This post was first published on 22nd March, 2012.
We are all aware that what is already existing in the public domain falls outside the scope of patentability. This is because it is already known and hence the aspect of novelty, which is the primary requirement to qualify for a patent is absent. Moreover, what is already there in the public domain cannot be taken back, because patents grant exclusivity to the inventor. Patenting of traditional knowledge is nothing new, and…
This post was originally published on 18th December, 2011.
Bayer and Cipla have recently settled trade mark litigation with respect to Advantage and Advantix trade marks. These trade marks were registered by Bayer at the USPTO and are being used for veterinary products. Cipla has been marketing one of its pet products under the trade mark, DA Double Advantage with the aid of an online supplier called Archipelago. Aggrieved by Cipla's actions, Bayer filed a suit in a US court…
This post was first published on July 15, 2014.
How is the novelty of an invention established? Another question with a similar connotation is - How does one determine if an invention is anticipated? Simple. Let's see if something exactly alike exists. Apparently, the district court of the District of Arizona didn't think so.
We'll look at a case that will put to rest a lot of doubts surrounding the anticipation of inventions. The case, Net MoneyIN, Inc. v. Verisign,…
This post was first published on 16th July, 2014.
Today's special is the case that has set a high precedent in US Patent Law practice, acquiring the status of the highest cited case in subsequent cases decided by several courts, especially the CAFC. Graham vs. John Deere Co. is cited extensively since it clarifies the judicial standing on the requirement of non-obviousness of an invention. William T Graham (Graham) sued John Deere Co. (Deere) for patent infringement.
Details: Graham invented a…
This post was first posted on 20th July, 2o14.
A Patent gives its owner a monopolistic right and protection against unauthorized use of anything under its protection. This is the reason that a patent only gets granted once it passes several levels of stringent scrutiny. This phase is called the examination of the patent application. Examination of the application determines whether the patent application is worthy of a patent grant and thus, unless the application fulfills all patentabilty criteria, it does not receive a grant.
For…
This post was first published on 10th March, 2014.
It gives the SiNApSE blog Team great pleasure to bring forth to our readers a 1971 US patent in which Mr. C. T. Dwarakanath from CFTRI, Mysore, was an inventor. Mr. Dwarakanath was a co-inventor in the patent entitled, "Process for reduction of aflatoxin content of oilseed meals by ozonization", bearing number 3,592,641. The invention was conceived and reduced to practice during one of his visits to Louisiana, USA on a project…
This post was first published on 20th March, 2014.
Last week, my post was about the role of communication technology in making different regions of the world “excess able” from “access able”. It is important to bear in mind the role played by transportation systems in nullifying the effects of physical distance. Though different transportation means such as roadways, airways and waterways are available, when it comes to covering long distances in short time periods, aviation a.k.a. air transportation is one of…
This post was last published on September 1st, 2014.
Innovation has always been focused on existing plant varieties which scientists use for improvements and for which breeders' exemption (the right to use protected plant varieties in their research and claim ownership of the results) is granted. But patents don't provide for a breeders' exemption and researchers will have to pay for access to patented materials used in their research if they are allowed access at all. Patent stacking has become common…
This post was first published on 19th August, 2013.
Finally, I have managed to read the Myriad Genetics case at peace. Off late, setting out to analyze the US Supreme Court's patent decisions has become a much easier task than earlier. Firstly, the Court has gotten clearer in the recent past, and secondly, it is no longer a one sided patent friendly Court. The decisions of the Court in KSR, Bilski, Mayo, and finally this case indicate that trend. In the…
This post was first published on 19th May, 2014.
Evergreening, known in the politically-correct-circles as “Life Cycle management” of a drug, is the concept of extending the exclusivity term rendered to a pharmaceutical patent through legal and business measures. Contrary to existing myths and notions, Evergreening does not stop an interested party from exploiting the invention of an expiring patent. It is purely a business strategy to introduce and position newer products (sometimes patented) into the market so as to prolong…