Google patents, IPO patent stats, Contributory Infringement, Arctic Cat, Blu-Ray Discs, Driverless Car and more, presented by the Patent attorneys and experts of BananaIP Counsels, India’s Premier New Age IP Firm.
Patent quote of the Week
“We love patents, but not unconditionally;
We believe in patents, but not mindlessly;
We value patents, but not at the cost of our core values; and
We are serious about patents, but saving life always comes first.”
– Dr. Kalyan C. Kankanala
Patent Stats from the Indian Patents and Designs Office
Total number of patent applications published in the official journal of the patent office as issued on 3rd March 2017: 701
Total number of patent applications published in respect of grant in the official journal of the patent office as issued on 3rd March 2017: 335
Total number of Industrial Designs registered by the Indian Designs Office between 24th February 2017 and 3rd March 2017: 101
Interesting patent of the week
Google granted patent for Wearable Camera Systems
Search giant Google has been granted a patent for an invention titled “Wearable Camera Systems”. The invention relates to a removable hat-mounted camera. According to the patent, the head-wear would be used for capturing photos and videos and live streaming to social networks through a mobile app. The patent also describes that the wearer would be able to record audio for videos with a built-in microphone. The hat mounted camera can also come in handy to save a user during emergency situation by activating the video camera and audio and delivering images and GPS information to the emergency situation server system. Check out this interesting patent here.
Government updates
Patent grants increase by 48.5% after Patents (Amendment) Rules, 2016
The Patents (Amendment) Rules, 2016 passed by the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) last year in May 2016 seem to have had their desired effect. The financial express has reported that backlogs have been reduced substantially ever since the new rules came into effect. The report suggests that patent grants have increased by nearly 48.5% between April 2016 and January 2017 and up to 18,923 patent applications have been disposed of in this time. The 2016 patent rules were specifically brought into effect with the aim of streamlining and strengthening the Intellectual property protection mechanism in India. While the rules have been appreciated there are several inconsistencies within the rules that have not yet been addressed and have often been the subject of criticism. The 2016 patent rules in combination with some of the decisions of the patent office however, such as the decision to recruit over 450 examiners is slowly but surely bearing the fruits of change.
International Patent Updates
Arctic Cat wins patent suit filed by Bombardier
In a patent suit filed by Bombardier, A Canadian Court recently held that Arctic Cat’s snowmobile did not infringe Bombardier’s patents. The Court came to this conclusion as three of the Bombardier’s patents were invalid and the claims of one patent did not cover Arctic Cat’s vehicle. Arctic Cat earlier won a patent suit against Bombardier with respect to Sea Doo vehicle and was awarded close to fifty million dollars as damages.
Exporting one component of a patented product is not Contributory Infringement : US Supreme Court
In Life Technologies Corp. v. Promega Corp., the US Supreme Court held that exporting one component of a patented invention does not amount to contributory infringement. The case related to a patented genetic testing kit in which one component, TAQ polymerase, was being exported from USA for making the kit in UK. After reviewing the facts, the US Supreme Court stated that one component will not amount to substantial portion of the components to make the patented product, which is required for contributory infringement liability.
Driverless Car IP – Google and Uber in a Patent and Trade Secret Dispute
Waymo, Google’s parent company’s (ALPHABET)subsidiary, has sued Uber and Ottomotto for trade secret misappropriation and patent infringement. Waymo is claiming that Uber and Otto have misappropriated its trade secrets in LiDAR technology, which when mounted on a car enables traffic and people tracking. Waymo is claiming that one of its employees downloaded several files with respect to LiDAR and carried them to Otto after quitting the company.
Driverless car technology is set to revolutionize the world, and developments in this dispute will be very interesting to watch.
Patent Licensing
Blu-Ray Disc Royalty reduced by 20 percent
One-Blue, which licenses patents from seventeen licensors with respect to the Blue-Ray Disc standards has announced a reduction of its royalty by twenty percent. The royalty rates are applicable to optical discs and DVD standards as well. The move has been made to counter approaching patent expiries.
Lynk Labs Settles its LED Patent Suit with a License Deal
Lynk Labs sued Acuity Brands and Schneider Electric in 2015 for infringement of its LED Patents in USA. The parties have now settled the law suit with a license agreement. The financial terms of the settlement have not been disclosed.
Personal Safety Inflation Vest Patent License proceeds to save surf ecosystem
Patagonia recieved a patent on Personal Safety Inflation Vest for big wave surfing in 2014. The company has now made the patent available for licensing, and has decided that all proceeds from the licensing program will be donated to saving Punta de Lobos, an endangered Chilean surf break. The initiative is being appreciated by surfers across the world.
BananaIP Patent News
Patent Attorneys at BananaIP teach Faculty at BMS College of Engineering
BananaIP’s patent attorneys delivered patent sessions at Bangalore’s BMS College of engineering. The sessions were aimed at teaching faculty members of the college select patent skills. The presentation can be accessed here.
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