Podcast: Arthrex v. Smith & Nephew

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) announced on January 14, 2025, a new Artificial Intelligence (AI) Strategy which provides a vision for how the USPTO can encourage accountable AI innovation.

As artificial intelligence reshapes corporate marketing, .ai domain names have become prime digital real estate worth millions. A recent WIPO ruling in a high-profile dispute between a combat sports brand and a domain investor reveals critical lessons about trademark rights, bad faith claims, and the limits of domain seizure policies in the booming AI domain market.

The Federal Circuit recently vacated a PTAB decision in Dental Monitoring SAS v. Align Technology, Inc., addressing a critical question about prior art qualification under the America Invents Act.

The USPTO recently extended the After Final Consideration Pilot (AFCP) 2.0 to September 30, 2024. AFCP 2.0 is part of the USPTO's ongoing effort toward compact prosecution...

The Seventh Circuit's 2024 decision in Motorola Solutions v. Hytera Communications established that the Defend Trade Secrets Act can reach conduct outside the United States and permit recovery of damages based on worldwide sales. District courts have begun applying this precedent, expanding the potential scope of liability for cross-border trade secret disputes. The ruling raises important questions about how minimal a US connection may be before federal trade secret protection no longer applies.

Earlier this year the Federal Judicial Conference released its Trade Secret Case Management Judicial Guide...

On February 5, 2024, the USPTO will retire the Electronic Patent Assignment System (EPAS) and the Electronic Trademark Assignment System (ETAS).

The November issue of Squire Patton Boggs Bio/Pharma Beat is now available. Our monthly newsletter reports on important patent law developments in biotech,...

What Is The Patent Process?

The USPTO has released its latest economic impact report on IP-intensive industries, announced a new community engagement office in North Carolina, and issued several administrative updates including relief for Japanese applicants affected by a severe earthquake. The Patent Trial and Appeal Board has also designated new precedential and informative decisions addressing obviousness-type double patenting and Markush groupings.

A Massachusetts district court grants a joint motion to stay proceedings while the parties conduct venue discovery and brief a motion to dismiss or transfer in a patent infringement case between Advanced Surgical Concepts Limited and Intuitive Surgical, Inc. The order establishes specific parameters for discovery scope and briefing schedule before other case deadlines resume.

The USPTO recently extended the After Final Consideration Pilot (AFCP) 2.0 to September 30, 2024. AFCP 2.0 is part of the USPTO's ongoing effort toward compact prosecution...

On February 5, 2024, the USPTO will retire the Electronic Patent Assignment System (EPAS) and the Electronic Trademark Assignment System (ETAS).

The Federal Circuit vacated a preliminary injunction in a patent infringement case involving electrical outlet cover products, finding that the district court made critical errors in its claim construction analysis. The appellate court determined that the lower court improperly imposed unsupported limitations on key patent terms and incorrectly applied a presumption of irreparable harm.

Prosecution Pointer 135.

The USPTO only issues one original grant copy of a patent to the inventor. One, however, can obtain a certified (blue ribbon and seal copy) by contacting the Certification Division (800.972.6382).

WIPO provides a list of those States bound by the Paris Convention but not the PCT here.

The USPTO regularly offers its Stakeholder Training on Examination Practice and Procedure for individuals who have recently passed the Patent Bar for the purpose of representing applicants before the USPTO.

Recent EU and UK court decisions have reshaped the landscape of data protection compliance, clarifying critical boundaries around consent, data subject rights, cybersecurity obligations, and children's privacy. These rulings demonstrate that organizations must move beyond formal compliance to embed proportionality, accountability, and risk-based decision-making into their data processing activities, even when disclosures are legally required or supported by valid legal bases.

The AccessUSPTO pilot program works with national organizations and the public that do not specifically focus on intellectual property (IP), but whose members include aspiring creators...