Celebrating National Inventors Month – Memorial Day Edition By Blog Staff In celebration of Memorial Day, we conclude our recognition of National Inventors Month with a look at visionary veterans whose inventions have made an impact on our life: https://artsandculture.google.com/exhibit/visionary-veterans/2wJyMC6XAmYpJg We applaud these unique individuals for their service to our country and the impact they have left on our world. Here are some more stories that […] Continue Reading →
USDA’s new Part 340 and impact on gene edited plants By Cassie J. Edgar The USDA published a new version of agricultural biotechnology regulations (7 CFR Part 340, aka “Part 340”) which is the culmination of several years of revision and public review. In this revised rule, which will begin implementation 90 days from May 18th, developers now have more definitive guidelines on where plants will be exempt from […] Continue Reading →
Celebrating National Inventors Month Part 2 By Blog Staff As we continue our celebration of National Inventors Month, we thought we would take you where they recognize those people who have made an impact on society through their inventive and innovative genius.The National Inventors Hall of Fame® (NIHF) recognizes the inventors and their inventions and promotes creativity and advances the spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship. […] Continue Reading →
Get Lucky: U.S. Supreme Court Sides With Lucky Brand in Overturning “Defense Preclusion” Ruling By Nicholas J. Krob The U.S. Supreme Court this week overturned a Second Circuit ruling prohibiting jean maker Lucky Brand from invoking a defense against competitor Marcel Fashions Group based on Lucky Brand’s failure to assert the same defense in prior litigation. The ruling followed nearly two decades of litigation between the parties. In 2003, Lucky Brand entered into […] Continue Reading →
“Now is the Time to Explore Big New Ideas:” Iowa Business Leaders Encourage Innovation, Resilience, in a Time of Uncertainty By Sarah M.D. Luth The COVID-19 pandemic created and continues to create unprecedented levels of economic disruption in local and international communities. With so much uncertainty, business owners and entrepreneurs may feel the safest course of action is to minimize operations and delay expansion plans. In fact, they should do precisely the opposite, says Debi Durham, Director of the […] Continue Reading →
AgTech Next Now! Webinar Series By Blog Staff Jill Link, Chairwoman of the Licensing Practice Group, participated in the “AgTech NEXT Now! Pandemic Economics” webinar event today. The AgTech Next summit was scheduled to take place May 4-6, 2020 at the Danforth Center in St. Louis, MO. With the rescheduling of this food and agtech innovation summit, there are now a series of […] Continue Reading →
Celebrating National Inventors Month in May By Blog Staff As we celebrate National Inventors Month, we would like to thank all our clients who, through their passion and hard work have created inventions to improve our way of living. Whether you started off as a child inventing things in your parents’ basement, or as an educated researcher, trained engineer, or a problem-solving consumer, your […] Continue Reading →
Plant Patent filings can now be made Electronically Due to the COVID-19 Outbreak By Heidi Sease Nebel Yesterday in a press release, The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) indicated that it considers the effects of the COVID-19 outbreak to be an “extraordinary situation” and therefore will permit the filing of plant patent applications and follow-on documents via USPTO patent electronic filing systems (EFS-Web or Patent Center). The requirements for filing […] Continue Reading →
Plant Variety Protection (PVP) Advisory Board Update By Heidi Sease Nebel I was honored to have attended the Plant Variety Protection (PVP) Advisory Board meeting last week. I continue to remain very impressed with the great work the PVP office is doing to implement the vast policy changes of the 2018 Farm Bill. In brief, the bill authorized the extension of United States PVP protection to […] Continue Reading →
Patents 4 Partnerships Marketplace By Luke T. Mohrhauser The USPTO recently rolled out a new IP Marketplace Platform called “Patents 4 Partnerships” (https://developer.uspto.gov/ipmarketplace/search/patents). According to a press release and information released by the USPTO, the marketplace is an attempt to bring together those who have technologies and want to make them available for licensing and those who have an interest in and the […] Continue Reading →