Thailand Becomes the 142nd PCT Member
October 27, 2009
On September 24, 2009, Thailand (TH) became the 142nd Contracting State of the PCT. Thailand will become bound by the PCT on December 24, 2009, and all PCT applications filed on or after December 24 will automatically designate Thailand.
Read MoreNew Patent Search Tool
October 21, 2009
A new patent search tool offered by WIPO is available here. The tool includes about 1.6 million PCT applications as well as the patent collections of ARIPO, Cuba, Israel, Mexico, South Korea, Singapore, South Africa and Vietnam. Additional collections will be added in…
Read MoreUSPTO Rescinds Controversial Claiming and Continuations Rules
October 9, 2009
The USPTO announced today that it will officially rescind its controversial claiming and continuations rules package next week. The restrictive rules package sought to impose extensive limits on the way applicants could claim their inventions and on the number of…
Read MorePatent Office Extends First Action Interview Pilot Program Into New Art Units
October 7, 2009
The US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) announced yesterday that it is expanding its initial First Action Interview Pilot Program. This program entitles an applicant to an interview with the patent examiner assigned to their case prior to the issuance…
Read MoreThe Patent Office and Examiner’s Union Propose Changes to the Examiner Count System Which May Dramatically Affect How Patent Applications Are Processed
October 1, 2009
The US Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO), via a press release on its web site, has announced that the USPTO Joint Labor-Management Task Force has issued a joint proposal for amending the Examiner Count System. The task force comprised senior…
Read MoreIncreased Copyright Fees
September 28, 2009
The Copyright Office increased fees as of August 1, 2009. Here is a link to the new fee schedule: Copyright Fees Under the new fee schedule, the fee for online registration for a basic claim would remain unchanged at $35…
Read MoreChanges to European Patent Office Practice
September 28, 2009
Although it is still several months away, the EPO will dramatically changes its practice effective April 1, 2010 relating to divisional applications and European search reports. A review of the changes is presented below: Limitation on Filing Divisional Applications In…
Read MoreInexpensive Ways to Protect a Business’ Intellectual Property- Tips on Ownership and Assignments
September 28, 2009
One of the most important parts of intellectual property, which tends to be overlooked, is establishing ownership of intellectual property. In many cases, employees are hired without having to sign any type of employment agreement, or if they do sign…
Read MoreFederal Circuit to Rehear the Tafas Case En Banc
September 28, 2009
On July 6, the Federal Circuit granted rehearing en banc in Tafas v. Doll regarding the USPTO’s power to implement new rules on restrictions for continuations and claim limitations. No comment concerning the underlying opinion was given beyond announcing its…
Read MoreWoodard, Emhardt Partner Speaks at Indiana Law Update 2009 CLE
September 25, 2009
Managing partner Thomas Q. Henry was an intellectual property law presenter at the Indiana Law Update 2009 CLE sponsored by the Indiana Continuing Legal Education Forum on September 22, 2009. Mr. Henry presented on recent updates and developments in IP…
Read MoreWIPO Joins PDX
September 18, 2009
The USPTO announced on June 30, 2009, that the World Intellectual Property Office (WIPO) became the fourth country to participate in the Priority Document Exchange Program (PDX). This allows patent applicants to exchange electronic priority documents between the USPTO and WIPO at…
Read MoreU.S. Supreme Court Grants Review in Business Methods Case
September 9, 2009
The Supreme Court has agreed to review the Federal Circuit’s decision in In Re Bilski. This will be the first time the Supreme Court has weighed in on patent eligibility under §101 in more than 25 years. The Supreme Court…
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