After weeks of hypothetical buzzer-beaters, patent face-offs, and a few well-placed Braveheart reference, Innovation Madness has crowned a champion....more
Welcome back to Innovation Madness, where game-changing basketball inventions go head-to-head to determine which patent truly changed the game. We’ve narrowed the field to eight elite contenders. The matchups are fierce. The...more
When we kicked off Innovation Madness: The Ultimate Basketball Patent Bracket, we asked one simple question: Which basketball invention truly changed the game?...more
The journey from Dr. James Naismith’s invention of basketball in 1891 to today’s fast-paced, high-flying game is a story of constant innovation—one that perfectly showcases the importance of intellectual property....more
As we near the end of February, it’s a great time to talk about something that might seem straightforward—USPTO response deadlines—but can actually be a little sneaky. Why? Because February insists on being the shortest month...more
As the Kansas City Chiefs prepare to face the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX, they aren’t just battling for another championship—they’re chasing history. A win would cement their place in the record books as the first...more
Thanksgiving is a time for family, gratitude, and—let’s be honest—lots of food. But for vegetarians, it can feel more like a minefield of side dishes. While others enjoy the turkey, vegetarians are often left piecing together...more
Attention, inventors, in-house counsel, and anyone with a vested interest in the world of intellectual property: the USPTO just issued its final rule for patent fees. This is a follow-up to the 2023 proposal—but with a...more
Halloween is a time for goblins, ghouls, and—if you’re an inventor—a whole lot of creative thinking! Among the cauldron of Halloween patents, one particularly clever design stands out: a patented method for decorating...more
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has officially announced that the After Final Consideration Pilot Program 2.0 (AFCP 2.0) will soon be laid to rest. In a notice dated October 1, 2024, the USPTO confirmed that the...more
This year’s Olympic Games have already been packed with compelling storylines. These storylines include the somewhat controversial opening ceremony to Yusuf “hold my beer” Dikec winning hearts and the silver medal in pistol...more
This 4th of July, look up and you might notice something spectacularly different lighting up the night sky. The days of stunning displays that relied solely on the crackle and pop of fireworks are numbered. In a remarkable...more
In 2014, the Supreme Court upended U.S. patent law in the landmark ruling for Alice Corp. v. CLS Bank International. The Alice decision established new standards for determining whether inventions, especially those related...more
5/16/2024
/ Artificial Intelligence ,
CLS Bank v Alice Corp ,
Computer-Related Inventions ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Machine Learning ,
Patent Infringement ,
Patent Litigation ,
Patent-Eligible Subject Matter ,
Patents ,
Section 101 ,
Software
Before we start the show, the casts of characters may drive you Off the Wall, so here’s a little primer to help you:
Triumph International, Inc. (“Triumph”) is a merchandise licensing company for the estate of Michael...more
The USPTO’s recent guidance on AI usage marks a critical moment for legal practitioners. This document emphasizes the necessity for both technical and human oversight in mitigating the risks associated with AI tools. The...more
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has proposed significant changes to patent fee structures for the 2025 fiscal year. These proposed changes mark a pivotal shift in the Office’s financial approach toward...more
4/11/2024
/ Design Applications ,
Information Disclosure Statement ,
Inter Partes Review (IPR) Proceeding ,
Patent Fees ,
Patent Infringement ,
Patent Litigation ,
Patent Trial and Appeal Board ,
Patents ,
Post-Grant Review ,
Request for Continued Examination ,
USPTO
On March 4, the Federal Circuit, heard oral arguments for Celanese Int’l. v ITC, 22-1827 (Fed. Cir. 2024), a case that may reshape the dynamics between trade secrets and patent rights....more
By any measure, the world has changed vastly since we issued our first Commercial Litigation Outlook in 2020. We are now on our fourth installment of providing insights and flagging trends for what to expect in the coming...more
2/16/2024
/ Arbitration ,
Artificial Intelligence ,
Banks ,
Class Action ,
Commercial Bankruptcy ,
Commercial Court ,
Commercial Litigation ,
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) ,
Copyright ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Machine Learning ,
Merger Agreements ,
Patents ,
Trademarks
In 2022, the Federal Circuit definitively ruled that artificial intelligence (AI) systems cannot be named inventors or co-inventors on patent applications, reinforcing the longstanding principle that only natural persons are...more
In the film “Any Given Sunday,” Al Pacino, portraying Coach Tony D’Amato, poignantly compares football to life, describing it as a “game of inches … one half a step too late or too early and you don’t quite make it. One half...more
As attorneys, we’ve all taken Legal Research and Writing. This is where we first encountered Westlaw and Lexis, using these sites to delve into case law for various assignments while chasing Westlaw and Lexis points in the...more
2/8/2024
/ Artificial Intelligence ,
Intellectual Property Litigation ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Inter Partes Review (IPR) Proceeding ,
Patent Litigation ,
Patent Trial and Appeal Board ,
Patents ,
Trademark Litigation ,
Trademark Trial and Appeal Board ,
Trademarks ,
USPTO
Decking the halls with festive flair is a beloved tradition, from cozy and simple to dazzling displays that could rival Clark Griswold’s winter wonderland. In this yuletide landscape, lights play a starring role, sparking...more
On December 7, 2023, the Biden administration announced a blueprint for a framework that may be a tough pill to swallow for the pharmaceutical industry. This framework suggests that drug prices should be a crucial factor in...more
12/12/2023
/ Bayh-Dole Act ,
Biden Administration ,
Drug Pricing ,
Food & Drug Regulations ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Inventions ,
Life Sciences ,
Patents ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Pharmaceutical Patents ,
Prescription Drugs ,
R&D ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Research and Development
President Biden signed a comprehensive Executive Order addressing AI regulation across a wide range of industries and issues. Intellectual property is a key focus. The Order calls on the U.S. Copyright Office and U.S. Patent...more
11/2/2023
/ Artificial Intelligence ,
Biden Administration ,
Copyright ,
Copyright Infringement ,
Copyright Office ,
Executive Orders ,
Intellectual Property Litigation ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Machine Learning ,
Patent Infringement ,
Patents ,
Risk Mitigation ,
USPTO
When jack-o’-lanterns begin to glow and youngsters chart out their candy-collecting routes, an often-overlooked trend takes over every October: the Halloween commercial extravaganza! Beneath the shadows of ghouls and goblins,...more