Penny Gilbert from Powell Gilbert LLP explains the position of biosimilars in the pharmaceutical industry. Biosimilars are essentially generic versions of biologics. Traditional generic compounds are chemical reproductions of the patented compound which makes regulatory approval more straightforward. Biological compounds (proteins or antibodies which are produced from genes) are not identical with one another and…
Adam Mossoff (Professor of Law, George Mason University) states that much of the focus in the USA is around litigation, but patents are not simply tools for litigation, they are commercial assets. Litigation is more public than confidential private transactions and therefore has disproportionate focus. He remarked that the ‘sewing machine wars’ of the 1850s…
Dimitrios T Drivas (White & Case) gave the speedy run down on the following points and cases, which some might find useful for following up on points of interest: Supreme Court The decision that in exceptional cases reasonable attorney’s fees may be paid to the prevailing party (an exception to the rule that each party…
Probir J Mehta (Acting Assistant US Trade Representative for IP and Innovation) refers to IP being a critical part of the trade agenda and America’s future. The trans-pacific partnership is a landmark trade deal representing a next-generation agreement. For example, seeking criminal sanctions against breaches of trade secrets. The transatlantic trade and investment partnership between…
I am happy to announce the release of my book US Patent Law for European Patent Professionals. An understanding of US patent law within the context of the US legal system has become increasingly important for patent professionals in Europe in recent decades. Europe and the US are closely linked economic zones, and many inventions…
Under U.S. patent laws, the 20-year term of a patent can be extended if the USPTO fails to meet certain timeliness benchmarks during the patent examination process. The statute provides for Patent Term Adjustment (PTA) equal to the number of days of USPTO delay, less the number of days of applicant delay. The statute defines…
Nine claims of a SynQor patent for a high efficiency power converter were anticipated by the combination of two prior art references that taught DC-to-DC power converters for pulsed loads, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has ruled (Vicor Corp. v. SynQor, Inc., March 13, 2015, Clevenger, R.). Because the combined references…
The Patent Trial and Appeal Board did not err in affirming a patent examiner’s obviousness rejection of an application that disclosed a system for using two-way communication satellites to regulate the activation of a vehicle’s ignition, based on a driver’s mental state as determined by response times, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal…
Please click here to find US patent cases from the the U.S. Supreme Court, the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, and the U.S. Circuit Courts of Appeals with a detailed summary of each case. Recently added from our US IP Law Daily service: Soverain Software LLC v. Victoria’s Secret Direct Brand Management, LLC, United States Court…
Last week, in In Re Roslin Institute, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit held that cloned cattle, sheep, pigs and goats are non-patent eligible subject matter under 35 USC § 101. While the result that these cloned animals cannot be patented may not be surprising, the basis for the court’s finding–that the claimed subject matter…
