John Squires Nominated as Under Secretary of Commerce for IP and USPTO Director
By Ashley E. Holland
John A. Squires has been nominated to serve as the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). The nomination was sent to the Senate Judiciary Committee on March 10, 2025. Squires brings decades of IP experience to the role, having served as Chief Intellectual […]
Continue Reading →
Dewberry v. Dewberry: Supreme Court Clarifies Trademark Damages Landscape
By Christine Lebron-Dykeman
On February 26, 2025, the U.S. Supreme Court, in Dewberry Group Inc. v. Dewberry Engineers Inc., Case No. 23-900 (U.S. Feb. 26, 2025) unanimously held that a trademark owner cannot recover the profits of an infringer’s affiliates if the affiliates were not also identified as defendants in the case. The plaintiff in the case, Dewberry Engineers, […]
Continue Reading →
USPTO CUTS MAY BE LOOMING
By Kirk M. Hartung
A joint memo dated February 26, 2025, from the U.S. Office of Management Budget and the U.S. Office of Personnel Management may lead to staff reductions at the United States Patent and Trademark Office. The memo provides guidance to the Department of Government Efficiency Workforce Optimization Initiative. The memo begins by acknowledging that the federal […]
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 →
How a Federal Hiring Freeze Could Undermine the U.S. Patent System
By Kirk M. Hartung
Our U.S. Constitution, Article I Section 8, Clause 8, gives Congress the power to “promote the progress of science and the useful arts, by securing for limited times to authors and inventors the exclusive right to their respective writings and discoveries.” This is known as the Patent Clause of the Constitution. The executive order to […]
Continue Reading →
WIPO Statistics Show Increases in Worldwide Patent Applications
By Kirk M. Hartung
On November 7, 2024, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) published is “Patents Highlights” for 2023, its most recent report on patent activity around the world. Patent application filings hit an all-time high of 3.5 million, an increase of 2.7% over 2022. This is the fourth consecutive annual increase, after a COVID decline of 3% […]
Continue Reading →
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, […]
Continue Reading →
As We Begin Our 101st Year of Service
By Cassie J. Edgar
As we step into our 101st year of serving innovators, entrepreneurs, and visionaries at the intersection of technology and law, I find myself reflecting on what makes this milestone so meaningful. Throughout those hundred years, McKee, Voorhees & Sease (MVS), has continually evolved to meet new challenges, build lasting client relationships, and navigate the ever-shifting […]
Continue Reading →
5 Million PCT Publications – 47 Years In the Making
By Jill N. Link, Pharm.D.
Samsung Electronics of the Republic of Korea received the honor of being the five millionth published PCT on November 29, 2024. This milestone for the Patent Cooperation Treaty – generally referred to as PCT – was 47 years in the making. It was also fitting that one of the largest patent filers receives notoriety and […]
Continue Reading →
FDA Issues Order Noting Resolution of Tirzepatide Shortage: Update for Compounding Pharmacies
By Cassie J. Edgar
On December 19th, the FDA issued a FDA declaratory order noting the resolution of the shortage for tirzepatide injection products, including Mounjaro and Zepbound. The tirzepatide shortage, which began in December 2022, was driven by overwhelming demand for these breakthrough medications used in managing type 2 diabetes and obesity. The FDA’s most recent decision, effective […]
Continue Reading →