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USPTO’s Proposed Changes to Terminal Disclaimers
The USPTO has proposed changes to terminal disclaimers that could weaken the enforceability of granted patents.
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USPTO Proposed Fee Increases for 2025
The USPTO has announced its Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) for raising fees in 2025. The NPRM retains most of the fee adjustments that were first proposed in 2023, with only a few changes made in response to input from the Patent Public Advisory Committee (PPAC). The fees are significant and can greatly impact some […]
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Jenn Deal Taking the Stage at INTA 2024 Annual Meeting
Thomas|Horstemeyer is excited to announce that their own Jenn Deal will be taking the stage at the upcoming International Trademark Association (INTA) Annual Meeting right here in Atlanta. Jenn will be part of a moderated discussion delving into a crucial topic that resonates deeply with legal professionals worldwide: IP and Innovation | Difficult Conversations in the […]
learn moreJune 11, 2024
A Potentially Dramatic Shift in Design Patents – LKQ v. GM
Last month, the Federal Circuit released its en banc decision in LKQ Corporation v. GM Global Technology Operations, LLC. The following day, the USPTO released its updated guidelines for how examiners should evaluate design patents in view of the shift in the law. Although much ink has been spilled on the topic by patent bloggers, […]
February 21, 2024
David Pointer Contributes to “AI Patenting Handbook” White Paper for IPO
The Intellectual Property Owner’s Association (the “IPO”) recently published a white paper on patenting artificial intelligence (“AI”) inventions, entitled the “AI Patenting Handbook.” David Pointer, a partner at Thomas Horstemeyer, is a contributing author for the white paper. Specifically, David Pointer co-authored the portion of the white paper discussing district court decisions related to AI […]
January 31, 2024
USPTO Enablement Guidelines Post-Amgen
The USPTO Has Issued New Guidelines for Assessing Enablement in View of the Supreme Court Decision in Amgen Inc. v. Sanofi et al. On January 10, 2024, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) published Guidelines for assessing enablement in view of the Supreme Court’s 2023 decision in Amgen Inc. et al. v. Sanofi […]
December 19, 2023
The Design Patent Bar
On November 16, 2023, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) announced a rule that will allow individuals with a design background to practice before the USPTO. Specifically, the rule announces that persons can now sit for the patent bar when they have a bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree in the field of: However, […]
December 15, 2023
USPTO Announces New Atlanta Regional Office
On December 13, 2023, the USPTO announced the creation of two new regional offices – one in Atlanta and the other in Stafford County, New Hampshire. The expansion of the USPTO to include regional offices offers a number of benefits to examiners, practitioners, and inventors alike. Moreover, the selection of Atlanta underscores the city’s significance […]
November 27, 2023
Welcome Richard Timmer, Ph.D!
Thomas|Horstemeyer welcomes Rick Timmer, Senior Patent Agent, rounding out our chemical team to five Ph.D. Chemists. Rick brings with him over 25 years of experience in the chemical and life sciences industries including more than 15 years in patent preparation and prosecution with three national law firms. Rick also managed patent portfolios for biotechnology start-ups […]
November 20, 2023
New Guidance for Designs of Graphical User Interfaces
The USPTO has published supplemental guidance for examining design patent applications of Graphic User Interfaces (GUIs) On November 17, 2023, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) published supplemental guidance on how design patents “related to Computer-Generated Electronic Images, Including Computer-Generated Icons and Graphical User Interfaces” should be examined. Under the supplemental guidance, the […]
November 12, 2023
Artificial Intelligence Related District Court Case Update
To date, there have been relatively few patent lawsuits relating to artificial intelligence. With the emergence of various artificial-intelligence-based software entering the market, it will be interesting to see how courts interpret artificial-intelligence-based patents and the issues that emerge from the court proceedings. The following set of artificial-intelligence-related cases are from district courts of different […]
