The BIRDIE Act: Copyrights for Golf Courses By Kirk M. Hartung The Bolstering Intellectual Rights against Digital Infringement Enhancement (a.k.a. the BIRDIE Act) is a non-partisan bill introduced by Congressmen Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) and Jimmy Panetta (D-Ca) on February 5, 2024 to provide copyright protection for architectural designs of golf courses. The bill proposes to amend the copyright laws by amending the definition of “architectural works” […] Continue Reading →
Small business owner? Prepare for compliance with new “wise but unconstitutional” Corporate Transparency Act By Cassie J. Edgar Attention Small Business Owners: The enactment of the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) marks a significant shift in the regulatory landscape for businesses across the United States. This pivotal piece of legislation, primarily aimed at combating financial deception such as money laundering and tax evasion, requires a clear disclosure of beneficial ownership information to the Financial […] Continue Reading →
Women in Law – MVS Leads the Way! By Jill N. Link, Pharm.D. March 8th is International Women’s Day. This day is meant to both celebrate women’s achievements while raising awareness about challenges faced by women and taking action to drive gender parity. At McKee Voorhees and Sease (MVS) we are always eager to recognize the achievements of women – the inventors and creators we proudly represent, the […] Continue Reading →
European Parliament proposals, the good and the ban……….. By Heidi Sease Nebel The European parliament has been busy in the area of plants lately. I was excited to learn of the relaxation of the regulation of plants produced by “New Genetic Techniques” at the recent ASTA meeting in Monterey California. Today, I learned of a more disappointing development, the vote of a complete ban on patenting of […] Continue Reading →
Exciting News from the USDA Announced Today for US Plant Breeders By Heidi Sease Nebel The United States’ implementation of UPOV’s Plant Breeders Rights is singularly unique in the world, in that it does not require field trials and testing results. An applicant’s representations as to Distinctness, Uniformity and Stability, are accepted without confirmation in a US application for Plant Breeders Rights, or PVP. When filing for analogous Plant Breeders […] Continue Reading →
Cool Iowa Products Competition By Kirk M. Hartung COOLEST THINGS MADE IN IOWA MVS is celebrating our 100 year anniversary, and Iowa inventors have been making great inventions in a wide variety of technologies and industries for all of these decades. Some examples of Iowa related inventions that changed the world include the first gasoline powered tractor invented in Waterloo by John Froelich […] Continue Reading →
McKee, Voorhees & Sease, PLC (MVS) Celebrates its 100th Anniversary in 2024 By The Firm started in July 1924 when Talbert Dick began his patent law practice at the Hippee Building (now known as the Surety Hotel) in downtown Des Moines. After his service as a World War I pilot, he chose to live and practice law in Des Moines. This patent law practice grew because of Dick’s […] Continue Reading →
Celebrating Technology Transfer Professionals Day By Today we celebrate Technology Transfer Professionals Day that honors those individuals that work to help universities and research institutions advance their critical discoveries to a final product or service. The day was chosen since it was the anniversary of the Bayh-Dole Act, that was enacted on December 12, 1980, and was instrumental in encouraging universities […] Continue Reading →
No More Trademark MSCHF: Second Circuit Rules on Applicable Infringement Standard for Expressive Works By Nicholas J. Krob The Second Circuit Court of Appeals this week upheld a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction against Brooklyn-based art collective MSCHF regarding its “Wavy Baby” shoe. Central to this case was the question of whether the Wavy Baby shoe—which is a “transformed” version of the iconic Vans Old Skool shoe—was a “work of artistic expression” […] Continue Reading →
Annual Report of the Patent Public Advisory Committee is Now Public. By Heidi Sease Nebel After a year of hard work and an unprecedented number of requests for comments, advanced notices of pubic rule making, interactions with Director Vidal, as well as a fee setting proposal for 2025, the annual report of the Patent Public Advisory Committee is now public. For those who missed our public hearing November 30, the […] Continue Reading →