
    read more
    _

  • New proceedings rule-making

    (2/22/12)
    New proceedings rule-making
    read more
    _

  • USPTO Fees revision

    (2/17/12)
    USPTO Fees revision
    read more
    _

  • USPTO Budget Threatened?

    (2/10/12)
    USPTO budget threatened?
    read more
    _

  • AIA Rules changes

    (2/10/12)
    AIA Rules changes
    read more
    _

  • Preissuance Submissions rules

    (2/10/12)
    Preissuance Submissions rules
    read more
    _

  • Sunnyvale AIA meetings

    (2/10/12)
    Sunnyvale AIA meetings
    read more
    _

  • Green Technology Pilot

    (1/01/12)
    Patent Application Exchange Program ended; Green Technology Pilot Program extended
    read more
    _

  • Extended Missing Parts Pilot

    (1/01/12)
    Extended Missing Parts Pilot Program continued another year
    read more
    _

  • Prioritized examination

    (1/01/12)
    Prioritized examination for RCEs
    read more
    _

  • Judge Evan Wallach

    (12/5/11)
    Judge Evan Wallach joins the Federal Circuit
    read more
    _

  • Richard G. Taranto

    (12/5/11)
    Richard G. Taranto nominated to Federal Circuit
    read more
    _

  • USPTO increased spending

    (12/5/11)
    Patent and Trademark Office allowed to spend more money
    read more
    _

  • Paper filing fee

    (12/5/11)
    Fee for paper filing of patent applications
    read more
    _

  • Therasense Standard

    (12/5/11)
    No inequitable conduct under Therasense Standard
    read more
    _

  • Patent fees increased by 15%

    (9/28/11)
    Patent fees increased by fifteen percent on September 26, 2011
    read more
    _

  • Track I fees and rules

    (9/28/11)
    Track I prioritized examination fees effective September 26, 2011; rules issued
    read more
    _

  • President signs Invention Act

    (9/19/11)
    President Obama signs "Leahy-Smith America Invents Act"
    read more
    _

  • President to sign Invention Act

    (9/15/11)
    President to sign the “Leahy-Smith America Invents Act”
    read more
    _

  • Senate passes Invention Act

    (9/13/11)
    Senate passes the “Leahy-Smith America Invents Act”
    read more
    _

  • "America Invents Act" details

    (9/13/11)
    Leahy-Smith America Invents Act: Sections that are effective upon enactment
    read more
    _

  • Invalid claims due to description

    (9/13/11)
    Patent claims held invalid due to violation of the written description requirement
    read more
    _

  • House passes Patent Reform Act

    (6/24/11)
    House of Representatives passes Patent Reform Act
    read more
    _

  • “Clear and convincing”

    (6/13/11)
    “Clear and convincing” remains the standard of proof for invalidating a patent
    read more
    _

  • Birds and butterflies

    (6/10/11)
    Birds and butterflies: when art is not analogous
    read more
    _

  • Bayh-Dole Act ruling

    (6/10/11)
    Supreme Court holds that Bayh-Dole Act does not automatically transfer the ownership of federally funded inventions
    read more
    _

  • “Willful blindness”

    (6/10/11)
    “Willful blindness” replaces “deliberate indifference or ignorance” for active inducement of infringement of a patent
    read more
    _

  • Inequitable conduct

    (6/10/11)
    Therasense: accused infringers must jump higher hurdles to prove inequitable conduct
    read more
    _

  • Joint infringement cases

    (6/10/11)
    Joint infringement to be revisited in two cases by the Federal Circuit
    read more
    _

  • Patent application interview

    (5/27/11)
    Patent applications in all technologies are now eligible for an examiner interview before the first office action
    read more
    _

  • Prioritized examination on hold

    (4/27/11)
    Budget cut forces economy measures at Patent Office
    read more
    _

  • Patent Reform Bill in House

    (4/27/11)
    H.R. 1249 passed out of committee
    read more
    _

  • Welcome Judge Reyna

    (4/27/11)
    Judge Jimmie V. Reyna joins the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
    read more
    _

  • Examination available 5/4/11

    (4/5/11)
    Track I examination will be available May 4, 2011
    read more
    _

