Benefits and Considerations for Patent Prosecution under Patent Prosecution Highway in the U.S., Europe, China, and Singapore

By Charles Huang, Allen Pu and Will Chen on November 22, 2021 Posted in Patents

I. Introduction

Patent Prosecution Highway or PPH is a set of initiatives promulgated by participating patent offices around the world to accelerate patent prosecution in countries of the participating patent offices. PPH allows the participating patent offices to share information and to benefit from work performed by other participating patent offices, and thereby reducing examination workload and improving quality of patents.

Under PPH, prosecution of a patent application previously filed with a participating patent office can be fast-tracked in another participating patent office if the patent application meets certain requirements. This article provides a brief overview of benefits of filing patent applications under PPH and requirements by which the patent applications must satisfy in order to participate in PPH.

Stakeholders Should Not Miss Congress’s Invitation For Feedback On Patent Eligibility

By Siraj Husain on October 8, 2021 Posted in Patents

This post originally appeared as an article (“Stakeholders Should Not Miss Congress’s Invitation for Feedback on Patent Eligibility”) on Law.com on October 7, 2021.

NFT License Breakdown: Exploring Different Marketplaces and Associated License Issues

By James Gatto and Molly Tomer* on September 20, 2021 Posted in Blockchain, Tech Licensing

At least three different types of marketplaces facilitate the sale and/or resale of NFTs. These include open marketplaces, curated marketplaces and proprietary marketplaces. Other variations do exist, however, and it is likely that other alternatives will be developed. In the attached article, we examine some of the differences between these types of marketplaces and business models, highlight some of the varying license terms of these marketplaces and discuss why IP owners who license their IP for NFTs often are best served by developing their own licenses to be used in connection with sale of their NFTs.

Artificial Intelligence And Subject Matter Eligibility In U.S. Patent Office Appeals – Part Three Of Three

By Jim Soong on September 8, 2021 Posted in IP and Technology Transactions, Patents, Trademarks and Trade Dress

Note: First published in The Intellectual Property Strategist and Law.com.

This article is Part Three of a Three-Part Article Series

Artificial intelligence is changing industry and society, and metrics at the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) reflect its impact. In a recent publication, the USPTO indicated that from 2002 to 2018 the share of all patent applications relating to artificial intelligence grew from 9% to approximately 16%. See “Inventing AI, Tracing the diffusion of artificial intelligence with U.S. patents,” Office of the Chief Economist, IP Data Highlights (October 2020). For the foreseeable future, patent applications involving artificial intelligence technologies, including machine learning, will increase with the continued proliferation of such technologies. However, subject matter eligibility can be a significant challenge in securing patents on artificial intelligence and machine learning.

Artificial Intelligence And Subject Matter Eligibility In U.S. Patent Office Appeals – Part Two Of Three

By Jim Soong on September 1, 2021 Posted in IP and Technology Transactions, Patents, Trademarks and Trade Dress

Note: First published in The Intellectual Property Strategist and Law.com.

This article is Part Two of a Three-Part Article Series

Patent Protection on AI Inventions

By Pengju Shang and Will Chen on August 30, 2021 Posted in Patents

In recent years, AI patent activity has exponentially increased. The figure below shows the volume of public AI patent applications categorized by AI component in the U.S. from 1990-2018. The eight AI components in FIG. 1 are defined in an article published in 2020 by the USPTO. Most of the AI components have experienced explosive growth in the past decade, especially in the areas of planning/control and knowledge processing (e.g., using big data in automated systems). Continue Reading

Artificial Intelligence And Subject Matter Eligibility In U.S. Patent Office Appeals – Part One Of Three

By Jim Soong on August 25, 2021 Posted in IP and Technology Transactions, Patents, Trademarks and Trade Dress

Note: First published in The Intellectual Property Strategist and Law.com.

This article is Part One of a Three-Part Article Series

Practice Tips for Combating Counterfeiters: An Action Plan for Brands, Manufacturers and Retailers

By Lisa Martens on June 9, 2021 Posted in Copyrights, Patents, Trademarks and Trade Dress

The harm caused to brands by counterfeiting goes far beyond loss of sales or profits. Fake goods jeopardize public health and safety when a brand’s trademark is applied to a sub-standard and potentially harmful product. This is especially hazardous for counterfeit medical items, mechanical parts, and food products, to name a few. What is more, the reputational damage inflicted by low-quality products can be devastating. Continue Reading

Waiver Of Intellectual Property Protections For COVID-19 Vaccine Unlikely To Have Meaningful Impact In Short Term

By Lorna Tanner and Thomas Carr* on May 11, 2021 Posted in Coronavirus, IP and Technology Transactions, Life Sciences

On Wednesday, May 7, 2021, the United States officially endorsed waiving intellectual property protections for COVID-19 vaccines. While the United States has taken the opposite position in recent months, the administration asserts that its departure is guided, at least in part, by the goal “to get as many safe and effective vaccines to as many people as fast as possible.”[1] That goal, however, is unlikely to be affected by such a waiver in the short term due to uncertainty in World Trade Organization (“WTO”) politics, ongoing shortages on raw materials and equipment, and lag-time in retrofitting potential manufacturers. Continue Reading

Synergizing Patents to Drive Innovation and Growth

By Siraj Husain on April 5, 2021 Posted in Blockchain, Patents

Companies have historically turned to patent pools as vehicles for achieving shared objectives. A patent pool can be formed when a group of patent holders agree to pool their patents for some purpose. For instance, members of a patent pool may agree to pool and license their patent rights to a third party in exchange for fees or royalties. In this scenario, the pooling companies may own complementary patents that enable a technical standard. Pooling the complementary patents can enable a licensee to develop a product or service. In another scenario, members of a patent pool may agree to pool and cross-license their patent rights to one another. This may occur when a group of companies are developing similar products and services. Here, the members can benefit from shared patent rights that allow them to focus more of their resources on developing their businesses and less on patent transactional and litigation expenses. Continue Reading

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