Patrick Richards of Richards Patent Law P.C. and Catherine McGivney of Connelly Roberts & McGivney LLC are hosting a Legal Advice Roundtable event through the Illinois Technology Association entitled “Legal Roundtable: Intellectual Property in New Product Development” on Wednesday, November 10, 2010. Patrick will be leading the discussion regarding patent law and Catherine will lead ... [Read more]
Patent News
Richards Patent Law Co-Hosts Free Patent and Intellectual Property Roundtable Discussion through the Illinois Technology Association
Wednesday, November 3rd, 2010
The USPTO Publishes Updated Guidelines for Determining Obviousness
Tuesday, September 28th, 2010
This month the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) released updated guidelines for determining obviousness in patent examination – Examination Guidelines Update: Developments in the Obviousness Inquiry After KSR v.Teleflex. The updated guidelines are 18 pages long (probably more detailed than most people other than patent attorneys will want to read), but the last ... [Read more]
CBS News Story: Patent Backlog Frustrates Inventors
Monday, August 9th, 2010
Yesterday CBS News published a story about the patent backlog at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and the impact on businesses and independent inventors. According to the article, USPTO Director David Kappos is aiming to cut the average wait time from thirty-six to twenty months in the next five years. To this ... [Read more]
Bilski v. Kappos: Supreme Court Opinion
Monday, June 28th, 2010
Today, June 28, 2010, the U.S. Supreme Court published its opinion in the patent-related Bilski v. Kappos case (08-964 Bilski v. Kappos (06/28/2010)). (For more background on the case, see my previous news posts regarding Bilski v. Doll and Bilski v. Kappos Transcript.) Here is a link to the Bilski v. Kappos slip opinion ... [Read more]
USPTO Patent Examination Initiative Proposes Tiered Three-Track Patent Examination Process
Friday, June 4th, 2010
On June 3, 2010, the United States Patent and Trademark Office has announced a proposed initiative intended to help reduce the backlog of patent applications and reduce examination pendency at the USPTO. Under the proposed initiative, for a patent application first filed in the US, an applicant may request examination in any of the following ... [Read more]
USPTO Eliminates Classification Requirements for Green Technology Accelerated Patent Examination
Friday, June 4th, 2010
In December 2009, the USPTO announced a pilot program to accelerate the examination of certain “green” technology patent applications. On May 21, 2010, the USPTO announced it is eliminating the classification requirement to expanded eligibility for expedited processing. The USPTO announced that: “To date, more than 950 requests have been filed by applicants who wish ... [Read more]
Protect Your Invention and Avoid Scams
Sunday, May 16th, 2010
One of the many useful resources provided by the United States Patent and Trademark Office is the new electronic publication InventorsEye. InventorsEye is a bimonthly publication for the independent inventor community and includes articles and tips directed to issues that impact independent and small entity inventors. In its first issue, Ronald Jaicks of the Office ... [Read more]
Open Innovation: P&G’s Connect + Develop
Tuesday, May 11th, 2010
Small businesses and individual inventors are often looking for partners to assist in bringing their inventions to market. Although many larger companies are open to invention submissions from outside parties, they typically accept submission under limited conditions and take a very passive approach. Procter & Gamble is an example of a company that stands out ... [Read more]
CNBC presents Planet of the Apps: A Hand-Held Revolution
Saturday, April 24th, 2010
With the increasing commercial value of hand-held apps such as those sold in Apple’s App Store for the iPhone and the Android Market for Android phones, mobile apps have been a hot topic for patent clients. Recently, CNBC reported on the app market with their program Planet of the Apps: A Hand-Held Revolution. The one-hour ... [Read more]
Intellectual Property Rights Guide Newsletter
Monday, April 5th, 2010
The inaugural edition of the Intellectual Property Rights Guide was distributed via email today. The Intellectual Property Rights Guide is a publication co-authored by Patrick Richards of Richards Patent Law and Natalie Remien of Remien & Associates and is intended to provide plain language answers to commonly asked intellectual property questions. The first edition included ... [Read more]
Federal Circuit Court of Appeals Holds There are Separate Enablement and Written Description Requirements for Patents
Monday, March 22nd, 2010
Earlier today, the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals published their en banc opinion in Ariad Pharmaceuticals, Inc. v. Eli Lilly and Co. Central to the court’s holding is that the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. § 112 includes distinct written description and enablement requirements. Here is the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. § 112: The ... [Read more]
Patent Reform 2010
Saturday, March 6th, 2010
Patent Reform is on its way. Maybe not this year, maybe not the next, but inevitably patent reform will happen. The patent reform legislation introduced in 2009 as S.515, has been amended and introduced in the Senate as Amendment to S. 515 (a.k.a. “Patent Reform Act of 2010″). Whether or not it finds its way ... [Read more]
