Patent Baristas

The public comment letters on the proposed Markush Rules by the Patent Office are up on the USPTO website. The Patent Office is moving ever onward with its proposed revision to the rules of practice pertaining to any claim using alternative language to claim one or more species. That is, if the claims use Markush […]

After months of meetings and redrafting work, the U.S. Senate is said to be ready to make a move on the patent reform bill, S. 1145. Various senators are said to be working behind the scenes drafting amendments with some compromises being made on section 11 of the bill, a/k/a “Applicant Quality Submissions (AQS).” The […]

The Coalition for Patent Fairness held a conference call for the Media yesterday to announce that Senate leaders has made public statements suggesting that the Patent Reform Act (S.1145) could come up for the floor vote in mid-April.  General Counsels from companies that make up the Coalition for Patent Fairness discussed the current state of […]

Dr. Triantafyllos Tafas’ lawsuit, arguing that the proposed U.S. Patent Office continuation rules are void for exceeding its authority, won a permanent injunction prohibiting the USPTO from putting the new rules changes into effect (Final Rules; 72 Federal Register 161 at 46716).  Triantyfyllos Tafas v. John Dudas and the United States Patent and Trademark Office. […]

Intellectual Property Owners (IPO) has made a call to arms agains the patent reform legislation in the Senate (S.1145), which may be considered for a vote within the next few weeks. IPO is all-out against the dreaded Applicant Quality Submissions (AQS). Section 11 on AQS would require nearly all patent applicants to (1) search the […]

The United States Patent and Trademark Office is moving ever onward with its proposed revision to the rules of practice pertaining to any claim using alternative language to claim one or more species. That is, if the claims use Markush or other forms of alternative language. Markush claims, officially sanctioned since 1924, is a claim drafting technique using the phrase ‘‘selected […]

Jon Dudas, Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), testified in an oversight hearing held by the House Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet and Intellectual Property. Among the topics addressed in the testimony were patent and trademark quality and timeliness; hiring, retention […]

I realize that everyone is suffering from Patent Reform Fatigue regarding the new rules the Patent Office wants to foist on the public but here is a quick update. Gene Quinn, at the PLI blog is reporting that the oral hearing on GlaxoSmithKline, Tafas and USPTO cross motions for Summary Judgment was today and that […]