Features

When Alice Leaves Software in Wonderland: Review the Terms of Use
That least-read contract — the Terms of Use — can be an effective (albeit the last) weapon in the arsenal of a company trying to protect unpatented software technology while providing on-line services.
Columns & Departments
IP News
SCOTUS Confirms that Secret Sales Continue to Qualify as Prior Art Under the AIA<br>New York District Judge Extends Estoppel Under §315(e) to Grounds Not Raised in Petition for <i>Inter Partes</i> Review
Features

The USPTO Brings New Guidance to the Section 101 Quandary
<b><i>Part Two of a Two-Part Article</b></i><p>USPTO Attempts to Provide Greater Clarity for Patent-Eligible Subject Matter
Features

Patent Eligibility Remains Uncertain — Especially for the Life Sciences — Even After Recent Federal Circuit Decisions and Efforts By the USPTO to Bring Clarity
Part One of a Two-Part Article Congress is empowered to create a patent system to promote the useful arts, and it has enacted laws to create a patent system that encourages innovation. Balancing that power, however, the courts in recent years have tried to rein in the scope of the patent right by limiting the scope of patent-eligible subject matter.
Columns & Departments
IP News
Obviousness-Type Double Patenting Does Not Invalidate Section 156 Patent Term Extension <br>Federal Circuit Holds Assignor Estoppel Does Not Apply in IPR Context<br>Federal Circuit Reverses District Court Holding of Patent Ineligibility of Computer Security Patent
Features

Further Guidance On Article III Standing To Appeal PTAB Decisions Coming Soon
How, if at all, can a non-injured party that challenges a patent before the PTAB and loses may then demonstrate Article III standing to appeal to the federal courts from the PTAB's decision upholding the patent's validity.
Features

The PTAB's New Claim Construction Standard: Will the Real Impact Please Stand Up
Beginning on Nov. 13, 2018, the USPTO will cease to apply the broadest reasonable interpretation (BRI) standard for newly-filed IPR, PGR, and CBM trials under the America Invents Act (AIA). Instead, the USPTO will begin "using the same claim construction standard that would be used to construe the claim in a civil action …."
Columns & Departments
IP News
Obviousness Determination Can Be Different for Apparatus and Method Claims<br>Petitioner “Bears the Burden” On Demonstrating Real Parties in Interest
Features

The High Bar for Challenging an Improperly Revived Patent
The recent <i>In Re Rembrandt Technologies</i> decision is a reminder of both the potential consequence of a patent holder's disingenuous assertion of unintentionality and the challenges that defendants face when raising the improper filing of a petition to revive a lapsed patent as a defense.
Features

Non-Traditional Trademarks: The Elusiveness of Branding a Trend
A look at several unique trademark cases where the plaintiff fashion brand proactively sought to invalidate a competitor's non-traditional trademarks, an action which reflects a push back on increasingly aggressive litigation tactics by fashion brands seeking to blur the lines between a non-protectable fashion trend and a protectable trademark.
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