Intellectual Property Law

In December 2020, the USPTO solicited public comments, via a Federal Register Notice, on whether the USPTO’s interpretation of 35 U.S.C. section 171—specifically, the “article of manufacture” requirement—should be revised to protect new and emerging technologies including digital designs. Read more

On April 13, 2022, the USPTO welcomed Kathi Vidal as the new Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and agency Director, a role in which she will provide leadership and oversight to one of the largest intellectual property (IP) offices in the world and serve as principal advisor to President Biden through U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo on domestic and international IP policy. Read more

Since the USPTO launched its trademark filer verification processes in January, in advance of the previously scheduled date of April 9 for the identity verification becoming mandatory, filers choosing to verify their identities have had the option to do so via a notarized paper process, or electronically via an online digital process through ID.me. Read more

The fee schedule was updated with the following change, effective April 1:Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) fees to foreign offices 1716: International search, Japan Patent Office (JPO) as International Searching Authority (ISA) – fee increase from $1,405 to $1,475 For additional information, please call the USPTO Contact Center at 571-272-1000 or 800-786-9199, or visit the PCT fees page of the USPTO website. Read more

If you use a mobile authenticator app as part of your multifactor authentication (MFA) when you log into USPTO.gov, be sure to reconfigure the app by May 1. Read more

On March 10, the USPTO announced it will no longer grant requests to participate in the Global Patent Prosecution Highway (GPPH) when such requests are based on work performed by Rospatent as an Office of Earlier Examination under the GPPH. Read more

Start thinking about your nominations for the 2022 Vanguard Awards. Read more

Widely recognized as a foremost expert in copyright law, David Nimmer represents clients in the entertainment, publishing and high technology fields. Read more

Open-source software is free of charge, robust, and ubiquitous in software development today. But to use it properly, companies need compliance processes in place to honor the terms of the licenses. This panel will discuss how to put together a workable corporate open-source compliance program. It brings together experts representing the perspective of in-house legal teams, M&A counsel, and engineering tooling providers, with deep expertise in setting up and running open-source compliance programs. Read more

Receive a total of 4.0 Hours of MCLE for $100! Includes 1.0 Hour Legal Ethics. Offer ends June 30, 2022. Read more