  • e-Petitions

    (4/5/11)
    e-Petitions
    read more
    _

  • False patent marking claims

    (3/21/11)
    False patent marking claims require more detailed allegations in the complaint
    read more
    _

  • Patent false marking statute

    (3/21/11)
    Is the patent false marking statute unconstitutional?
    read more
    _

  • Federal Circuit and Supreme Court

    (3/21/11)
    Chief Judge Rader comments on the difference in the cultures of the Federal Circuit and the Supreme Court
    read more
    _

  • Senate passes patent reform bill

    (3/9/11)
    Senate passes patent reform bill
    read more
    _

  • Senate debates patent reform bill

    (3/7/11)
    Senate debates patent reform bill
    read more
    _

  • Supreme Court hears patent cases

    (3/7/11)
    Supreme Court hears patent cases on active inducement of patents and university ownership of inventions developed using federal money
    read more
    _

  • The “America Invents Act”

    (3/7/11)
    The “America Invents Act” and first-to-file
    read more
    _

  • Track I for fast patent examination

    (2/23/11)
    Track I for fast patent examination
    read more
    _

  • New deputy director

    (2/23/11)
    Former AIPLA president appointed to be deputy director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office
    read more
    _

  • Patent reform bill introduced

    (1/28/11)
    Patent reform bill introduced in the new 112th Congress
    read more
    _

  • Other patent bills introduced

    (1/28/11)
    Other patent bills introduced in the 112th Congress
    read more
    _

  • New Federal Circuit judge

    (12/31/10)
    Judge Kathleen O’Malley to serve on Federal Circuit
    read more
    _

  • USPTO first regional office

    (12/31/10)
    USPTO will establish its first regional office in Detroit
    read more
    _

  • Trial program for patent judges

    (12/31/10)
    Patent bill passed: trial program will develop district court judges with patent expertise
    read more
    _

  • Medical process patent

    (12/31/10)
    Medical process patent held directed to statutory subject matter following remand in view of Bilski v. Kappos
    read more
    _

  • Guidance on joint infringement

    (12/31/10)
    Instructions and a contract are not enough: Federal Circuit gives further guidance on joint infringement
    read more
    _

  • Omitting an inventor when filing

    (12/31/10)
    Lengthy litigation shows the perils of omitting an inventor when filing a patent application
    read more
    _

  • Pilot program to defer fees

    (12/10/10)
    New pilot program allows patent applicants to defer fees
    read more
    _

  • Supreme Court to hear i4i case

    (12/10/10)
    Supreme Court decides to hear i4i case on the level of proof needed to invalidate a patent
    read more
    _

  • USPTO patent process goals

    (12/10/10)
    USPTO claims success in meeting patent process goals
    read more
    _

  • Appeals and interferences rules

    (12/10/10)
    Board of patent appeals and interferences rules to be revised
    read more
    _

  • European Patent Office rules

    (12/10/10)
    Revisions to European Patent Office rules help applicants
    read more
    _

  • Abandon and make special program

    (12/10/10)
    Abandon and make special program extended
    read more
    _

  • Green technology program

    (11/12/10)
    Green technology pilot program extended
    read more
    _

  • Revitalization of Section 145

    (11/12/10)
    Revitalization of Section 145 District Court cases to obtain a patent
    read more
    _

  • Patent application delays

    (11/12/10)
    Deliberate delay in prosecuting a patent application not always fatal
    read more
    _

  • USPTO and EPO cooperate

    (11/05/10)
    USPTO and EPO agree to cooperate on patent classification scheme
    read more
    _

  • European patent search

    (11/05/10)
    January 1, 2011: Submit search reports for European patent applications
    read more
    _

  • Commissioner's comments

    (11/05/10)
    Commissioner for Patents comments on the U.S. patent system at a recent conference
    read more
    _

  • Unexamined patent applications

    (10/29/10)
    USPTO statistics show that the backlog of unexamined patent applications is decreasing, more applications are being allowed, and the number of requests for continued examination being filed has not decreased
    read more
    _

  • Active inducement infringement

    (10/29/10)
    Supreme Court grants certiorari to clarify the requisite intent or knowledge for active inducement infringement
    read more
    _

  • Invention conceived outside U.S.

