Gibbons Law Alert

Gibbons Law Alert

Category: USPTO

Federal Circuit Issues Its First AIA Appeal Ruling

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Posted in Patent / USPTO

On February 9, 2015

On Tuesday, the Federal Circuit issued its first ruling on an appealed Patent Trial and Appeal Board (“PTAB”) decision of an inter partes review (“IPR”). Cuozzo Speed Technologies (“Cuozzo”) owns U.S. Patent No. 6,778,074 (the “’074 patent”) entitled “Speed Limit Indicator and Method for Displaying Speed and the Relevant Speed Limit.” Garmin International, Inc. and Garmin USA, Inc. (collectively, “Garmin”) petitioned the United States Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”) for IPR of claims 10, 14, and 17 of the ’074 patent. The PTAB found the claims to be invalid as obvious.

USPTO Releases Examples of Patent Eligible Claims Relating to Abstract Ideas

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Posted in Patent / USPTO

On February 2, 2015

We previously reported on the United States Patent and Trademark Office’s issuance of new interim examination guidance in December for evaluating subject matter eligibility under 35 U.S.C. § 101. At the time, the USPTO included examples of allowable claims for nature-based products in light of previous Supreme Court rulings in Mayo and Myriad. On Tuesday, January 27, the USPTO followed up by releasing claim examples relating to abstract ideas in response to the Supreme Court’s decision earlier this year in Alice.

Hana Financial, Inc. v. Hana Bank: Tacking Priority of Earlier Trademarks

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Posted in Trademarks / USPTO

On January 22, 2015

The U.S. Supreme Court does not get to tackle trademark law issues very often. The decision in Hana Financial, Inc. v. Hana Bank, (No. 13-1211; January 21, 2015) is the first pronouncement of the highest Court on trademark matters in more than a decade, and it deals with the issue known as tacking. Trademarks often experience changes in appearance and overall look in the course of many years. These changes can take various forms, such as a modification in lettering style, a rearrangement in the order of words, the dropping of a background design, or the addition of new stylized elements. The tacking doctrine allows a party to claim the earlier priority date of an old mark for a new trademark, if the later involves slight changes over the prior version. The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Hana Financial addresses narrowly the question as to whether tacking is a matter of law reserved to a judge, or a matter of fact decided by a jury.

USPTO Issues New Guidance on § 101 Subject Matter Eligibility

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Posted in Patent / USPTO

On December 22, 2014

On December 16, the United States Patent and Trademark Office issued new interim examination guidance for evaluating subject matter eligibility under 35 U.S.C. § 101. This guidance, entitled the “2014 Interim Guidance on Patent Subject Matter Eligibility” (“Interim Guidance”), was developed in view of the recent Supreme Court decisions in Alice, Myriad, and Mayo. The Interim Guidance supplements the June 25, 2014 Preliminary Examination Instructions that we previously discussed, and supercedes the March 4, 2014 Guidance following Myriad and Mayo.

The Honorable Grace K. Obermann to Present at NJIPLA’s ETS Seminar on November 6, 2014

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Posted in Licensing / Patent / USPTO

On November 3, 2014

On Thursday, November 6, 2014, The Honorable Grace K. Obermann, Lead Administrative Patent Judge, USPTO, PTAB, will present on practicing before the PTAB at the New Jersey Intellectual Property Law Association’s seminar, “Electronics, Telecom & Software Patent Practice Update.” The seminar will also address topics such as licensing guidance, implications of recent Supreme Court decisions, and damages considerations.

Unified Patents Petitions for IPR to Counter Patent Troll PanTaurus’ Patent Litigation Assault

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Posted in Patent / USPTO

On September 25, 2014

Much debate has centered on patent reform and efforts to curtail the litigious activities of patent assertion entities (PAEs) also referred to as “patent trolls.” However, and as underscored for example by the number of patent lawsuits filed by Texas-based PAE PanTaurus, LLC this past year, PAEs continue to present a significant patent litigation presence.

McDonald’s Triumphs over BioMcDiesel

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Posted in Trademarks / USPTO

On August 4, 2014

On July 14, 2014, the United States Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) found the trademark “BioMcDiesel” for biodiesel fuel likely to cause confusion with McDonald’s Corporation’s (“McDonald’s”) famous family of MC-formative trademarks. McDonald’s Corporation v. Joel D. Joseph, Opposition No. 91194117 (July 14, 2014) [not precedential]. The applicant, Joel Joseph, appeared pro se to defend his application, which was based on intent to use. McDonald’s challenged the application on three bases under the Lanham Act, namely, likelihood of confusion under Section 2(d), dilution under Sections 13 and 43(c), and on the basis that Mr. Joseph filed the application in bad faith, in that he lacked a bona fide intent to use the mark and solely filed the application for the purpose of selling or licensing the mark to McDonald’s. The TTAB’s decision addressed only the likelihood of confusion claim, and found the “BioMcDiesel” mark was not entitled to registration.

PTAB Roundtables Coming to a City Near You

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Posted in Patent / USPTO

On April 3, 2014

On March 25, 2014, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) announced that the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) would be hosting roundtables across the country to educate the public, and collect feedback regarding the new America Invents Act (AIA) trial proceedings. These roundtables are free and open to the public. According to Deputy Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Deputy Director of the USPTO, Michelle Lee, “[t]hese roundtables are a part of USPTO’s ongoing efforts to provide more opportunities for the public and other key stakeholders to share ideas, feedback, experiences and insights on additional ways we can improve our processes.”

IP Practitioners — Get Ready for the Global Patent Prosecution Highway!

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Posted in USPTO

On January 24, 2014

Recently, in an effort to expedite patent prosecution internationally, thirteen countries, including the United States, have established a Global Patent Prosecution Highway (“GPPH”): Australia (IP), Canada (CIPO), Denmark (DKPTO), Finland (NBPR), Japan (JPO), Korea (KIPO), Nordic Patent Institute (NPI), Norwegian Patent Office (NIPO), Portugal (INPI), Russia (ROSPATENT), Spain (SPTO), United Kingdom (IPO), and USA (USPTO). Unfortunately, the European Patent Office has not signed on to the GPPH yet.

Gibbons Directors Robert Rudnick & Thomas Bean to Serve on Panel for Upcoming Gibbons Institute of Law, Science & Technology Event

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Posted in Patent / USPTO

On April 9, 2013

Robert E. Rudnick and Thomas J. Bean, Directors in the Gibbons Intellectual Property Department, will serve as panelists at the upcoming Gibbons Institute of Law, Science & Technology event, “USTPO Patent Post-Issuance Proceedings Under the American Invents Act — a New Frontier” on April 23. Mr. Rudnick and Mr. Bean, along with Kenneth Corsello of IBM and other industry and academic leaders, will address post-grant proceedings under the American Invents Act (AIA), from both the patent owner’s and challenger’s perspectives, as well as discovery and other new rules of practice before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB). CLE credits for New Jersey and New York will be offered.

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