IAM Issue 29

The CAFC’s en banc review of the In re Bilski case could mean major changes in the business method patents regime in the US. But as they wait for the court’s decision, what can practitioners do for clients seeking protection for business methods?

The High Court in London has recently clarified the criteria for patentability
of computer-implemented inventions. In doing so, it has brought the UK
closer to the standards of other European countries and of the European
Patent Office

Ask anyone in the world of patents to name their top three issues and you can be sure that the importance of quality will be mentioned. A panel of leading IP professionals discuss the importance of first-rate patents.

Marketing due diligence allows investors and companies to assess the risks of using intangibles in strategic plans and to work out whether they create or destroy shareholder value.

Although it is less than a year since the US Supreme Court handed down its decision in KSR v Teleflex, analysis indicates the case is already having an impact at the CAFC.

For many people, Microsoft and open innovation may not seem the most obvious of bedfellows. However, says the company’s deputy general counsel for IP, that is exactly what they are.

Many companies that own large IP portfolios are doing a better job of determining whether the rights they own are getting traction from their IAM strategies. Kimberly-Clark is a perfect example.

Businesses are attempting to figure out just who or what is an IP investor and whether they all are equally deserving of ROI, as we know it.

The European Court of Justice could be about to make life a lot more difficult for brand owners in Europe.

Intellectual property is perfectly placed to thrive during economic uncertainty. But for that to happen, it has to be much more ordinary than it is at the moment.

The knowledge economy requires a new set of conceptual tools to operate, but who is responsible for creating them?

The IP-Com v Nokia case has shown that the US is not the only place where patent trolls can seek to go on the offensive.

There have been many attempts to extend the conventional definition of a trademark into unexplored areas such as sounds, smells, taste, colour and 3D shapes. But how do
you graphically represent, and protect, a sign that can not be perceived visually? Thomson’s Alex Butler reports.

As so-called green patents become the latest IP rights to attract mainstream attention, rights owners need to understand what is at stake and join those companies that are already seeking to set the agenda.