Patent Law

Google Pac-Man Game.

Posted on May 23, 2010
Many of our readers had undoubtably  noticed that the Google “doodle” this past week was a playable Pac-Man game.  The purpose of the doodle was to honor the Pac-Man arcade game?s 30th anniversary. Although the doodle was temporarily unavailable today (apparently due to the anniversary being over), it can now be found and played at www...

A Different Patent Law Proposal: U.S. Utility Models?

Posted on May 21, 2010
JW Note:  This is a repeat of a post we originally wrote in November 2008.  However, we’ve been wanting to bring the topic up again ever since we read Hal Wagner’s article titled A “Driver’s License” Patent in March of this year...

They Invented What? (No. 169)

Posted on May 21, 2010
U.S. Pat. No.6,752,231:  Personal transportation system. I claim: 1. An automotive vehicle having a pair of road wheels each rotatably mounted on a respective one of a pair of axially aligned stub axles; a trapeze frame, comprising a pair of spaced apart side arms and a horizontal bar mounted therebetween, rotatably mounted between said road [...

USPTO Opens Application Exchange Program to All Applicants.

Posted on May 18, 2010
Per this press release yesterday at the USPTO: USPTO Opens Application Exchange Program to All Applicants to Reduce Patent Backlog ?Project Exchange? Expanded and Extended to Enable All Applicants to Expedite Processing of a Pending Application in Exchange for Withdrawal of an Unexamined Pending Application WASHINGTON ? The Commerce Department?s United States Patent and Trademark Office [...

To access this complete feed in the blog feed reader login or register for free.

Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke on Patent Law Reform.

Posted on May 07, 2010
There is an interesting article at Politico by Gary Locke, Secretary of Commerce, on the reasons that patent law reform should be enacted.  Most notable, in our opinion, are the portions of the current reform bill that were emphasized by the Secretary for their importance...

Post-Wyeth PTA Calculation Errors?

Posted on April 22, 2010
As many practitioners understand,  a patentee is entitled under 35 U.S.C. 154(b)(1)(A-C) to a patent term adjustment (PTA).  Subject to certain limitations, a PTA is determined if (A) the USPTO fails to take certain actions during the examination and issue process within specified time frames, if (B) the USPTO fails to issue a patent within three years of the [...

They Invented What? (No. 167)

Posted on April 22, 2010
U.S. Pat. No. 2,602,996:  Revolving spaghetti fork.   What I claim is: A revolving spaghetti fork comprising a handle and a shank with prongs on the end thereof ro- 25 tatable with respect to said handle, said handle being of a somewhat flat elongated formation with arcuately shaped ends, a lug formed on the front [...

They Invented What? (No. 166)

Posted on April 14, 2010
U.S. Pat. No. 6,863,536: Endoscopic tutorial system with a bleeding complication.   What is claimed: 1. A system for performing a simulated medical procedure, comprising: (a) a simulated organ; (b) a simulated instrument for performing the simulated medical procedure on said simulated organ; (c) a locator for determining a location of said simulated instrument within [...

USPTO Launches Ombudsman Pilot Program.

Posted on April 07, 2010
Per this press release at the USPTO today. One-Year Pilot Program to Assist Applicants with Patent Prosecution Issues Washington ? The Department of Commerce?s United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) today launched a new ?Ombudsman Program? designed to provide patent applicants with more assistance in handling application-processing problems if the normal channels have not been successful...

They Invented What? (No. 165)

Posted on April 07, 2010
U.S. Pat. No. 3,984,595:  Inflatable rug. What is claimed is: 1. An inflatable rug comprising a rug member laminated on top of a generally planar flexible walled hollow backing member, the walls of said backing member enclosing a cavity in said member, and valve means carried by said member in communication with said cavity to [...

NY Times Article ? Turning Patents Into ?Invention Capital?.

Posted on February 21, 2010
An interesting article today at the New York Times, detailing an interview with Nathan Myhrvold at Intellectual Ventures.  Intellectual Ventures is a self-proclaimed ?invention company? located in Bellevue, Washington.  Nathan Myhrvold, an ex-Microsoft executive, founded the company in 2000 with the goal to nurture fundamental innovation and invention...

Integrating LinkedIn With Outlook Email.

Posted on February 19, 2010
  Per this story earlier in the week at the San Francisco Chronicle, Microsoft Outlook users now have the option of integrating their LinkedIn accounts with their Outlook email via a “Outlook Social Connector” now available from Microsoft...

Does a Career at the USPTO Speak to You?

Posted on February 17, 2010
  The USPTO has recently launched a targeted effort to recruit Examiners.  Per this announcement at the USPTO: Work for the largest Intellectual Property Rights Firm in the United States – United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).  Discover an exciting career with the USPTO as a Patent Examiner! A career as a Patent Examiner is filled with [...

They Invented What? (No. 161)

Posted on February 17, 2010
U.S. Pat. No. 7,631,404: Easy inter burial container.   What is claimed is: 1. A burial container for interment of a deceased comprising:           a hull having a length, an open first end, a closed second end, an outer surface, and an interior for receiving the deceased, the outer surface tapering along the length from the first end to the [...

They Invented What? (No. 160)

Posted on February 10, 2010
U.S. Pat. No. 6,313,371:  Flatulence deodorizer.   What is claimed is: 1. An apparatus for absorbing flatulence odor to be worn close to the body of a user, comprising:           a) a pad having a first elongated end and a second enlarged end, said enlarged end being circular in shape;           b) a first layer of activated charcoal cloth [...

