5 Key Takeaways | Building a Winning Evidentiary Record at the PTAB (and Surviving Appeal)
Wolf Greenfield Attorneys Review 2024 and Look Ahead to 2025
Recognizing and Avoiding Trademark Scams and Hoaxes
The Briefing: A Very Patented Christmas – The Quirkiest Inventions for the Holiday Season
5 Key Takeaways | Alice at 10: A Section 101 Update
Director Review Under the USPTO's Final Rule – Patents: Post-Grant Podcast
(Podcast) The Briefing: Thirsty for Clarity – Brand Confusion In The Beverage Category
The Briefing: Thirsty for Clarity – Brand Confusion In The Beverage Category
SCOTUS and federal court rulings on TTAB decisions on granting trademarks and trademark renewals; Netflix settling an anticipated defamation case with a disclaimer and donation
Legal Alert: USPTO Proposes Major Change to Terminal Disclaimer Practice
PODCAST: Williams Mullen's Trending Now: An IP Podcast - Artificial Intelligence Patents & Emerging Regulatory Laws
John Harmon on the Evolving Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Intellectual Property
Was the classic song “Over The Rainbow” plagiarized? How about a claim of copyright infringement against the script for “The Holdovers?” AI Legal strategies switch to claims of CMI removal
The Briefing: The Patent Puzzle: USPTO's Guidelines for AI Inventions
The Briefing: The Patent Puzzle: USPTO's Guidelines for AI Inventions (Podcast)
4 Key Takeaways | Updates in Standard Essential Patent Licensing and Litigation
Wolf Greenfield Attorneys Preview What’s Ahead in 2024
8 Key Takeaways | The Presumption of Irreparable Harm After the Trademark Modernization Act of 2020
(Podcast) The Briefing: SCOTUS to Determine if USPTO Refusal to Register TRUMP TOO SMALL is Unconstitutional
The Briefing: SCOTUS to Determine if USPTO Refusal to Register TRUMP TOO SMALL is Unconstitutional
On July 31, 2025, Acting Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the USPTO Coke Morgan Stewart issued a memorandum indicating that the USPTO “will enforce and no longer waive the requirement of...more
On May 1, 2025, Senators Chris Coons (D-DE), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Dick Durbin (D-IL), and Mazie Hirono (D-HI) reintroduced the Promoting and Respecting Economically Vital American Innovation Leadership (PREVAIL) Act. The...more
While it may seem like the only constant at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is change, that sentiment rings especially true in 2025. With a new presidential administration in the White House and numerous...more
Welcome to Wilmer Hale's PTAB/USPTO Update for May 2025....more
On March 10, John Squires was officially nominated to be Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office....more
The Promoting and Respecting Economically Vital American Innovation Leadership (“PREVAIL”) Act has moved to the Senate for a full vote after passing the Senate Judiciary Committee vote 11-10 on November 21, 2024. In...more
On November 12, USPTO Director Kathi Vidal announced in a post on LinkedIn and a letter to friends and colleagues that she would be stepping down the second week in December. Deputy Director Derrick Brent will take over until...more
On July 7, the Senate passed a resolution “[r]ecognizing the importance of trademarks in the economy and the role of trademarks in protecting consumer safety, by designating the month of July as ‘National Anti-Counterfeiting...more
Patent and Trademark Public Advisory Committees, 89 FR 44634 (May 21, 2024) (“seeking nominations for up to three members of its Patent Public Advisory Committee (PPAC) to advise the Director of the USPTO on patent policy,...more
When we first wrote about the Patent Eligibility Restoration Act (PERA), I had no idea I would have the honor of being invited to testify before the Subcommittee on Intellectual Property of the Senate Judiciary Committee, but...more
IP rights can be vital to the success of medical device companies. Significant legislative changes governing some of these rights may be on the horizon. Senators Coons (Delaware), Durbin (Illinois), Hirono (Hawaii), and...more
Patent Center is slated to fully replace the legacy EFS-Web system and Private Patent Application Information Retrieval (Private PAIR) tool on November 8, 2023. The USPTO continues to host virtual training events to help...more
I. Introduction - The Leahy-Smith America Invents Act (“AIA”) was years in the making. From the first patent reform bill introduced by Representative Lamar Smith in June 20052 until the final House and Senate debates in...more
Two bills recently introduced in Congress could significantly affect the current patent litigation landscape. The bipartisan bills are titled the Patent Eligibility Restoration Act of 2023 and the Promoting and Respecting...more
The Senate recently introduced a bill directed to substantially narrowing the scope of post grant proceedings, including Inter Partes Reviews (“IPRs”), before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (“PTAB”). First introduced by a...more
USPTO News - On July 11, the USPTO Office of the Chief Economist released the 2022 updates to its Trademark Case Files Dataset and Trademark Assignment Dataset....more
Two proposed bills recently introduced in Congress have the potential to greatly impact the current patent litigation landscape. The bills are titled the Promoting and Respecting Economically Vital American Innovation...more
On June 7, the USPTO released its 2022-2026 Strategic Plan. According to the USPTO, the new plan outlines the USPTO's mission-focused strategic goals, which are: (1) driving inclusive U.S. innovation and global...more
USPTO Leadership - ..In June, USPTO Director Kathi Vidal delivered official remarks at the 2022 Bench & Bar Conference, a PTAB Pro Bono Fireside Chat, the 2022 SelectUSA Investment Summit, and the AI/ET Partnership Series...more
Since the passage of the America Invents Act in 2012, both petitioners and patent owners have expressed concerns regarding the procedures and practices of the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB). In an effort to respond to...more
USPTO Leadership - Drew Hirshfeld is still performing the functions and duties of Director. President Biden nominated Kathi Vidal to be the next Director....more
We recently reported on bipartisan legislation introduced by Senators Patrick Leahy (D) and John Cornyn (R) to significantly revamp certain features of the America Invents Act (AIA), ten years after its debut. This proposed...more
USPTO News - On September 9, 2021, Senators Patrick Leahy and Thom Tillis wrote a letter to Acting Director Andrew Hirshfeld requesting that the USPTO “take steps to reduce patent applicants’ making inappropriate...more
USPTO Leadership - ..Drew Hirshfeld is still performing the functions and duties of Director. The Biden Administration has not made an announcement as to who will be nominated to become the next Director....more