Patent Law News + Insights

Strategic insights and updates on US patent prosecution and global patent portfolio development, for proactive patent professionals and savvy technology executives.

Clarifying Section 101: USPTO Director Andrei Iancu Proposes New Guidance

October 18, 2018

During last month’s Intellectual Property Owners Association 46th Annual Meeting, USPTO Director Andrei Iancu announced that the USPTO is considering “revised guidance” for determining what is and isn’t patent-eligible under Section 101 —...

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How Smart Tech Executives Approach the Patent Process: 5 Ingredients for Success

October 11, 2018

According to MIT Sloan Management Review, a company’s IP strategy is most likely to be successful when its executives are highly involved in the patent process. Importantly, this held true regardless of what industry the company operated in.

We’ve...

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Ariosa v. Illumina: Do Provisional Patent Applications Count as Prior Art?

October 05, 2018

In a previous blog post, we discussed whether secret sales should count as prior art under the AIA. The Supreme Court will address this question shortly, in Helsinn v. Teva.

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Helsinn v. Teva: Do Secret Sales Count As Prior Art Under the AIA?

September 28, 2018

In the patent world, the boundaries of what is considered prior art can be fuzzy and dynamic.

The recent case of Helsinn Healthcare SA v. Teva Pharmaceuticals USA Inc illustrates this. Helsinn asks, simply, whether secret sales should count as...

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Why the Dallas IP Community Is a National Asset

September 26, 2018

Thinking of moving to Dallas? You’re not alone. According to the Brookings Institute, Dallas was the No. 1 destination for relocation in the United States in 2017. That’s thanks in part to the city’s numerous career opportunities: In the same year,...

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Location, Location, Location: Do We Need to Hire a Local Patent Law Firm?

September 13, 2018

When choosing a patent attorney to prepare and file patent applications, some people assume you need to hire someone local. But patent attorneys are licensed by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (under federal law) rather than state judicial...

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Oil and Gas Technology: Trends in the Patent Landscape

August 30, 2018

In recent years, the oil and gas industry has seen a radical shift in the competitive landscape — and businesses have adjusted their strategies to follow suit.

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BigLaw Vs. Boutique IP Firms: Where Do You Want to Build Your Law Career?

August 28, 2018

After working for a few years at a BigLaw intellectual property firm, you might start to wonder: Should you stick it out and try to make partner, or should you move on to a different working environment?

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How 3D Printing Challenges Existing Intellectual Property Law

August 13, 2018

3D printing isn’t a “new” technology by any means, but it’s fast becoming more affordable and accessible.

For one, some of the historic licensing hurdles have been cleared from the field: According to TechCrunch, many of the key patents protecting...

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Patenting the Internet of Things: 4 Challenges for Tech Companies

July 27, 2018

The Internet of Things (IoT) is an emerging class of technologies that’s already revolutionized the way we go about our daily lives — look no further than your smart thermostat and your WiFi enabled TV. In the United States alone, the value of IoT...

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