Patent Baristas

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the Public Patent Foundation (PUBPAT), and a whole host of others have filed a lawsuit challenging patents on two human genes associated with breast and ovarian cancer claiming such patents stifle research that could lead to cures and limit women’s options regarding their medical care. The lawsuit, Association for […]

[The Purposes of the United Nations are:] To achieve international cooperation in solving international problems of an economic, social, cultural, or humanitarian character, and in promoting and encouraging respect for human rights and for fundamental freedoms for all (…). The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) provides the framework for the World Trade Organization […]

“Eliminate the Patent Restrictions Standing in Your Company’s Way” The Innovation Alliance, a coalition of companies with the stated goal to enhance America’s innovation environment by improving the quality of patents and protecting the integrity of the U.S. patent system, is worried that lawyers (the bad ones, not us) will be lining up to offer […]

While not invited to the party in person, the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) provided its written testimony on patent reform to the U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee on the Judiciary hearing on H.R. 1260, the “Patent Reform Act of 2009.” The breakdown for the biotechnology industry looks like this: more than 7.5 million people employed; […]

The U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee on the Judiciary is holding hearings on H.R. 1260, the “Patent Reform Act of 2009” today and, so far, the testimony is pretty much about what you’d expect. Phillip Johnson Chief IP Counsel for J&J, and Bernard Cassidy, Senior VP and GC at Tessera, laid out that strong patent […]

The U.S. House of Representatives Committee on the Judiciary is holding a hearing this morning on the Patent Reform Act: 10:00 a.m. Thursday, April 30, 2009 2141 Rayburn House Office Building Hearing on H.R. 1260, the “Patent Reform Act of 2009” Today’s testimony will most likely focus on the more contentious issues of H.R. 1260, […]

Recently, we’ve had a rash of clients receiving misleading demands for fees relating to patents and trademarks. These demands typically take the form of official-looking letters that falsely suggest a connection with the International Bureau of WIPO or European Patent Office, and that solicit fees for some supposed service such as “registration” of a patent […]

Coming off a recent discussion about the role patents play in fostering innovation (see: Are Patents A Driver of Innovation or Just a Tax?), it is fortunate that I’ve had a chance to read Michael Gollin’s excellent book on how intellectual property not only drives the innovation cycle but sometimes stifles it, too. Gollin’s book, […]