Protecting Your Company’s Most Valuable Assets By Heidi Sease Nebel When business owners hear the term “intellectual property,” many think first of groundbreaking inventions, complex scientific discoveries, or technology companies with extensive patent portfolios. Many business owners think they don’t have intellectual property.” That assumption can be both incorrect and costly. Intellectual property is not limited to patented technology. It includes the name under which […] Continue Reading →
6 Ways Inventors Can Help Their Patent Attorney Build a Better Patent By Melissa M. Mitchell For many inventors, filing a patent application is an unfamiliar process. Whether you are developing your first invention or you have been innovating for years, working effectively with your patent attorney can make a significant difference in the quality and strength of your patent application. A patent attorney’s job is to translate your invention into […] Continue Reading →
Can You Patent Plant Innovation in India? Understanding of Section 3(h) of the Indian Patent Act, 1970 By Monica B. Nagpal Most plant innovation begins with a real problem in the field. A disease spreads faster than expected. A pest shows up earlier each year. A drought hits at the wrong time. Or a crop simply does not perform the way it should, even when everything looks right on paper. For companies and researchers working in […] Continue Reading →
Nintendo Secures Key Gameplay Patents, Expanding IP Control Over Core Mechanics By Sarah M.D. Luth In September 2025, Nintendo obtained two significant U.S. patents that represent a growing trend in how game developers protect intellectual property in gameplay systems. The first patent, U.S. Patent 12,409,387, covers riding and flying mechanics that allow players to more seamlessly transition on, off, and between riding objects. Nintendo obtained U.S. Patent 12,403,397, which protects […] Continue Reading →
Considerations for Patent Continuations and Divisionals By Luke T. Mohrhauser Patent applications are often drafted very early during the development of a system, method, or apparatus. This could be during the development of a new or upcoming product offering, or iterative improvements to existing products. There can be conflicting considerations in (1) covering the new development, while also (2) disclosing as broadly as possible […] Continue Reading →
Rethinking Patent Dispute Strategy: Mediation in Life Sciences By Cassie J. Edgar Patent disputes at the intersection of science and law, such as in agriculture and health care, have always carried unique weight. They involve inventions that impact food security, patient outcomes, regulatory timelines, and billion-dollar markets. Litigation is a main option for resolution, but increasingly companies are turning to structured settlement processes designed specifically for complex […] Continue Reading →
USPTO Seeking to Leverage Artificial Intelligence to Assist with Patent Examination By Joseph M. Hallman In a world where the use of artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming more prevalent by the day, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is planning to utilize AI for patent examination purposes. On June 4, 2025, the USPTO published a Request for Information (RFI) via SAM.gov, which is the System for Award Management and […] Continue Reading →
Updates on Unitary Patent and Unified Patent Court Utilization in Europe – Part 2 By Jill N. Link, Pharm.D. We previously provided an overview of the Unitary Patent as an option to replace the national validation process of a granted Europe patent for participating member states, as well as some commentary on the utilization of the Unitary Patent since its June 1, 2023 inception. In this post, the role of the Unified Patent Court […] Continue Reading →
Patent Panic Button: Why CRISPR Titans are Revoking Their Own Patents By Cassie J. Edgar Gene editing technology has revolutionized molecular biology, offering unprecedented precision in genetic modifications and a lighter regulatory pathway compared to conventional transgenic approaches. However, the intellectual property landscape surrounding CRISPR has historically been overshadowed with disputes and unexpected developments. A recent and notable twist is the self-revocation of two seminal European patents by the team led by […] Continue Reading →
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 […] Continue Reading →