21 October

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This Week in Washington IP: America’s Innovation Leadership, Facebook’s Financial Industry Impact and Personal Data Ownership

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This week in tech and innovation hearings in Washington D.C., the House of Representatives explores issues related to emerging cyber threats, Facebook’s cryptocurrency and its impact on the financial sector, space weather research and supporting clean automobile developments. House committees will also hold two field hearings outside of D.C. on improving Internet connectivity in rural communities and community initiatives in smart mobility programs. In the Senate, committee hearings will focus on ownership of personal data, international energy efficiency efforts and the reauthorization of compulsory copyright licenses for satellite broadcasts under STELAR. Elsewhere, Cato Institute will host an event looking at...

21 October

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Petition Seeks Rare En Banc Review to Clarify Whether PTAB Can Overrule Article III Courts

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Chrimar Systems, Inc. filed a petition for en banc rehearing with the Federal Circuit on October 21 asking the full Court to review the so-called Fresenius-Simmons preclusion principle. The petition has a high hurdle to meet, as the underlying Federal Circuit decision was nonprecedential, but the petitioners argue that the case qualifies as a rare exception warranting en banc review. In Chrimar Systems, Inc. v. ALE USA, Inc. FKA Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise USA, Inc., a jury initially found U.S. patent No. 8,942,107 for A Piece of ethernet terminal equipment valid and infringed by ALE in 2016, and the Federal Circuit affirmed that decision in May 2018. The case was remanded on...

13 July

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Submission to The Senate IP Subcommittee for Entry Into the Record

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We believe that the proposed amendment fixes most of the problems battled by the courts, the USPTO and the patent community in general in the past years. However, the proposed amendment does not address two categories of claims that should be patent eligible under 35 USC Section 101, which the courts have deemed patent ineligible. These categories are: (1) the so-called signal claims and (2) software claims. ...

12 July

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What Is a “Kit” Patent?

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New Jersey and New York Patent Attorneys Serving Clients Nationwide If an inventor wants to patent selling two or more items together that are brought together at the time of use (as a “kit”), they will often patent what is known as a “kit” claim. You will frequently see kit claims used in biotechnology industries, for example. However, figuring out whether something should be patented as an individual component or as a kit claim can be complex, and requires the analysis and advice of an experienced patent and intellectual property attorney in order to figure out what will provide you with...

04 July

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House Subcommittee Discusses Section 101 and Fraudulent Trademarks

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The House subcommittee on intellectual property convened a meeting to oversee the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Among two of the most important discussions were Section 101 regarding patent eligibility and registration of fraudulent trademarks. 35 USC 101 establishes who is and is not eligible for a patent under U.S. law. In other words, Section 101 establishes what kinds of innovations are patentable. Under Section 101, in order for an invention to be patentable, it must meet four criteria. Those are: No similar patent has been issued before (one patent per invention); The patented technology must serve some useful function; Patents are reserved for processes, machines,...

26 June

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Supreme Court Says Law Banning Registration of ‘scandalous’ Trademarks Violates First Amendment

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On Monday, June 24, 2019, the U.S. Supreme Court in a 6-3 ruling, struck down a provision of federal law that prohibits the registration of “immoral” or “scandalous” trademarks as a violation of the First Amendment. The ruling, which unanimous in part and 6-3 in part, could open the flood gate to trademark applications seeking to register words or phrases that were considered vulgar, a concern that the court’s minority feared.Justice Elena Kagan wrote the majority opinion stating: “[w]e hold that this provision infringes the First Amendment,” because it “disfavors certain ideas.” ...

13 June

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Who Owns Marilyn Monroe’s Image

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Court have held that Section 43(a) of the Lanham Act entitles celebrities to sue for trademark infringement when others use their persona, without permission, to suggest a false endorsement or affiliation with goods or services. This may seem quite similar to the right of publicity, but there is a salient difference. In order to prevail under the Lanham Act, a celebrity has to prove that the consuming public is likely to be confused and mistakenly believe there is an endorsement or affiliation where none exists. Under the right of publicity, the celebrity must show that the use is unauthorized, but...

09 June

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Small Businesses Lose Millions Every Year in Unclaimed Tax Benefits

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Most small businesses fail to take advantage of various tax benefits available to them, most notably in the area of tax credits. For example, Jane runs a small laundry and dry-cleaner business. She plans on hiring three (3) new employees. The list of potential candidates includes: a supplemental security income (SSI) recipient, an ex-felon and a SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance) Recipient. She also plans to become more energy efficient by investing in solar power and an electric vehicle. Jane also wishes to offer her employees health insurance benefits. Jane plans to spend $20,000 to develop a software app and $5,000 to...

04 June

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Apple Loses Major Antitrust Lawsuit

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A lawsuit that managed to make it all the way to the SCOTUS (Supreme Court of the United States) involves the Apple App Store and whether or not Apple can be forced to make other distribution avenues available to purchasers of App Store Apps and developers. How Does the App Store Work? For those of us with iPhones, iPads, or iPods, the process is simple. We need something like a game or an app and we go to the Apple App Store, download it, and we have it. For those who create the app, however, it is less simple. Apple charges a...

04 June

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Brain-To-Brain Interfaces Allow Transmission of Thoughts

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For science fiction fans, this may sound like an overplayed trope. However, science fiction has taken the place of prophecy in the collective imagination and, as such, overplayed tropes are becoming realities with alarming regularity. Now, it is possible to communicate directly with another person through the internet just by using your thoughts. While brain-computer interfaces are not new, the technology is improving rapidly. By providing a two-way interface between two humans (or animals) (or a human and an animal) thoughts can be transmitted directly over vast distances. This ushers in new hope for those suffering from paralysis and the potential...