There are a host of challenges when it comes to trying to assert US patents against a Chinese legal entity. A recent court filing by Dutch telecom KPN, which is suing Oppo, Vivo and OnePlus in the District of Delaware, underlines what looks to be a…
The effect of the sweeping US Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 on IP rights is unclear but early indications are that not all of the news is good
Last Thursday, President Trump set out a series of measures that the US is set to pursue against China over alleged violations of American-owned intellectual property. They were wide-ranging, but perhaps not as deep or as far-reaching as some may…
A conflict over use of the Sharp brand name in the US market for televisions has pitted the Foxconn-owned display maker against Chinese licencee Hisense in IP and commercial lawsuits across multiple jurisdictions since last June. Now, disclosures…
Almost two months since his confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Washington DC insiders are predicting (and, for many, hoping) that there will be a full Senate vote to confirm Andrei Iancu as the next head of the USPTO by the…
The Senate Judiciary Committee is due to hold Andrei Iancu’s confirmation hearing for USPTO Director today. Iancu will appear alongside three nominees for federal judgeships so it remains to be seen how much time the senators will have to question…
Broadcom electrified the tech world earlier this week when it made a $130 billion offer for Qualcomm. The advance looks set to be rebuffed by the Qualcomm board, but it seems likely that this is a story that will run for a while yet. Given the…
When this blog first reported that Andrei Iancu was a candidate for USPTO director in April it was hard to find anyone in the patent community, at least in DC, who knew him well enough to provide informed comment on what his leadership might mean. …
China’s government dialed up its criticism of the recently announced US investigation in the country’s IP practices yesterday, saying the probe “sabotages the existing international trading system, and has poured cold water on all parties that have…
On Friday, I wrote about how the IP team at Foxconn is getting value out of the massive Sharp patent portfolio through spin-offs and patent sales. But investing in certain technologies and divesting others is only one aspect of chairman Terry Gou’s…
Michelle Lee, Director of the USPTO, has submitted her resignation after four years in the role. The story was originally reported by Politico quoting unnamed sources and then confirmed to IAM by a USPTO spokesman earlier this afternoon. It’s not…
A group of IP advocacy groups, industry bodies and companies have written to President Trump to highlight the impact of the ongoing government hiring freeze on the USPTO and, more broadly, on US innovation. In one of his first actions after…
Trade tensions between the United States and China could cast a large shadow over the way that IP business is carried out by companies from both nations
Brand owners generally want to protect a potential trademark as broadly as possible, which can lead to specifying as many goods or services in their intent-to-use trademark applications as might possibly be covered by the planned mark. However, a recent case demonstrates that dreaming big in trademark applications is not to be encouraged.
There has been a lot of speculation since Donald Trump won the US presidential election last November about what his administration would mean for IP – and for beleaguered patent owners, in particular. After several very difficult years in which…
