The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USTPO) is requesting comments and input from the general public about a potential multi-track examination initiative.  The proposed “Three Track” initiative will give applicants better control over their examination process while increasing efficiency in the Patent Office.   The proposed “Three Track” initiative would classify examination tracks in three [...]

Filed under: Events, In the USPTO, Miscellaneous, Patent by brandond
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On Friday, May 14, 2010, the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit announced that it would grant an ‘en banc’ hearing of the TiVo v. Echostar case.  An ‘en banc’ hearing is a decision made by all the judges of a court, where typically only a panel of three judges hear an [...]

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On August 13, 2009, Gary Locke, Secretary of Commerce, swore in David Kappos as the new Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).  Kappos faces many challenges in the USPTO.  To read about the challenges that face the new director, please read the two earlier blog posts. Possible Changes to Come in [...]

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In the pharmaceutical industry, timing is crucial.  Typically, drugs require years of research and development before they are sold.  A patent for a drug grants the patent owner the exclusive right to research, produce, use, sell, and market the drug for the life of the patent.  When the patent expires, generic companies scramble to enter [...]

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Michael Jackson passed away on June 25, 2009, but the music legacy he left behind will last forever.  Michael was a song writer, performer and actor, and was also the owner of publishing rights to the majority of the Beatles’ songs. The Beatles’ songs have federal copyright registrations.  Copyrights are rights granted to the creator [...]

Filed under: Copyright, Events, Miscellaneous by brandond
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On April 27, 2009,  in Malaysia, McDonald’s lost an infringement lawsuit against the Malaysian fast food outlet McCurry.  The Malaysian Court of Appeals ruled that McDonald’s did not have exclusive rights to the “Mc” prefix.  Justice Gopal Sri Ram of the Appellate Court found that the High Court erred in assuming McDonald’s could have a [...]

Filed under: Events, In the Courts, International Trademark, Trademark by brandond
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Nadya Suleman cannot stay out of the headlines.  Her story was so publicized that she was nicknamed “Octomom” by the media.  Nadya was already the mother of six when she gave birth to octuplets in January and became an overnight celebrity.  Her story is controversial because of her in-vitro fertilization. Nadya is now seeking to [...]

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After convincing victories at the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes, Big Brown is now a 2-5 favorite to win at the 140th Belmont Stakes on Saturday, June 7th. A win at Belmont would make Big Brown the first Triple Crown winner since Affirmed in 1978, and with that honor also the most marketable thoroughbred [...]

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