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Entrenched in patent law is the principle that a challenge against a patent for anticipation or obviousness must be based on 'prior art,' and not on disclosure in the patent itself. Also entrenched in patent law is the principle that an otherwise known product cannot be patented merely because one discovers new and unobvious properties possessed by that product.

Foreign counterpart patents are an important tool in the hands of a company or inventor with a well thought out patenting strategy. In contrast, they can be an expensive, unproductive and time-consuming diversion for companies that address the matter of foreign filing protection in an ad hoc manner. The following analysis describes the problem in some detail, and then describes a structured approach to making foreign filing decisions that some companies are effectively deploying.

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The latest cases of importance to your practice.

The latest rulings of importance to you and your practice.

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The latest cases of importance to your practice.

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The recent issuance of Revenue Ruling 2002-22, 2002-19 I.R.B. 849 dramatically changes how income tax principles will be applied to the marital division of deferred or incentive compensation arrangements, and, potentially, to other types of assets, the gain from which is taxable as ordinary income. Stock options and contractual deferred compensation arrangements have become a standard form of compensation for corporate employees. In the marital dissolution law of practically every state where marital rights to these compensation arrangements have been examined, the value represented by these rights has been determined to be marital property, subject to division at divorce to the extent earned before divorce. Indeed, deferred compensation rights may be the most valuable marital asset, so negotiation and litigation over division of this value has become a fertile area for marital settlements.

Arbitration has become an increasingly powerful force in the resolution of disputes in the employment setting. Your client has asked you to draft or revise an arbitration provision in an employment agreement. What do you do?

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Sexual orientation will now be treated as any other protected category in employment litigation under New York State law. After having been proposed without passage for 31 years, the Sexual Orientation Non-Discrimination Act (S. 720/ A. 1971) (SONDA) finally became law on January 16, 2003.