A recent decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit expands which intellectual property (IP) owners can seek relief before the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) to block the import of infringing...more
Technology often outpaces the law, but a new copyright infringement decision in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware shows that the courts are starting to catch up in regulating artificial intelligence (AI),...more
This is the first article in Womble Bond Dickinson’s Energy & Natural Resources thought leadership series titled “Going Nuclear: A Sustainable Solution to Rising Energy Demand.” The series will explore the changing landscape...more
As an update to our April 25, 2024 Client Alert, “FTC Issues New Rule—But Not the Final Chapter—on Non-Competes: What Employers Need to Know,” a federal court in Dallas, Texas has blocked the Federal Trade Commission’s Rule...more
8/22/2024
/ Administrative Procedure Act ,
Chamber of Commerce ,
Employment Contract ,
Federal Bans ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Final Rules ,
Non-Compete Agreements ,
Pending Litigation ,
Restrictive Covenants ,
Statutory Authority ,
Unfair Competition
As a follow-up to our previous client alert, President Biden has signed the ADVANCE (Accelerating Deployment of Versatile, Advanced Nuclear for Clean Energy) Act into law. The ADVANCE Act is aimed at speeding up the...more
The U.S. Senate has passed a groundbreaking bill aimed at accelerating the deployment of nuclear energy capacity. The ADVANCE (Accelerating Deployment of Versatile, Advanced Nuclear for Clean Energy) Act seeks to expedite...more
In a split opinion issued Tuesday, and based on language in an assignment clause of a contract, the Federal Circuit overturned a district court's summary judgment that Core Optical lacked standing to sue Nokia, Cisco, and...more
5/24/2024
/ Assignments ,
Cisco ,
Contract Terms ,
Intellectual Property Litigation ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
IP Assignment Agreements ,
Nokia ,
Patent Infringement ,
Patent Litigation ,
Patent Ownership ,
Patents ,
Standing ,
Technology Sector
Energy is the cornerstone of our society and its availability, or lack thereof, touches every corner of our lives and impacts every business, regardless of sector. The availability of affordable energy on-demand is essential...more
5/10/2024
/ Clean Energy ,
Climate Change ,
Construction Industry ,
Critical Infrastructure Sectors ,
Electric Vehicles ,
Energy Projects ,
Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) ,
Information Reports ,
Infrastructure ,
Investment Opportunities ,
Manufacturers ,
Net Zero ,
Power Grid ,
Regulatory Standards ,
Renewable Energy ,
Sustainable Business Practices ,
Tax Credits ,
Transportation Industry
On April 22, the Federal Trade Commission issued its final “Non-Compete Clause Rule” which bans most non-competes in the United States. It will become effective 120 days after it is published in the Federal Register....more
4/26/2024
/ Constitutional Challenges ,
Defend Trade Secrets Act (DTSA) ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Former Employee ,
New Rules ,
Non-Compete Agreements ,
Non-Disclosure Agreement ,
Restrictive Covenants ,
Trade Secrets ,
Unfair Competition ,
Uniform Trade Secrets Acts
The USPTO expounds a clear message for patent and trademark attorneys, patent agents, and inventors: use of artificial intelligence (AI), including generative AI, in patent and trademark activities and filings before the...more
United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) officials recently reiterated to all patent examiners that they must provide clear, consistent analysis regarding means-plus-function and step-plus-function limitations. ...more
On February 27, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) released new guidance aimed at enhancing the methodology used to assess the obviousness of patent applications. The updated USPTO guidance emphasizes the...more
On February 13, 2024, the USPTO published a Federal Register notice on Inventorship Guidance for Artificial Intelligence (AI)-assisted Inventions ("Guidance") in response to President Biden’s October 2023 Executive Order on...more
On February 6, 2024, the USPTO weighed in with guidance for practitioners using—or considering using—AI in preparing submissions to the USPTO. In essence, Director Kathi Vidal has reminded practitioners that they must sign...more
The US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) launched the Semiconductor Technology Pilot Program on December 1, 2023 for patent applications for processes or apparatuses for manufacturing semiconductor devices. Applications...more
Womble Bond Dickinson (WBD)’s 2024 Energy Transition Outlook Survey Report points to a new phase in the multi-generational journey to Net Zero. While 56% of our respondents are deepening their focus on their transition...more
11/14/2023
/ Climate Change ,
Commodities ,
Electric Vehicles ,
Energy Information Association (EIA) ,
Energy Sector ,
Energy Storage ,
Information Reports ,
Net Zero ,
Oil & Gas ,
Popular ,
Power Grid ,
Renewable Energy ,
Solar Energy ,
Strategic Planning ,
Surveys ,
Wind Power
Although reliance on coal has been declining, even in 2021, coal still supplied over 10% of the United States’ energy consumption, according to the EIA. But, in a matter of approximately 15 years, many hope that Verne’s...more
Today, the White House and the U.S. Department of Energy announced the latest steps in a long-term plan to grow low-cost, clean hydrogen.
The joint announcement identified seven regional clean hydrogen hubs. These hubs...more
10/16/2023
/ Biden Administration ,
Clean Energy ,
Climate Change ,
Energy Policy ,
Energy Projects ,
Energy Sector ,
Federal Funding ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Hydrogen Power ,
Job Creation ,
Net Zero ,
Renewable Energy
A closely watched and hotly debated life sciences patent dispute saw the U.S. Supreme Court affirm a narrow interpretation of patent enablement when filing for patent protection....more
5/22/2023
/ Amgen ,
Biotechnology ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Enablement Inquiries ,
Life Sciences ,
Patent Litigation ,
Patents ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Pharmaceutical Patents ,
Sanofi ,
SCOTUS
Transitioning the global economy out of its current reliance on fossil fuels is a massive, complex and nuanced undertaking. Fossil fuels represent 80% of current global energy consumption. The market for them is more than $6...more
The USPTO now fast tracks applications involving greenhouse gas reduction technologies. The new Climate Change Mitigation Pilot Program targets impact on the climate by accelerating examination of patent applications for...more
Congress and the Biden Administration recognize hydrogen’s potential to address the clean energy imperative. This past year, The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act appropriated $8B of spending to build out clean hydrogen...more
5/20/2022
/ Automotive Industry ,
Biden Administration ,
Clean Energy ,
Department of Energy (DOE) ,
Electric Vehicles ,
Electricity ,
Energy Projects ,
Energy Sector ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
FERC ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Hydrogen Power ,
Infrastructure ,
Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) ,
Natural Gas ,
PHMSA ,
UK
Starting a business in the United States can open doors for massive opportunity and success. Along the way, however, businesses will encounter a number of legal and regulatory hurdles.
This “Guide to Starting Business in...more
The road to 100% renewable energy may be long and circuitous for a host of factors, not the least being that renewable sources likely will rely on existing infrastructure and fossil fuels for some time to come. Still, there...more
5/28/2021
/ Carbon Emissions ,
Energy Market ,
Energy Projects ,
Energy Sector ,
Green Energy ,
Investors ,
Oil & Gas ,
Renewable Energy ,
Renewable Energy Investments ,
Technology Sector ,
Webinars
The Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) is now accepting petitions for expedited resolution of ex parte appeals. Launched last week, the “Fast-Track Appeals Pilot Program” aims to decide the average patent appeal within six...more