Bar Associations Support the Rule of Law

By Kirk M. Hartung

The American Bar Association (ABA), in response to Executive orders and comments from elected representatives, has publicly stated on at least three occasions its general support for the rule of law, the legal profession, and an independent judiciary.  The ABA is a voluntary bar organization with over 400,000 lawyer members, which represent approximately 25% of […]

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 […]

USPTO Issues Patent Fee Changes for 2025

By Andrew J. Morgan

In its final rule issued on November 20, 2024, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) issued changes to set or increase certain patent fees. The revised fees will take effect on January 19, 2025. There will not be a new fee for After Final Consideration Pilot 2.0 requests as was proposed, nor will […]

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 […]

Iowa Governor Signs into Law Comprehensive Consumer Privacy Law

By Sarah M.D. Luth

On March 28, 2023 Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds signed into law Senate File 262 (SF 262). SF 262, scheduled to go into effect January 1, 2025, makes Iowa just the sixth U.S. state to pass a comprehensive state privacy law. The new law is a “global” consumer rights privacy law focused largely on general consumer […]

EPA Provides Draft Guidance for Regulation of Gene Edited Plants

By Cassie J. Edgar

Background Although the USDA gets the most attention related to the regulation of gene edited plants, in the United States products of biotechnology are regulated by the USDA, FDA and EPA under the Coordinated Framework for the Regulation of Biotechnology, updated most recently in 2017. Under this framework, the USDA, FDA and EPA each regulate in […]

Update from the AIPLA Biotech Committee Meeting

At the recent American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA) conference the AIPLA Biotechnology Committee met to discuss two biotechnology issues: 35 USC 101 legislation and treatment of genetic resources (GR) and traditional knowledge (TK). Bob Stoll, former Commissioner for Patents at the USPTO and member of AIPLA’s 101 taskforce led the 101 discussion as part […]

Update from the AIPLA Biotech Committee

At the recent American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA) conference, the AIPLA Biotechnology Committee met to discuss two biotechnology issues: 35 USC 101 legislation, and treatment of genetic resources (GR) and traditional knowledge (TK). Bob Stoll, former Commissioner for Patents at the USPTO and member of AIPLA’s 101 taskforce, led the 101 discussion as part […]

Farm Bill Amendments to Enable CBD Oil and Hemp Industry

By Cassie J. Edgar

On June 27th, the Senate published the latest version of amendments to the Farm Bill which contain updates to the regulatory framework for hemp and derived products including CBD (cannabidiol) oil. Cannabidiol oil has documented health benefits such as effectiveness in treating certain types of seizures, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services […]