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An Emerging Patent Boom?

By Scott Cleere • May 26th, 2010 • Category: Intellectual Property Law, Newest Post

Dennis Crouch’s Patently O blog recently reported on the record increases in both the number of patent issuing and increases in the allowance rate (i.e., percentage of concluded applications that were allowed). In fact, the last three weeks have seen the highest number of issued patents in any three-week period in U.S.P.T.O. history. In [...]



Court Limits Scope of Fraud on the PTO in Trademark Cases

By Scott Cleere • Sep 1st, 2009 • Category: Intellectual Property Law, Newest Post

The Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit ruled yesterday that fraud on the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (“PTO”) requires proof of actual intent to deceive, which may not be inferred merely because a trademark applicant made a misstatement that it should have known was false. The court held that “a trademark is [...]



Supreme Court to Review Scope of Patentable Subject Matter

By Scott Cleere • Jun 2nd, 2009 • Category: Intellectual Property Law, Newest Post

The U.S. Supreme Court agreed to review the en banc decision of the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in In re Bilski (545 F.3d 943). In that decision, the Federal Circuit rejected its previous “useful, concrete and tangible result” test for patentable subject matter articulated in State Street (149 F.3d 1368). Finding [...]



Wither Now Patent Troll?

By Scott Cleere • Jan 7th, 2009 • Category: Intellectual Property Law, Newest Post

Did the Federal Circuit just tell the last patent defendant in east Texas to turn off the lights on your way out? The Eastern District of Texas is a popular venue for patent owners, especially non-practicing entities commonly maligned as “patent trolls,” filing infringement lawsuits. The Eastern District is widely perceived as being friendly [...]