Patent Baristas

In my last post, I discussed the approaches taken by four commercial search systems with regard to their Japanese collections:   Minesoft PatBase, Questel’s QPAT and orbit.com platforms, Thomson Reuters Thomson Innovation , and LexisNexis TotalPatent.
This post contains a summary of the comparison information in table form.  The tables below reference “machine-assisted” and “machine-aided” translations; [...]

Patent searching is still a profession where there aren’t many formal educational opportunities, and learning generally comes with experience.  However, no matter how skilled the searcher, the quality of the search is only as good as the coverage of the resources queried.  Searchable full text patent collections are easy to come by if you’re interested [...]

The ability of an intrepid inventor to strike it rich from a great idea seems to be embedded in the DNA of many Americans.  Perhaps this view emanates from the presence of patents in the US Constitution, which could create a feeling that US citizens have an “inalienable right” to use patent protection to their [...]

In recent years, the USPTO has been very slow to process papers when moving from the international (PCT) stage to entry into the U.S. national-stage.   It’s common to have a year or more pass before the USPTO gets around to actually looking at the national-stage papers and mailing a Notice of Missing Requirements or [...]

Recently, we’ve had a rash of clients receiving misleading demands for fees relating to patents and trademarks. These demands typically take the form of official-looking letters that falsely suggest a connection with the International Bureau of WIPO or European Patent Office, and that solicit fees for some supposed service such as “registration” of a patent [...]

On April 1, the European Patent Office changes the fee structure for filing applications and entering the European regional phase of PCT applications. For most applicants, this will mean an overall increase in fees paid.
What are the changes?

There will now be a single designation fee of €500, irrespective of the number of states designated. This [...]

In a nonprecedential opinion today, Classen Immunotherapies, Inc. v. Biogen IDEC (06-1634, -1649), Circuit Judge Moore affirmed the denial of patent-eligibility of a medical treatment method under 35 USC § 101, that is, a question of whether the claimed invention meet the requirements for patentable subject matter.
The entire opinion is as follows:
“In light of our [...]

The quarterly customer partnership meeting of the biotechnology, chemical, and pharmaceutical (BCP) technology groups at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, provided an update on the training and development of Examiners.  Janet Gongola, Associate Solicitor for the Office of the Solicitor, presented a new training module for teaching patent examining corps about case law.
According to [...]