Under the America Invents Act of 2011 (AIA), any “person” other than the patent owner may challenge the patent owner’s patent(s) through post-grant review before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board. The patent statutes do not specifically define the term “person.” The presumption is that the term “person” does not include the federal government and its agencies.
Read more »Tag: patents
-
Who May Petition for Post-Grant Review Under The AIA? Posted on: April 20, 2020 In: Intellectual Property & Technology
-
An Overview of U.S. Design Rights – Infringement & Enforcement, Part 2 of 2 Posted on: December 19, 2019 In: Intellectual Property & Technology
In our previous post, we identified the types of design rights infringement that are actionable. In this part, we will cover the different types of remedies available to rights owners and defenses available to accused infringers.
Read more »
-
An Overview of U.S. Design Rights – Infringement & Enforcement, Part 1 of 2 Posted on: December 17, 2019 In: Intellectual Property & Technology
This two-part blog series provides a primer on the different types of design rights in the United States and their enforcement. Part I will review the various types of infringement, and Part II will address remedies available to rights owners and defenses available to accused infringers. These posts are based on a paper and presentation delivered at the AIPLA’s Design Rights Boot Camp Conference in August 2019.
Read more »
-
Design Patents 101 – Part 2 of 2 Posted on: December 13, 2019 In: Intellectual Property & Technology
This is the second installment of a two-part series on design patents. This part will discuss the design application process and briefly touch on the prosecution of such applications
Read more »
-
Design Patents 101 - Part 1 of 2 Posted on: December 11, 2019 In: Intellectual Property & Technology
This two-part blog series provides a primer on design patents and is based on a presentation delivered at the AIPLA Design Rights Boot Camp in August 2019). Part I will cover the basics of design patents and compare them to other IP protections, such as trademark and copyright.
Read more »
-
Supreme Court Agrees to Review Appealability of PTAB Time-Bar Rulings Posted on: June 28, 2019 In: Intellectual Property & Technology
On June 24, 2019, the United States Supreme Court agreed to review the question of whether 35 U.S.C. § 314(d) permits appeal of the Patent Trial and Appeal Board’s (PTAB) decision to institute an inter partes review (IPR) upon finding that 35 U.S.C. § 315(b)’s 1-year time bar to file an IPR does not apply.
Read more »
-
Claims with Precise Numerical Values - A Cautionary Tale Posted on: June 06, 2019 In: Intellectual Property & Technology
On March 31, 2019, the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals in Cobalt Boats, LLC v. Brunswick Corporation reversed a finding of infringement and vacated a $7.9 million award (inclusive of $2.5 million in attorneys’ fees) previously granted by the Eastern District of Virginia. Cobalt accused Brunswick of infringing their U.S. Patent No. 8,375,880 (the ‘880 patent) directed to a Retractable Step for Boat Swim Platform, issued February 19, 2013.
Read more »
-
Patent Litigation Trends in the Wake of TC Heartland Posted on: April 25, 2019 In: Intellectual Property & Technology
In May 2017, the Supreme Court issued TC Heartland v. Kraft Foods Group Brands, a decision that many expected would significantly limit forum shopping in patent cases. Prior to that case, patentees could file infringement lawsuits in any court with personal jurisdiction over the accused infringer, so most corporations were subject to suit in every district court.
Read more »
-
The Ongoing Evolution Of Patent Venue Posted on: March 21, 2019 In: Intellectual Property & Technology
A refresher and update on the ongoing evolution of what constitutes proper venue in a patent case. For over 20 years, venue in a patent case was proper in essentially any court in the United States. That all changed in May 2017 when the Supreme Court held in TC Heartland LLC v. Kraft Food Grp. Brands, LLC that 28 U.S.C. §1400(b) is the sole and exclusive venue provision for patent infringement actions, and cannot be supplemented by the general venue statute at 28 U.S.C. §1391.
Read more »
-
USPTO Supports “Counterintuitive” Interpretation of AIA in Amicus Brief to Fed Circuit Court of Appeals Posted on: March 07, 2019 In: Intellectual Property & Technology
Oral Arguments Scheduled for Next Week - In a curious legal scenario, the USPTO recently filed an amicus brief at the request of the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals, supporting a “counterintuitive” reading of the American Invents Act (AIA). This stems from an interesting argument made by Johnson & Johnson subsidiary company Janssen Oncology, Inc. regarding estoppel under the AIA.
Read more »
-
PTAB Denies Post-Grant Review Request That Relied on Social Media Evidence Posted on: February 04, 2019 In: Intellectual Property & Technology
The Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) recently denied a request for a post-grant review of a design patent that relied on evidence from social media, casting doubt on the ability to use such evidence when attempting to invalidate patents.
Read more »
-
Supreme Court Rules that AIA Did Not Alter the On-Sale Doctrine Posted on: January 24, 2019 In: Intellectual Property & Technology
The U.S. Supreme Court recently ruled that the phrase “or otherwise available to the public” added to 35 U.S.C. § 102 in the America Invents Act in 2011 did not change the “on-sale” doctrine, which provides that patent protection cannot be granted for an invention that was on-sale more than one year before the effective filing date of the patent.
Read more »