August 1, 2009

David Kappos was sworn in August 13, 2009 as the new Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office.  Mr. Kappos intends to focus on reducing the backlog of pending patent applications and appeals at the USPTO, as well…

July 20, 2009

On July 6, the Federal Circuit granted rehearing en banc in Tafas v. Doll regarding the USPTO’s power to implement new rules on restrictions for continuations and claim limitations.  No comment concerning the underlying opinion was given beyond announcing its…

July 10, 2009

Although it is still several months away, the EPO will dramatically changes its practice effective April 1, 2010 relating to divisional applications and European search reports.  A review of the changes is presented below: Limitation on Filing Divisional Applications In…

June 29, 2009

The U.S. Supreme Court has granted certiorari in the Bilski case, a challenge to the decision handed down by the Federal Circuit last October excluding pure business methods from patent protection. Additionally, the Bilski decision set some roadblocks in the…

June 8, 2009

Applicants of international PCT patent applications filed on or after January 1, 2009, can now view the file contents of their published applications online. Over the next couple of months, the service will begin including applications for which early publication…

May 18, 2009

Germany has now agreed to participate in the Patent Prosecution Highway Program (PPH). Under the PPH, an applicant receiving a favorable ruling from one nation may request that the corresponding application filed with the other nation advance out of turn…

May 18, 2009

There are some lesser known alternatives for protecting and enforcing patents in China that can save patent owners both time and money. For example, a utility model patent application can be a quicker and less expensive alternative for obtaining patent…

May 4, 2009

The Hague System allows companies to seek international protection for industrial designs inexpensively. For example, an Applicant could save in excess of $5,800 for a design patent application filed in the European Community, Switzerland, and Turkey. However, there are a…

May 4, 2009

Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for IP owners to receive phony invoices from third-party organizations. These organizations often monitor notices of acceptance of patents and trademarks in various countries and transmit official-looking, unsolicited bills to IP owners on the hope…