They Invented What? (No. 159)

Posted on February 05, 2010
U.S. Pat. No. 6,784,792: Method and device for recognition of a collision with a pedestrian.   What is claimed is: 1. A method of detecting a pedestrian impact with a vehicle, the method comprising:           providing at least one first sensor on a bumper and at least one second sensor in an area of a front edge of an [...

USPTO Announces Interim Procedure for Patentees to Request Patent Term Adjustment Recalculation.

Posted on January 29, 2010
Per this press release at the USPTO today: Procedure to Comply with the Federal Circuit Decision in Wyeth v. Kappos Regarding the Overlapping Delay Provision of 35 U.S.C.154(b)(2)(A)  WASHINGTON ? The Commerce Department?s United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is providing patentees with the ability to request a recalculation of their patent term adjustment without a [...

IPWatchdog Sued by Invention Submission Corporation (dba InventHelp).

Posted on January 27, 2010
  Per this post at the IPWatchdog last week, patent law blogger Gene Quinn is being sued by Invention Submission Corporation (ISC), an invention promotion company that currently does business as “InventHelp®”.  A copy of the complaint may be downloaded here...

CLE Event: Legal Off-shoring and In-shoring in the field of Intellectual Property ? February 3, 2010.

Posted on January 25, 2010
The Toledo Intellectual Property Law Association (TIPLA) is proudly presenting a program titled: Legal Off-shoring and In-shoring in the field of Intellectual Property.  The program will be held at the  University of Toledo College of Law on February 3, 2010, from 9:00AM ? 12:00AM...

Absolutely Ridiculous.

Posted on January 22, 2010
Via the Just-n-Patent Examiner blog, which in turn was relaying an earlier message from Greg Aharonian of the Internet Patent News Service concerning a note that a frustrated attorney had sent to Director Kappos. — Dear Mr. Kappos, I have been practicing before the USPTO for 12 years now and have seen a lot of ridiculous stuff, but this [...

They Invented What? (No. 156)

Posted on December 16, 2009
U.S. Pat. No. 3,820,265:  Animated Display. JW Note:  Wishing a Happy Holidays to all!  See you in 2010!  This and other modifications of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and this invention includes all modifications falling within the scope of the following claims...

Has U.S. Innovation Suffered During the Great Recession?

Posted on December 11, 2009
  That is the assertion that this article at CNN Money today seems to be making, at least.  The article points to a 2.3% decrease in the number of patent filings in the United States in 2009, from 485,500 from 496,886 according to a preliminary estimate by the USPTO...

They Invented What? (No. 155)

Posted on December 10, 2009
U.S. Pat. No. 5,638,832: Programmable subcutaneous visible implant.   What is claimed is: 1. An implant for subcutaneous insertion beneath a skin surface, the implant comprising:           a control module adapted to be located beneath the skin surface, the control module providing a display signal representative of an image to be displayed; and           a display device adapted to be located [...

Inventors Slam Patent Reform Effort ? Popular Mechanics Article.

Posted on December 09, 2009
An interesting patent law article was published today at Popular Mechanics.  The article explored the impact that the Patent Reform Act of 2009 could have on innovation, primarily through the opinions of a variety of patent system constituents interviewed for the article...

USPTO to Accelerate Examination of Green Technology Patent Applications.

Posted on December 08, 2009
Per this press release at the USPTO yesterday: U.S. Commerce Department?s Patent and Trademark Office to Accelerate Review of Green Technology Patents to Speed Deployment to Marketplace  WASHINGTON – The U.S. Commerce Department?s Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) will pilot a program to accelerate the examination of certain ?green? technology patent applications, Secretary Gary Locke announced today...

They Invented What? (No. 154)

Posted on November 25, 2009
U.S. Pat. No. 5,896,810:  Poultry frying apparatus. JW Note:  Wishing you a Happy and Safe Thanksgiving 2009!   I claim: 1. A poultry frying apparatus comprising:           a liquid retaining vessel having a bottom surface and a first diameter;           a raised rack comprising a support base and a central rod extending upwardly from the support base to terminate in an [...

Time?s 50 Best Inventions of 2009.

Posted on November 23, 2009
Annually, TIME picks the best new gadgets and breakthrough ideas of the year.  This year’s list was recently published here.  According to TIME, the top 5 inventions in 2009  include: 1) The NASA’s Ares Rockets; 2)  The Tank-Bred Tuna; 3) The $10 Million Lightbulb; 4) The Smart Thermostat; and 5) Controller-Free Gaming...

Bilski-Hitler Satirical Video.

Posted on November 18, 2009
JW Note:  Hat-tips to Zura’s 271 Blog and IPBIZ.  Hilarious spoof on Youtube related to the ongoing Bilski v. Kappos case being considered at the SCOTUS.  Apparently some patent attorney has had way too much time on his hands.  Enjoy!      Posted in General Commentary

NYT Op-Ed ? Inventing a Better Patent System.

Posted on November 18, 2009
An interesting op-ed article at the New York Times this week by Robert C. Pozen, the chairman of MFS Investment Management and a lecturer at Harvard Business School, on reforming the patent system in the United States.  Check it out here. Posted in General Commentary

They Invented What? (No. 153)

Posted on November 13, 2009
U.S. Pat. No. 5,741,240: Float tube urinal.   What is claimed is: 1. A containment device for receiving and containing urine and being capable of direct attachment and support along a leg of an individual between the leg and external forces that would tend to collapse the containment device against the leg, the containment device being configured for [...

Bloggers, promote your law blog by nominating your blog for inclusion in USLaw.com's Law Blog Directory and RSS Reader. Benefits described.