Month: April 2015

General Counsel, Inter Partes Review (IPR), Licensing, Litigation, Patent Prosecution, Patents, Technology

Quick and Easy Intellectual Property (IP) Audit

To conduct a quick, easy, and effective intellectual property (IP) audit, start with the business, not with IP or legal considerations. IP has little value apart from the business. Legal issues have no meaning apart from the business. How does your company make money? Identify key products, revenues, and margins. Relationships. Customers. Key people. Market leadership. Competitors. Vulnerability. […]

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By : Apr 24, 2015 No Comment
Appeals, Bar Associations, Claim Construction, Federal Circuit, Inter Partes Review (IPR), International, invention, Litigation, Patent Prosecution, Patent Reform, Patents, Technology, Validity

Patent System under Attack: Interview with USPTO Director Michelle Lee

This morning, my fellow leaders of the Chicago Intellectual Property Law Association (IPLAC) and I met with Michelle K. Lee, Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), and several of her fellow USPTO executives, including the impressive Dr. Christal Sheppard, Director of the Detroit Office. Director Lee has excellent qualifications. Unfortunately, as discussed below, […]

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By : Apr 16, 2015 2 Comments
Bar Associations, General Counsel, History, Information technology (IT), invention, Legal Marketing, Licensing, Litigation, Patent Prosecution, Patents, Professional Development, Technology, Validity

#HIMSS15 Health IT, IP & Software Patent

As I write these words, I stand among 41,000 health information technology (HIT) professionals gathered in Chicago for  HIMSS15. As an intellectual property (IP) lawyer, I am here because my clients are here. If you’re at HIMSS15, you are probably engaged in electronic health records (EHR) software, hardware and/or medical devices. Your organization is likely to be active […]

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By : Apr 14, 2015 No Comment
Appeals, Claim Construction, Federal Circuit, General Counsel, Infringement, Inter Partes Review (IPR), invention, Litigation, Patent Prosecution, Patent Reform, Patents, Technology, Validity

Build Your Patent Portfolio: Preparation, Prosecution, Appeals

Are you General Counsel, Patent/IP Counsel, or an executive of a company that owns valuable proprietary technology? If your company or your client files patent applications, you’re probably encountering rejections. You may be wondering how to deal with the cases at hand and how to improve your strategy, procedures and execution for preparation and prosecution of patent applications. […]

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By : Apr 9, 2015 No Comment
Bar Associations, Federal Circuit, Litigation, Patents

Luck, Resources, Skill: In Basketball & Patent Cases

I write these words just hours before the Final Four—Kentucky, Duke, Michigan State, and Wisconsin—contend for the NCAA basketball title. Luck, resources, or skill: Which factor is most important in basketball? In patent cases? In basketball, one counts on a bit of luck as the ball rolls around the rim. Talented players are the key resources. For skill, just look at the […]

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By : Apr 3, 2015 No Comment