Patrick Richards Law Blog

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 ... Read More

The USPTO has announced an initiative to reduce the patent backlog.  Under the proposed initiative, for a patent application first filed in the US, an applicant may request examination in any of the following three tracks Track I:  prioritized examination Track II:  traditional examination Track III:  delayed examination... Read More

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.... Read More

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.... Read More

Richards Patent Law P.C. regularly hears from small businesses and individual inventors 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 from the others in their... Read More

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 program takes a look at the app craze, the new commercial market it created ... Read More

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 ... Read More

On March 22, 2010, 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
... Read More