In today’s highly competitive global business landscape, protecting intellectual property rights is crucial for companies looking to maintain their edge. Expanding your patent portfolio to include the United States is a strategic move, but the process can be complex and resource-intensive. In-house intellectual property counsel located outside the United States can gain a significant advantage […]
Widerman Malek Law Blog
International Patent Application Strategies
There are different standards in the United States regarding what is patentable and not compared to foreign jurisdictions, notably in the Japanese and European Patent offices. The decision to pursue foreign protection is not just about what markets you are interested in but also about the viability of getting protection in those markets. In the […]
USPTO Proposes New Fee Adjustments
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has released a Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) that would increase many USPTO Fees. The stated purpose of the fee increases is to recover the costs incurred by the USPTO in carrying out its mandate. The USPTO performed a Regulatory Impact Analysis that “did not identify any […]
Widerman Malek Joins the Global Legal Blockchain Consortium
Widerman Malek, PL has joined the Global Legal Blockchain Consortium (GLBC), a global network comprised of approximately 125 large companies, law firms, software companies, and universities that have joined together to develop standards to govern the use of blockchain technology in the law. The consortium enables experts in both legal requirements and industry needs to […]
Equifax Breach – Did They Fail to Comply with GLBA?
As is now widely reported, Equifax, a consumer credit reporting agency, suffered a data breach of staggering proportion. In the race to fully comprehend the ramifications of this breach, it’s worthwhile to consider what specific legal requirements Equifax must comply with when it comes to maintaining the secrecy of sensitive personal information. One law that […]
Pierron Receives Distinguished International Association of Privacy Professionals Certification
Attorney Dan Pierron has received the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP)’s Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP/US) designation. The CIPP/US is given only after an individual has demonstrated their knowledge of both broad global and specific regional or sectoral concepts of privacy and data protection law and practice.
Lee Resigns; Matal Appointed Acting Director of USPTO
In the day following Michelle Lee’s resignation as Director of the USPTO, Joseph Matal was announced as Acting Director.
Precautionary Provisional Patent Applications
By: Dan Pierron Since March of 2013, I have been filing more and more provisional patent applications. This was expected, due to the increasing importance in filing as early as possible as a result of the change to a first-to-file system. However, a particular type of provisional application we’ve labeled a “precautionary” provisional patent application […]
Patent Protection Doesn’t Mean Freedom to Operate
By: Dan Pierron I’ve recently had several discussions with a client whose primary concern was his ability to make and sell his product, as well as to prevent others from stopping him from making and selling his product. His concerns, while seemingly simple and certainly reasonable, are actually quite nuanced in their meaning and requiring […]
Pre-Issuance Submissions – To Submit or Not Submit?
By: Dan Pierron Included in the changes with the AIA was the ability for third parties, those not under a duty to disclose prior art to the patent office for a given pending application, to submit prior art. There have been numerous articles about the particularities of the statute, which need to be read and understood […]
