Patent Baristas

Patenting Genes WAMU Radio Station (88.5 FM) hosted a segment with Rebecca Roberts on patenting  gene-related products. The biotechnology industry says these patents are necessary to spur innovation. Opponents say they actually stifle science. We examine the intersection of cutting-edge genetic research and intellectual property. Guests included Hans Sauer, Associate General Counsel for Intellectual Property, […]

University of Missouri v. Professor: Round 2 Earlier, the university filed a lawsuit in federal district court against chemical engineering professor Galen Suppes to regain rights to his research relating to renewable energy.  Now, a federal judge has dismissed the lawsuit ruling that federal patent law does not apply in the case. The university says […]

Evolving IP Marketplace The Federal Trade Commission held the fourth in its series of hearings on the Evolving IP Marketplace. This set of hearings will explore the emergence of new business models in the market for intellectual property, strategies for buying, selling and licensing patents and the role of secondary markets. Discussions covered some of […]

Vaya con dios, Genentech Swiss pharmaceutical company Roche is going to pay $46.8 billion in cash to buy the 44 percent of biotech leader Genentech that it doesn’t already own.  The deal values Genentech at more than $100 billion.  Fortunately, one of Roche’s big products is the tranquilizer Valium.  Genentech’s Avastin, a treatment for various […]

Therapies for Ignored Diseases Last week, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation gave Collaborative Drug Discovery (CDD) a $1.9 million grant to help tuberculosis scientists to collaborate to discover new cures for TB, a disease that is resurgent in the 3rd world.   The company provides web-based software that organizes preclinical research data to enable scientists […]

R.I.P. Heller The San Francisco law firm Heller Ehrman will formally vote today to dissolve, chloroforming a law firm that survived earthquakes, a depression, wars and social upheavals but was unable to compete in a new global economy. An overview of “What have we learned from this collapse of a century old, over $500-million in […]

Bloggers May Need to Yield Equal Time FCC Commissioner Robert McDowell (R) recently warned bloggers that the Commission’s decision to smack down Comcast  for hobbling Bit Torrent could lead the government to start “dictating content policy” by requiring blogs to give equal time to opposing views under the Fairness Doctrine.  We’re not sure if criticizing […]

FDA Sets New User Fee Rates FDA published a Federal Register notice announcing the 2009 user fee rates under the Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA).  A similar notice  will also be issued with the FY 2009 user fee rates established under the Medical Device User Fee Amendments.  (via FDA Law Blog) Homeland Security Can […]