Patent Baristas

Following our updates on the proposed change to the divisional deadline rule (Sept 2013 & Oct 2013), the EPO Administrative Council has now confirmed that this change will become law. From 1 April 2014, the new divisional rule will allow applicants to file a divisional application from any pending European patent application.  This change takes […]

Unless your invention is similar to a chemical compound or other, non-visual composition, you will need to do patent drawings. These drawings are not only beneficial in documenting your invention; they are a necessity in various stages of your patent application. How Many Do You Need? At least one patent drawing, or patent illustration, as […]

Inventors should be well aware of the fact that no matter how innovative their invention is, unless they patent it anybody else can claim it’s their idea and that you have come up with nothing worth the news. Filing a patent for their invention is something that most inventors don’t know how to do. It […]

Audio conference to be held October 3, 2013 Section 101 of the patent statutes defines the conditions for patent-eligible subject matter. Historically, Section 101 issues have not been predominant in the life sciences. However, two recent Supreme Court cases have challenged those assumptions and clarified what scientific discoveries are eligible for patentability under Section 101. […]

From Dr. Matthew Barton, a UK Chartered Patent Attorney and European Patent Attorney at Forresters: We have learnt that the EPO has made formal proposals to remove the current two-year time limit for filing divisionals. At the present time applicants may only file voluntary divisionals within two years from the first examination report in a family of […]

The International Quality and Productivity Center (IQPC) is holding a Patent Infringement Litigations Summit on developing strategically sound, cost-effective methods to manage increasing patent litigation. Often, patent infringement litigation comes out of nowhere.  It is unpredictable.  Companies are constantly trying to figure out the best way to manage both the litigation itself and the corresponding costs.  […]

The U.S. Department of Commerce released a green paper on Copyright Policy, Creativity, and Innovation in the Digital Economy (Green Paper) to advance discussion on a set of policy issues critical to economic growth. The Green Paper discusses the goals of maintaining an appropriate balance between rights and exceptions as the law continues to be […]

After receiving my copy of “How to Write a Patent Application” (Jeffrey G. Sheldon, Second Edition), I changed my opinion about it. I’ve certainly used the first edition over the years. However, I thought of it as a book intended for beginning patent practitioners to use as a handbook for learning patent application drafting. Yes, […]