From Cresco to the World: Norman Borlaug’s Legacy and the Global Impact of Plant Breeders’ Rights

By Heidi Sease Nebel

Norman Borlaug grew up in Cresco, Iowa, a small farm town, like so many in my home state.  Iowa’s 30-36 million acres of farmland sit atop rich glacial soils, and are combined with ideal rainfall and a temperate climate, all of which have made Iowa one of the national Agricultural leaders, producing abundant crops with no […]

Denmark Leads Battle Against AI Deepfakes

By Kirk M. Hartung

(Jointly authored by Kirk Hartung, an IP attorney in the U.S., and Danish attorneys Niels Skyttedal Dahl-Nielsen and Sille Rahbæk Grostøl) Denmark’s parliament has recently proposed new legislation, the first of its kind in Europe, which will give individuals rights to their own face, body, and voice in connection with the use of AI.  In […]

Updates on Unitary Patent and Unified Patent Court Utilization in Europe – Part 1

By Jill N. Link, Pharm.D.

If you have sought international patent protection in the last two years, you have likely received information about Unitary Patents and the Unified Patent Court in Europe. If not, let me introduce you to the Unitary Patent and the Unified Patent Court. The Unitary Patent became an option for validations of a European patent upon […]

Does Elon Musk Have Access To Your Patent Application?

By Heidi Sease Nebel

Under 37 CFR § 1.14 United States Patent applications are preserved in confidence until published, which, by statue is 18 months from the priority date.  All of our most sensitive data, new inventions and latest developments in artificial intelligence, engineering, healthcare and technology, safely housed within the USPTO without public access until access is granted […]

Pura Vida for the European Patent Office

By Gregory Lars Gunnerson

On December 13, 2024, the European Patent Office President António Campinos welcomed a delegation from Costa Rica, led by the Minister of Justice and Peace Gerald Campos Valverde, for the signing of a landmark validation agreement. Costa Rica is the seventh country to sign a validation agreement with the EPO, following Morocco, Moldova, Tunisia, Cambodia, […]

Increased Fees and Other Changes in USPTO Trademark Filings

By Christine Lebron-Dykeman

On November 18, 2024, the USPTO issued a final rule to increase certain trademark filing fees. The fees will take effect January 18, 2025.  While the per Class fee for filing a standard electronic trademark application has not changed and is still $350 per Class, the USPTO has eliminated the distinction between TEAS Standard and […]

Diplomatic Conference to Conclude and Adopt a Design Law Treaty

By Gregory Lars Gunnerson

The USPTO has concluded seeking comments from the public on negotiations at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) regarding a proposed Design Law Treaty (DLT). A diplomatic conference to finalize the treaty will soon be conducted in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, November 11-22, 2024. The comments were intended to inform U.S. government participation in the diplomatic […]

WIPO issues the Green Technology Book

By Jill N. Link, Pharm.D.

Today WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization) released a digital resource called The Green Technology Book. The reference provides a 2022 report of technology trends and solutions for combating climate change. It further addresses how the intellectual property system can assist in adapting for climate change. This intersection of green technology and intellectual property provides practical […]

COVID-19 VACCINE IP WAIVERS AND PLATFORM PATENTS

By Charles P. Romano, Ph.D.

The recent announcement by US Trade Representative Katherine Tai that the “US supports the waiver of IP protections on COVID-19 vaccines to help end the pandemic” has led to concern over the potential scope and effect of such waivers. Forced disclosure of trade secrets related to vaccine manufacturing processes has generated the most concern since […]

Who is on the IP naughty list this year?

Every year the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) releases two lists of countries that have concerns surrounding their intellectual property (IP) laws and enforcement and may provide insight if considering filing an application in a certain country. These two lists are the Special 301 Report and the Notorious Markets List, available here. The […]