In FMC Corp. v. Sharda USA, LLC, No. 2024-2335 (Fed. Cir. August 1, 2025), the Federal Circuit held that a claim term in an asserted patent cannot be construed solely based on disclosures...

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has initiated a new PCT Informed Examination Request (PIER) Pilot Program. The PIER Pilot Program relates only to national stage applications filed under 35 U.S.C. § 371. Under the PIER Pilot Program, the USPTO may select certain unexamined national stage applications and require applicants to confirm whether they wish to proceed with examination.

Trader Joe's recently landed in a "sticky situation" after The J. M. Smucker Company ("Smucker") sued the retailer, alleging that the retailer's "Crustless Peanut Butter & Strawberry Jam...

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) issued a memorandum ( "Memo") to examiners in Technology Centers 2100, 2600, and 3600 on August 4, 2025.

On March 13, 2026, the USPTO supplemented its guidance for the examination of design patent applications related to computer-generated interfaces and icons. The USPTO revisited whether a “design [patent] claim including a computer-generated electronic image constitutes statutory subject matter.” Federal Register/Vol. 91, No. 49/March 13, 2026/Notices, 12394. In answering affirmatively, the USPTO addressed feedback that prior guidance “may unnecessarily limit flexibility” for applicants seeking design patent protection for computer-generated interfaces and icons.