United States Patent and Trademark Office is Hiring Patent Examiners
Tuesday, February 16th, 2010
The United States Patent and Trademark Office is hiring patent examiners and is actively targeting registered patent attorneys and patent agents for the open positions. The positions are full-time and permanent. Follow this link to view the job posting. The current deadline for applications is March 2, 2010.... [Read more]
Richards Patent Law Hosts Free Patent and Intellectual Property Roundtable Discussion through the Illinois Technology Association
Monday, February 1st, 2010
Patrick Richards of Richards Patent Law P.C. and Catherine McGivney of Connelly Roberts & McGivney LLC are hosting a Legal Advice Roundtable event through the Illinois Technology Association entitled “Protecting Intellectual Property: Understanding Patents, Trademarks and Copyrights” on Wednesday, February 10, 2010. Patrick will be leading the discussion regarding patent law and Catherine will lead ... [Read more]
Design Patent Examination at the USPTO More Closely Resembles Registration Than Examination
Wednesday, January 20th, 2010
According to a recent blog post at Patently-O, a leading patent law blog, based on the review of 1049 file histories of design patents that issued in the past 12 months, only 1.2% of design patent applications were rejected based on prior art during patent prosecution and over 80% were never rejected at all. In ... [Read more]
Another Helpful Resource for Inventors: Inc.com’s Patent Related Articles
Wednesday, January 13th, 2010
One of my Chicago based patent clients recently referred me to Inc.com as a good online resource for patent and intellectual property information for inventors. For example, they provide an article explaining a step-by-step process for turning a good idea for a new invention into a financial success. Similarly, they provide an article detailing a ... [Read more]
Northwestern University’s Master of Product Development Program Offers Free Intellectual Property Related Seminar
Friday, January 8th, 2010
Northwestern University’s Master of Product Development program provides free educational seminars through its Seminar Series. The next seminar offered, “Design at the Nexus of Semiotics and Intellectual Property” with presenter James G. Conley, will take place on Friday, January 22, from 4:00 – 5:30 pm on Northwestern University’s Evanston Campus. The seminar will also be ... [Read more]
Great Resource for Inventors and Entrepreneurs: Stanford University’s Entrepreneurship Corner
Monday, January 4th, 2010
I recently learned that the Stanford Technology Ventures Program Entrepreneurship Corner provides a free online archive of entrepreneurship resources. In addition to the numerous videos directed to entrepreneurship in general, there is also an impressive amount of patent related content. For example, I’ve embedded a video titled “How and When are Patents Important?” by Gordon ... [Read more]
Happy New Year from Richards Patent Law
Thursday, December 31st, 2009
As the final minutes of 2009 tick away, I wanted to take a moment to post a short thank you to the numerous friends, clients and colleagues that have helped Richards Patent Law in its first year of business. I appreciate all of your support, I have enjoyed supporting you and I look forward to ... [Read more]
Headstand Media to Host an Educational and Networking Event to Benefit Chicago Non-Profit Organization
Saturday, December 12th, 2009
Learn and Network: On Thursday, December 17, Headstand Media, a Chicago web design company, will host an educational and networking event as part of their ongoing Nightstand series. The event centers around providing Wheelwell, a Chicago non-profit, advice and recommendations regarding implementing a web site, brand and strategy. The event starts at 6 pm with ... [Read more]
New USPTO Pilot Program to Accelerate the Examination of Green Technology Patent Applications
Thursday, December 10th, 2009
The United States Patent and Trademark Office has announced a new pilot program to accelerate the examination of certain “green” technology patent applications. The Patent Office’s release is provided here. Effective December 8, 2009, the first 3,000 pending patent applications related to specifically identified green technologies for which a petition is filed are eligible to ... [Read more]
Richards Patent Law Attends Listening Party for Specimen Products’ Unique Horn Speaker Design
Friday, December 4th, 2009
On December 3, I attended a listening party for Specimen Products’ most exciting new patent pending design, the Little Horn Speakers. Specimen Products is a local Chicago musical instrument and amplifier workshop and school run by artist and luthier Ian Schneller. The event was held in Specimens’ Chicago workshop. A silent auction was held for ... [Read more]
Registration Opens for 2010 Ladder Up Training Sessions
Tuesday, December 1st, 2009
Ladder Up is a local Chicago volunteer organization that trains its volunteers to prepare tax returns for low income individuals and families, helps individuals secure financial aid for higher education and connects its clients with reputable banks to save on fees. Ladder Up is one of my favorite Chicago organizations and I’d love for you to ... [Read more]
Support1000 Continues to Garner Media Support
Wednesday, November 25th, 2009
