By Todd Wilson

Companies that develop and maintain patent portfolios and also participate in standards setting organizations (SSOs) must be aware of a duty to disclose patents and patent applications that relate to the development and publication of industry standards. Each SSO has disclosure policies to ensure that patented technology makes its way into industry standards in order to advance the state of the technology. Patent holders that participate in the development of the technology standards must understand the individual policies of the particular SSO in making a determination as to whether it must disclose its patent and applications and whether the required disclosure is financially tolerable. Continue Reading Disclosure Requirements for Patent Holders Who Participate in Standards Setting Organizations

By Scott Hervey

Intend to infringe – go to jail. That’s what the United States Attorney General proposed at a recent anti-piracy summit hosted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. United States attorney general Alberto Gonzales said the Department of Justice recently submitted to Congress the Intellectual Property Protection Act of 2005 aimed at toughening up intellectual-property enforcement. Continue Reading Intend To Infringe = Go To Jail

By Pam Bertani

On October 31, 2005 the United States Supreme Court granted a petition for writ of certiorari to hear argument in the case of Metabolite Laboratories, Inc., et al. v. Laboratory Corp. of America, a patent infringement case that will once again test the boundaries of what constitutes patentable subject matter, and one that has already stirred some controversy in the world of jurisprudence. (Metabolite Laboratories, Inc. et al. v. Laboratory Corp. of America Holdings (Fed. Cir. 2004) 370 F.3d 1354; Petition for Writ of Certiorari granted (October 31, 2005) WL 2838583.) In an interesting twist to what already promises to be a closely watched decision, not more than two days after granting certiorari, the High Court vacated its October 31, 2005 Order, having been advised by freshly appointed Chief Justice John Roberts that, after initially participating in the vote on whether to hear the case, the Chief Justice realized he should have recused himself from participation. On November 2, 2005, the Court issued a subsequent Order, again granting the petition, but expressly without the Chief Justice’s participation in the vote to withdraw the October 31, 2005 Order, and without the Chief’s participation in reconsidering the petition. Chief Justice Roberts did not provide a detailed explanation as to why recusal was appropriate, but reportedly acknowledged that he made a mistake in participating in the early stages of the Federal Circuit appeal. Chief Justice Roberts’ former law firm filed the appeal on behalf of defendant Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings (LabCorp), the company that stands accused of infringing Metabolite Laboratories, Inc.’s (Metabolite’s) broadly patented method for detecting vitamin deficiencies in humans. Continue Reading Testing (Again) The Bounds of Patentable Subject Matter

By Todd Wilson

Many growing businesses face the problem of having ideas that will give them a leg up on the competition or new products that will revolutionize their industries but lack the financial or intellectual resources to, without the assistance of partners, bring those ideas to fruition or to bring the products to market. Even more established businesses often find it necessary to supplement their own internal resources with ideas and products from other businesses. These are situations in which confidentiality agreements become an important means of intellectual property protection for such businesses. Continue Reading Do’s and Dont’s of Confidentialty Agreements

By Adam Jones

How many of you have ever cleaned out your garage, dusted the cobwebs off of old ski boots, exercise equipment and children’s toys that have been outgrown or forgotten, and put all the stuff that you don’t use anymore in front of your house for a weekend garage sale? Or maybe, when you could really use some extra cash, you decided that you were finally willing to part with your commemorative Star Trek shot glass collection and listed it for sale on ebay, hoping it would trigger a ferocious bidding war between a few obsessed Trekkies around the world. Auctions, whether held online or in your front yard, have long been a great way for buyers and sellers to come together and exchange goods for mutual benefit. If auctions are a great way to sell your old junk, can they work for the sale of less tangible assets like intellectual property? Continue Reading Looking to Sell Your Patent Portfolio? Put it on Ebay