Intellectual Property Law

California Lawyers Association’s (CLA) Intellectual Property (IP) Institute is considered the premier event of its kind. Now in its 48th year, attorneys in the IP field connect to discuss the numerous shifts impacting this legal specialty. This year’s event takes place from March 6-8, 2025, in Long Beach, California. However, this is not an article about the upcoming Institute. This is a recognition of exceptional people. Andy Gass Each year, CLA’s IP Section honors outstanding legal professionals for their contributions… Read more

On January 23, 2025, President Trump signed an Executive Order on Artificial Intelligence and rescinded former President Biden’s AI policies. Read more

I wanted to start by taking a moment to say that my thoughts, and the thoughts of all of us here at the IP Section, are with those impacted by the tragic wildfires in the Los Angeles area. There are very few of us who do not have colleagues, family, friends, or loved ones who have been impacted by these catastrophic fires. Read more

Each year at the IP Institute, the Section honors outstanding legal professionals for their contributions to the advancement of intellectual property law. Read more

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) published a final rule introducing a significant new fee structure for continuing patent applications. Read more

The International Trademark Association (INTA) announced that it has filed an amicus brief in a referral to the Grand Board of Appeal of the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) that asks for clarification on registering human faces as trademarks. Read more

1.0 Hour Wellness Competence REGISTER HERE Law practice can be grueling. The work can be intense, and the hours, long. Stress is inevitable, but with a systematic and comprehensive wellness program, with regular hiking as the foundation, manageable. This will be a demanding 12-mile loop, starting/ending at Ohlone College - Student Parking Lot K. From Ohlone College, we will hike to the Peak, then along the ridge, down to the Stanford Avenue Staging Area, back up to the Peak, and… Read more

Dear IP Section Members, I hope all of you have had an absolutely wonderful holiday season. As attorneys, we work extremely hard and it’s important to take a second to step back and appreciate what we work for. To each and every one of our members, I want to thank you for being a part of the fabric which makes the intellectual property law community so rich and interesting. The new year is upon us and it’s time to start… Read more

Indian news agency ANI has sued OpenAI in a New Delhi court, accusing theChatGPT creator of using its published content without permission to help train theartificial intelligence chatbot, something that OpenAI says it has stopped doing. ANI is the latest news organisation globally to take OpenAI to court following lawsuits in the U.S. by newspapers including the New York Times and the Chicago Tribune. ANI also accused OpenAI's ChatGPT of attributing fabricated news stories to thepublication. OpenAI argues that they build their AI models using publicly available data, in a manner protected by fair use and related… Read more

Outgoing U.S. Patent and Trademark Office director Kathi Vidal said that she will rejoin her former law firm Winston & Strawn on December 16, 2024 after leaving the agency. During her tenure, she crafted policies addressing the effects of artificial intelligence on the patent world, international IP issues and racial and gender gaps in innovation and entrepreneurship.  Deputy director Derrick Brent will replace Vidal before Republican President-elect Donald Trump's administration takes office. Trump has not yet announced his choice for USPTO director. Vidal will rejoin Winston as a partner and member of the firm's executive committee in Silicon Valley and Washington, D.C. Read more