As noted in my previous news post regarding Support1000, Support1000 is a local fledgling Chicago volunteer organization that is in the process of applying for non-profit status. Recently, TheGriot, an NBC News affiliate, published a story about the charitable efforts Oz du Soleil is making from his one-bedroom apartment in Chicago to impact the lives ... [Read more]
New Patent FAQ Answers at Richards Patent Law
Sunday, November 22nd, 2009
The FAQ section at Richards Patent Law continues to expand. Most recently I have been preparing in-depth answers to some of the very basic and immediate questions I’ve been fielding from my clients and other people interested in the patent process. For example: Can I patent my invention? What type of patent application should I ... [Read more]
Judge Randall Rader to become Chief Judge of the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals
Saturday, November 21st, 2009
On November 20, 2009, at the Federal Circuit Bar Association Annual Dinner, Federal Circuit Chief Judge Paul Michel announced he will be retiring at the end of May 2010. According to the Federal Circuit Bar Association, Judge Randall R. Rader is next in line for Chief Judge of the Federal Circuit. Judge Rader was my ... [Read more]
Headstand Media to Host an Educational and Networking Presentation: Social Media vs. Corporate America
Wednesday, November 11th, 2009
Headstand Media, a Chicago web design and search engine optimization services company, is hosting an educational and networking event on Thursday, November 19, 2009. The presentation will center around Monster Energy’s accusations of trademark infringement against a beverage review site over a negative beverage review. The editor of the beverage review site, Steve Tanner, will ... [Read more]
Bilski v. Kappos: Supreme Court Oral Argument Transcript
Monday, November 9th, 2009
Today, November 9, 2009, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the patent-related Bilski v. Kappos case (previously Bilski v. Doll). (For more background on the case, see my previous news post regarding Bilski v. Doll.) Although the Supreme Court’s opinion will not likely be written and available until 2010, the transcript from ... [Read more]
USPTO Intends to Launch Pilot Program to Accelerate the Patent Process for Small Entity Inventors
Saturday, November 7th, 2009
At the 14th Annual Independent Inventors Conference on November 5-6, 2009, the United States Patent and Trademark Office announced it intends to launch a new pilot program whereby small entity inventors with multiple pending patent applications will be given the opportunity to receive special, accelerated status for one application in exchange for abandoning an application ... [Read more]
The Mayo Clinic Petitions the Supreme Court regarding Medical Method Patent
Thursday, October 29th, 2009
As a patent attorney, born and raised in Rochester, MN, and having received life saving surgery and medical care from the Mayo Clinic, I am particularly interested in a current petition for Supreme Court to hear a medical method patent case in which the Mayo Clinic is challenging the patent eligibility of Prometheus Labs‘ U.S. ... [Read more]
Students’ and Kids’ Pages at the USPTO
Sunday, October 25th, 2009
Recently the USPTO launched an updated website. While orienting myself on the new website, I ran noticed a link to their “For Kids” section – a section of the website dedicated to young inventors. Where was this when I was 10 years old?! The kids section of the USPTO website includes news and events as ... [Read more]
Patent Busting Project Targets Bogus Patents
Thursday, October 15th, 2009
With the Bilski case in the Supreme Court (see my previous news post Bilski v. Doll), there has been a lot of attention paid to what many believe to be a growing number of bogus patents being issued by the United States Patent and Trademark Office. One organization, the Electronic Frontier Foundation (the EFF), a ... [Read more]
Bilski v. Doll: Supreme Court to Hear Case Concerning Business Method Patents
Monday, October 12th, 2009
On November 9, 2009, the United States Supreme Court will hear oral arguments for Bilski v. Doll, a case in which the central issue is the patent eligibility of business method patents. Bilski v. Doll appears as though it will be an important case for patent owners, particularly those whose patents are amongst the leading ... [Read more]
Richards Patent Law Assists Support1000 in Forming as Non Profit
Wednesday, October 7th, 2009
A few days ago the Chicago Tribune ran a story, “Thousands of Bras Collected for the Needy,” about a friend of mine, Oz du Soleil, and his organization Support1000. After the journalist wrote her article for the Chicago Tribune, she felt like the story deserved more space and expanded on her article in a blog post ... [Read more]
Richards Patent Law to Attend The Lawyers for the Creative Arts Annual Benefit
Sunday, October 4th, 2009
Patrick Richards will attend the Annual Benefit for The Lawyers for the Creative Arts on Thursday, October 22, 2009. The LCA is the only pro bono legal services organization in Illinois serving individuals, as well as for-profit and not-for-profit organizations, in all areas of the arts. Please join me in supporting an outstanding local pro ... [Read more]
Richards Patent Law Launches New Website
Tuesday, September 29th, 2009
Richards Patent Law is pleased to announce the launch of a new website powered by WordPress, and redesigned and reorganized in partnership with Headstand Media, a Chicago web design company. The new site features more information about patent law within the FAQ section, as well as more links to resources and more details regarding the ... [Read more]