    (10/2910)
    Prior invention defense scuttled because the asserted prior invention was conceived outside the United States
    read more
    _

  • False patent marking statute

    (10/29/10)
    Another bill is presented to amend the false patent marking statute and deter the patent marking police
    read more
    _

  • Peer-to-Patent Program

    (10/22/10)
    Peer-to-Patent Program expanded
    read more
    _

  • Active inducement infringement

    (10/22/10)
    Supreme Court grants certiorari to clarify the requisite intent or knowledge for active inducement infringement
    read more
    _

  • Therasense inequitable conduct?

    (10/22/10)
    Therasense: the Federal Circuit will reconsider inequitable conduct
    read more
    _

  • Assignment of patent rights

    (10/11/10)
    Assignment of patent rights to non-existent corporation
    read more
    _

  • Releases have to be specific

    (10/11/10)
    Releases have to be specific to cover patent claims and defenses
    read more
    _

  • Patented molecule not obvious

    (10/11/10)
    Patented molecule differing by one atom from a prior art molecule not obvious
    read more
    _

  • Senators request patent reform bill

    (09/17/10)
    Twenty-five senators request that majority leader Reid bring up the patent reform bill
    read more
    _

  • When is a preamble limiting?

    (09/17/10)
    Patent claims are usually written in the form of a preamble followed by the limitations or elements of the invention
    read more
    _

  • Technology training for examiners

    (09/17/10)
    Technology training for all patent examiners
    read more
    _

  • Patent marking police have standing

    (09/10/10)
    Patent marking police have standing when filing actions against the makers of products marked with false patent notices
    read more
    _

  • Guidelines for obviousness

    (09/10/10)
    USPTO issues updated patent examination guidelines for determining obviousness
    read more
    _

  • Artificial mulch

    (09/10/10)
    Best mode of making artificial mulch
    read more
    _

  • New patents dashboard

    (09/10/10)
    USPTO’s new patents dashboard
    read more
    _

  • Canadian duty of disclosure

    (09/03/10)
    Increased duty of disclosure for Canadian patent applications
    read more
    _

  • Patent misuse doctrine limits

    (09/03/10)
    Patent misuse doctrine limited by Federal Circuit
    read more
    _

  • Should genes be patented?

    (08/27/10)
    Should genes be patented in the United States?
    read more
    _

  • Means-plus-function case

    (08/27/10)
    Another case on the limits of means-plus-function claiming
    read more
    _

  • Patent Office social networking

    (08/23/10)
    The United States Patent and Trademark Office is a social networker.
    read more
    _

  • Ombudsman Program review

    (08/23/10)
    Ombudsman Pilot Program review.
    read more
    _

  • Inequitable conduct reform

    (08/23/10)
    Patent applicants and owners have hope that the court will clarify its inequitable conduct law
    read more
    _

  • Means-plus-function claims

    (08/23/10)
    Be careful about using means-plus-function claims
    read more
    _

  • Reasonable interpretation

    (08/23/10)
    Broadest reasonable interpretation must be reasonable
    read more
    _

  • 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.
    read more
    _

  • Patent Office funding increased

    (08/13/10)
    U.S. Patent and Trademark Office funding increased.
    read more
    _

  • Patent application backlog

    (08/13/10)
    The Patent Application Backlog Reduction Stimulus Plan is extended.
    read more
    _

  • “Mastermind” requirement

    (08/13/10)
    The Federal Circuit requires a “mastermind” for joint infringement determinations.
    read more
    _

  • Supreme Court: Bilski v. Kappos

    (08/1/10)
    Bilski v. Kappos: Machine or transformation is not the sole test for determining whether a process is patentable subject matter in the United States .
    read more
    _

  • Patent marking police file lawsuits

    (07/30/10)
    Patent marking police continue to file cases after Solo Cup case.
    read more
    _

  • 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.
    read more
    _

  • 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.
    read more
    _

  • 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.
    read more
    _

  • 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. 
    read more
    _

  • 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. 
    read more
    _