This column highlights some of the more notable recent online notices, newsletters, and blogs dealing with IP prosecution issues.

IPWatchdog – a patent law blog – IPwatchdog.com

  • On August 12, 2019, a post reviewed the Federal Circuit opinion in Quake v. Lo, Nos. 2018-1779, 2018-1780, 2018-1782, 2019 U.S. App. LEXIS 20407 (Fed. Cir., July 10, 2019) (Details here >) which announced that the written description requirement under 35 U.S.C. § 112 is not satisfied if the entire claimed method is not described by the specification. (More here >)
  • In the August 13, 2019 post news comes that Section 101 rejections have decreased across computer-related art units since the USPTO issued its 2019 revised eligibility guidance (PDF here). (Details here >).

Patently-O – a blog written by Dennis Crouch – patentlyo.com.

  • In his July 24, 2019 post, Professor Dennis Crouch discussed the interplay between experimental data and proving sufficient written description in the context of Nuvo Pharmaceuticals v. Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories Inc., No. 17-02473, Petition for Rehearing En Banc (Fed. Cir., June 14, 2019) (PDF here >) (Details here >).
  • In a July 30, 2019 post, Jason Rantanen discussed Solutran, Inc. v. Evalon, Inc., No. 2019-1345, 2019-1460 (Fed. Cir., July 30, 2019) (PDF here >) wherein the Federal Circuit reversed the district court, holding that claims directed towards an abstract idea, despite the involvement of handling paper checks in a computer-related method claim (Details here >).
  • In his August 20, 2019 post, Professor Dennis Crouch discussed a non-precedential decision affirming a finding that claims to a “customization module” is a means-plus-function element that is indefinite if no algorithm is disclosed Grecia v. Samsung Electronics America, Inc., No. 2019-1019, (Fed. Cir., August 20, 2019) (PDF here >) (Details here >).

AIPLA – the profession’s national organization – see AIPLA.org

  • AIPLA will hold its 2019 Annual Meeting on October 24-26, 2019 in Washington, D.C. More information on this meeting and other events are available here.

For more information about any of the patent topics mentioned consult Patent Application Practice. Trademark topics are discussed in Trademark Registration Practice. Both are published by West and updated twice a year. For patent prosecution or litigation questions, contact Fred Douglas at 949/293-0442 or by email at fdouglas@cox.net.