Patent Law

Stocks Lower After Judge’s ‘Pigs Fly’ Ruling Striking Down Gene Patents

Many biotech stocks fell after a federal judge’s ruling Monday striking down patents for genes linked to breast and ovarian cancer, even as some observers said the long-term impact could boost genetic research. The ruling by U.S. District Judge Robert Sweet of New York was such a surprise that the…

Mar 31, 2010 2:12 PM CDT

Suit Claims Patent Denied Because of Plagiarism by Ropes & Gray Partner

A lawsuit filed by a top genetics research laboratory claims one of its patent applications was denied because a partner at Ropes & Gray lifted language from a patent obtained by a rival scientist. The February lawsuit by the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory targets the work of former partner Matthew…

Mar 25, 2010 1:51 PM CDT

Dickstein Shapiro Faces $250M Suit Claiming Botched Patent Application

Encyclopaedia Britannica has filed a $250 million malpractice suit against Dickstein Shapiro that alleges the law firm mishandled the company’s patents. The suit contends the law firm’s errors caused Encyclopaedia Britannica to lose a $250 million patent infringement case filed against GPS manufacturers, the National Law Journal reports. Encyclopaedia Britannica…

Mar 22, 2010 1:58 PM CDT

Pay-for-Delay Ban Left Out of Health Care Bill

A patent law change that would have banned so-called pay-for-delay patent deals was not included in the landmark health-care reform bill approved Sunday evening. The historic legislation creates “a sweeping overhaul of the nation’s health care system” and requires most Americans to have health insurance, the New York Times reports.…

Mar 22, 2010 11:38 AM CDT

Can Antitrust Law Save the American Farmer? Holder Pledges Scrutiny

Attorney General Eric Holder told Iowa farmers at a public forum Friday that he is working with federal agricultural officials to scrutinize anti-competitive practices that affect farmers. About 500 people attended the meeting, including farmers and public relations executives for Monsanto, said to be under investigation already for its practices…

Mar 15, 2010 10:30 AM CDT

Newspaper Illustrates ‘Explosion’ of Suits Over Mobile Device Patents

A lawsuit filed by Apple on Wednesday against Taiwanese handset maker HTC is just the latest in an “explosion” of lawsuits over patents relating to mobile devices. The Bits blog of the New York Times has an illustration full of company names and arrows showing a sampling of the litigation.…

Mar 5, 2010 3:28 PM CST

Apple’s Legal Strategy in HTC Suit Examined

A lawsuit filed by Apple on Tuesday against mobile handset maker HTC created an Internet sensation, prompting widespread speculation on what would happen if Apple prevails and wins an injunction against further production of Google Android phones, including the Nexus One. “Given the enormity of HTC and the rapidly growing…

Mar 3, 2010 12:16 PM CST

A Patent on Problems

New PTO chief has strong backing—and a huge backlog of work

Mar 1, 2010 11:40 AM CST

Noted Wilson Sonsini Patent Lawyer Dies in Plane Crash

A Silicon Valley patent lawyer who focused on cutting edge biotechnology died Friday evening when the single-engine plane he was flying crashed and burst into flames. The lawyer, Albert Halluin, was an experienced pilot who commuted by plane to his job in Palo Alto, Calif., the San Jose Mercury News…

Feb 22, 2010 12:44 PM CST

Can Patent Holders Buy Off Infringers? Courts Take Another Look

For the second time in three years a case about “reverse payments” is before the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. And this time the New York City-based court may ignore its own binding precedent and do a sharp about-face on the issue. The last time the 2nd Circuit considered…

Feb 15, 2010 2:01 PM CST

The Flip Side of ‘Reverse Payments’

Can patent holders buy off infringers? Courts take another look

Feb 1, 2010 9:00 AM CST

Scott Brown’s Chief Campaign Lawyer Seeks Snow-Slogan Patent

A Duane Morris partner who led the legal team for Republican Scott Brown, the winner of the Massachusetts special Senate election, dealt with the usual issues: campaign finance, ethics, and communications regulations. But lawyer Daniel Winslow tells the National Law Journal he also helped develop policy proposals and even applied…

Jan 21, 2010 12:59 PM CST

Two US Nonprofits Challenge Patent on Nutrition Paste

Two U.S. nonprofits are challenging a patent on Plumpy’nut paste, a high-protein food developed for those who are severely malnourished. The nonprofits, Breedlove Foods Inc. and the Mama Cares Foundation, contend the patent is so broad that it appears to apply to several products already on the market, the Associated…

Jan 13, 2010 1:10 PM CST

Patent Pending

A plan to help some federal judges wade deeper into the pool of patent cases is awaiting U.S. Senate approval—just like it has for two congressional sessions.

Jan 2, 2010 4:40 AM CST

Appeals Court: Microsoft Owes $290M, Must Alter Word or Stop Sales By Jan. 11

Upholding a small company’s stunning patent-infringement win against the world’s biggest software seller, a federal appeals court today not only upheld a $290 million verdict in favor of I4i LP but ruled that Microsoft Corp. must either alter its Word software by Jan. 11 or stop selling the popular product,…

Dec 22, 2009 7:04 PM CST