In a counter to the Coalition for Patent Fairness, Pat Choate, Ph.D. has published an analysis of the Patent Reform Act of 2007 for the Manufacturing Policy Project.  Entitled, The Patent Reform Act of 2007: Responding to Legitimate Needs or Special Interests?  The “Patent Fairness” Issue, Choate responds to the assertions put forth in favor […]

Showing that Patent Reform has become as polarizing as major politics these days, supporters for each camp sent their respective support letters to the Senate. Supporters of patent reform and the Coalition for Patent Fairness sent a letter signed by a total of 128 companies and associations from across the U.S. in support of the […]

Judge Cacheris of the Eastern District of Virginia has granted a preliminary injunction prohibiting the USPTO from moving forward with its proposed changes to the patent rules on continuations and claims.  Download the injunction order here: GSK Preliminary Injunction Order (pdf) The rules, labeled “Changes to Practice for Continued Examination Filings, Patent Applications Containing Patentably […]

Time is running short for actions to stop implementation of the USPTO’s “Changes to Practice for Continued Examination Filings, Patent Applications Containing Patentably Indistinct Claims, and Examination of Claims in Patent Applications,” 72 Fed. Reg. 161 at p. 46716 (Aug. 21, 2007). Motions are scheduled to be argued on October 31 in the U.S. District […]

In another round of challenges to the proposed rules by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office, one group looks to challenge the rule change regarding the draft final regulation “Changes to Information Disclosure Statement Requirements and Other Related Matters.” This is part of the USPTO Master Plan in the published final rules regarding limiting claims […]

A new internet launch, SparkIP is an a new online intellectual property exchange for connecting the scientific community with patent information. Described as a “visually rich, categorizing information into a fully-searchable innovation landscape of over 35,000 SparkClusters(TM), self-organizing and self-naming groups of patents and new inventions.” As new innovation is submitted, SparkIP’s arrangement of clusters […]

This week’s Blawg Review #130 has two hosts, both mediators, and one for each hemisphere. Geoff Sharp, in Wellington, New Zealand, is covering the Southern Hemisphere in his own edition of Blawg Review.  Meanwhile, the Online Guide to Mediation is covering the Northern Hemisphere edition from Boston. We especially enjoyed the linguistic rollercoaster ride at […]

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit smacked Apotex with a contempt judgment after finding it filed a repetitive Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Abbott Labs v. Torpharm and Apotex (07-1019). This involves an ongoing dispute with TorPharm and Apotex in trying to market a generic […]