Archive for April, 2006
Need help finding patent documents on the web?
It should be easy to find downloadable copies of patent documents on the web, right? Issued patents, published apps, US, PCT, EPO….should be easy, right? Well, it’s not. Unless, of course, you’ve got Steve Nipper’s Guide to Downloading Patent Copies. Bookmark it now.
A new member on the PHOSITA team
We’ve welcomed a new member to the blogging team over at PHOSITA. Laura Wood is set to add her perspective to “the People magazine of IP blogs.” Head on over if you get the chance and welcome Laura to the blogosphere.
A little construction
It’s taken a little longer than expected, but the next round of improvements to Promote the Progress is nearly ready to roll. Over the next couple days, you’ll notice a bit of construction work. The design is being tweaked a bit to improve “navagability” and a few new content features are being finalized.
During the construction, [...]
Has the pursuit of administrative efficiency by the USPTO gone too far? A trap for the unwary
So how much must you disclose in an Information Disclosure Statement filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office? It’s simple, really. If you are aware of relevant prior art, your duty of candor and good faith in dealing with the Office requires that you disclose the art to the Examiner.
But what must you [...]
House subcommittee to hold oversight hearing on patent harmonization
The House Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet, and Intellectual Property has scheduled an oversight hearing on “Patent Harmonization” for Thursday, April 27, at 9:00 AM. You can watch a live webcast of the hearing here.
Scheduled witnesses include Q. Todd Dickinson (former USPTO Director and current GE Vice President and Chief Intellectual Property Counsel), Bob Armitage (Eli [...]
The invisible hand of Intel? The battle for fundamental change is on in the Patent and Trademark Office
If you don’t yet believe that the fight to make fundamental change to our patent system is moving beyond Congress and onto new battlefields, consider the following observation that a reader, who wishes only to be identified as a Palo Alto patent attorney, submitted to me this week:
The Patent and Trademark Office has published some of [...]
Crunch time cometh - get your comments in on the USPTO proposed rules
Comments on the USPTO proposed rules placing limits on continuation practice and on the number of claims for initial examination are due on or before May 3, 2006. Struggling over the idea of preparing extensive comments? Don’t fret….they’ve made it easy. And brief comments are fine.
You can e-mail comments on the proposed continuation rule to AB93Comments@uspto.gov. Comments [...]
Chinese President to visit world’s largest victim of intellectual property theft
Chinese President Hu Jinatao is scheduled to arrive in the United States this morning to kick off a round of checkbook diplomacy. Intellectual property rights will, of course, be a main topic of discussion as the President visits the White House (which, officially, is not a full-blown state visit), Yale, and, uh, Bill Gates.
Huh? Bill [...]
The path to generic biotech approvals gains a little clarity; de facto patent extensions of pioneer biotechnology drugs may be in jeopardy
Last week, Sandoz (a Novartis company) scored a major victory in federal court against the Food and Drug Administration that could mark the beginning of a significant change in the biotech drug industry. The decision highlights the need for clarification on the issue of generic biotech approvals and should remind pioneer biotech companies of the importance [...]
Hal Wegner predicts strong eBay confirmation of injunctive relief for “non-working” patentees
Everyone’s favorite court watcher, Hal Wegner, has distributed the most recent copy of his “Top Ten List” of Supreme Court patent cases (it’s a telling sign of the times that Hal has a list these days that is focused exclusively on the Supreme Court).
In the latest version of The List, Hal predicts that eBay v. MercExchange will be decided [...]
