Blogs on Patent & Trademark cases

Google Expands Searchable Patents beyond the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

Google has made it even easier for pro se inventors to conduct their own patent searches. The search giant has released information about their expanded database of patents beyond the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Now users can research patents in agencies including China, Germany, Canada, and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). This resource can be accessed at patents.google.com. This a good place for inventors to start learning about what patent applications look like before seeking the advice of a patent professional.

Biotech Patent Law

The Supreme Court upheld Monsanto Co.’s patent infringement claim against an Indiana farmer who violated the company’s patents on weed killer resistant soybean seeds (Bowman v. Monsanto Co.). The decision came down as a unanimous vote Monday (5.13.2013). In their defense, the farmer’s argued cheap soybeans bought from a grain elevator were not covered by the Monsanto patents. Today, more than 90 percent of American soybean farms use Monsanto’s “Roundup Ready” seeds.

Yet another chapter in the ongoing discussion involving gene patents, the Monsanto case was been closely watched by researchers and businesses holding patents on DNA molecules, nanotechnologies and other self-replicating technologies. Ever since the landmark holding in Diamond v. Chakrabarty, which held anything under the son made by man was patentable, the High Court has set a precedent of siding with the patent holder. Voice your opinion on this patent law issue below. And, as always, if you have any patent, trademark, copyright, or other intellectual property related questions, don’t hesitate to contact us at our Los Angeles or Beverly Hills Office by calling (310) 276-6664.

Software & Technology Patent Law

In an ongoing patent lawsuit between technology giants Microsoft and Google, Microsoft gains ground. A federal judge has ruled Microsoft owes less than half of the royalty payments for sales of Windows and the Xbox sought by Google. The amount totaling $4 billion a year in payments has been reduced to $1.8 billion. “This decision is good for consumers because it ensures patented technology committed to standards remains affordable for everyone,” David Howard, Microsoft’s corporate vice president and deputy general counsel, said in a statement.Voice your opinion on this patent law issue below. And, as always, if you have any patent, trademark, copyright, or other intellectual property related questions, don’t hesitate to contact us at our Los Angeles or Beverly Hills Office Office by calling (310) 276-6664.

Patent Law and Gene Patents

The gene patent dispute continues on both at home and abroad. Patents on genetic sequences have been a hotly contested part of United States patent law but we are not the only nation battling it out over isolated and purified sequences. Myriad Genetics recently came out victorious in an Australian court decision that recognized their ownership rights of gene linked to cancer. The victory was over Cancer Voices Australia and Yvonne D’Arcy, a Brisbane resident diagnosed with Breast cancer. “We intend to continue the challenge to the monopoly created by the patent held by Myriad,” Rebecca Gilsenan, a lawyer at Melbourne-based Maurice Blackburn, said in an e-mailed statement. Voice your opinion on this patent law issue below. And, as always, if you have any patent, trademark, copyright, or other intellectual property related questions, don’t hesitate to contact us at our Los Angeles or Beverly Hills Office by calling (310) 276-6664.

PATENT LAW: THE AMERICA INVENTS ACT – WHAT YOU SHOULD BE AWARE OF.

March 16 marked the day a series of new Patent Laws went into effect. Below is an explanation of some important changes that could potentially impact your business.

The United States used to be one of the only countries where the first person to invent was awarded the patent for that invention regardless of when they filed their application. That is no longer the case. Desiring to get the U.S. in line with the rest of the world and increase the efficiency of the patent process, the AIA made the U.S. a “first to file system.” The first person to file their patent application, regardless of when the idea was conceived is now entitled to 20 years of patent protection calculated from the filing date regardless of whether or not they thought up the invention first.

Furthermore, selling or offering to sell an invention in the U.S. starts a one year clock ticking within which you have to file a patent application or forfeit your patent rights. Under the AIA such an offer or sale outside the U.S. also begins the count down to when you must file. This further increases the importance of filing for your ideas prior to taking them to market.

With regard to Design Patents, the term has been extended an additional year to 15 years from the date of filing. There are many more and these are just a few of the ways the AIA has impacted the patent system. For specific questions regarding how your business could be affected, don’t hesitate to contact us directly.

TRADEMARKING THE OLYMPICS – WHAT YOU CAN LEARN FROM THE I.O.C.

As athletes from all around the planet strive for gold in London, there are a few lessons we can all learn about what it means to be an “Olympian.”All across the United Sates and the world, the term “Olympics” is one of the most aggressively protected trademarks. There is a lot to learn from the way the Olympic Committee protects their mark from dilution and infringement.

Recently, the Committee was criticized for demanding a British butcher to take down his sign depicting the Olympic Rings shaped from sausages. Also, the domain owner of Ravelympics.com was made to change it to Ravelry.com. And though such zealous tactics may seem extreme to some, this type of vigilance may be necessary to ensure a mark remains in force for millennia to come. Examples of marks losing their exclusive protection and becoming generic include Thermos, Xerox, and Kleenex. These all began as exclusive trademarks which can now be used by the general public do to a lack of proper TM enforcement.

Trademarks are an investment and you should treat them as such. Although your mark may not be steeped in as much tradition and history as the time honored games, there is only one way to ensure they one day will. Protect your marks from infringers and start by registering them in the countries where you do business. This will ensure that your brand remains yours alone. You are the gold standard for what you do, so make sure other’s don’t get a free ride with the good will and reputation your efforts built.

For more questions on how we can protect your mark or on other intellectual property related matters, please contact our ofﬁce or friend us on Facebook.

Trademarks: USC v. USC… USC wins

By refusing to hear the University of South Carolina’s appeal, the Supreme Court ended a 13-year-old dispute over interlocking letters “SC”. Prior to this appeal, the Federal Circuit held the University of Southern California and not South Carolina is the proprietor of intellectual property rights in the mark. Their ruling stands.

Trademark law protects identifiers of origin. Put more simply, the reason you know shoes bearing the “swoosh” emblem are Nikes and not something else is because of trademark law. Nike has registered the “swoosh” with the United States Patent and Trademark Office limiting other company’s ability to fool buyers by placing it on their products.

Consumer confusion is what Trademark Law was meant to defend against. This week, the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear South Carolina’s appeal. The lower court concluded although diehard fans could tell the difference between the South Carolina “SC” and Southern California “SC,” casual fans could get confused. The fact that one school used block letters and the other curved was not enough to prevent this from happening.

For more questions on this or other Intellectual Property matters, please contact our office.