Conformity is a virtue: the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office proposes changes to the duty of disclosure to match the Therasense standard *

USA - July 26 2011
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (“PTO”) has proposed changes to two rules that are designed to streamline the obligations of innovators and their patent practitioners to disclose information to the PTO in patent applications and reexamination proceedings.

Co-authors: Randall C. Brown, Brent A. Folsom, Jeff Wolfson.

Patent reform 2011: it could happen to you *

USA - June 28 2011
On June 23, 2011, the U.S. House of Representatives passed House Bill H.R. 1249 (the “Leahy-Smith America Invents Act”) by a vote of 304-117.

Co-authors: Gregory P. Webb, Randall C. Brown, Jeff Wolfson.

How much would you pay for this lovely expedited examination? USPTO approves priority utility and plant patent application examination *

USA - April 5 2011
On April 4, 2011, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) issued a Final Rule implementing the prioritized examination track (“Track I”) of its new examination timing control procedures.

Co-authors: Tanya Faisal, Jeff Wolfson.

The Supreme Court rules on Bilski: business method patents survive *

USA - June 29 2010
On June 28, 2010, the United States Supreme Court announced its decision on Bilski v. Kappos regarding what inventions are eligible for patent protection.

Co-authors: Randall C. Brown, Jeff Wolfson.