Patently-O Bits & Bytes by Lawrence Higgins

Kodak accuses HTC and Apple of patent infringement

  • Kodak is trying to prohibit Apple's iPhones, iPads, and iPods and HTC's smartphones and tablets, from entering the US because they claim that the products infringe their patents on its digital imaging technology. Kodak has filed suit at the ITC and in the Western district of New York against Apple and HTC. [Apple Complaint][HTC Complaint] 
  • Kodak has been in the news lately with the threat of bankruptcy. However, Kodak has a very large number of patents in their portfolio and from the looks of the pending patent infringement suits; they plan to enforce their patents. This could be the start of a busy year for Kodak and their patent attorneys, if they plan on going after all potential infringers. Could Kodak's patent portfolio potentially save the company from bankruptcy? Only time will tell.

USPTO will host educational roadshows

  • USTPO officials will travel to seven educational roadshows regarding the America Invents Act, allowing the public to speak with the USPTO officials about the implementation of the Act. Discussions will mainly focus on the USPTO's recently proposed rules regarding provisions of the Act. The locations that USPTO officials will hold the roadshows are Alexandria, VA, Sunnyvale, CA, Salt Lake City, Dallas, Ft. Lauderdale, Boston, and Chicago. [Link]

The Nuts and Bolts of Federal Circuit Practice

  • On January 19, at 3p.m. eastern time, the Federal Circuit Bar Association will hold the Nuts and Bolts of Federal Circuit Practice. The webcast will provide a practical "How To" discussion of the rules and issues that practitioners and companies must face when appealing to the Federal Circuit. Many questions will be answered such as: How does the Court handle the many highly technical issues that come before it? What are the time limits for filing a notice of appeal and briefs? The panelists for the event are Pamela Twiford, Jan Horbaly, and James Benjamin. [Link]

Patent Jobs:

  • A patent firm is seeking a contract patent attorney/agent with at least 4 years of experience and a background in CS. (telecommuting option) [Link]
  • Stoel Rives is seeking a patent attorney with 3-5 years of experience to work in their Portland or Seattle office. [Link]
  • NSIP Law is searching for a patent attorney with at least 3 years of experience to work at their Washington DC office. [Link]
  • Hiroe & Associates is seeking a patent attorney with 2-5 years of experience to work in Japan. [Link]
  • Alston & Bird is seeking a patent prosecution associate with 2-3 years of experience and a background in electrical engineering to work at their Charlotte office. [Link]
  • Google is searching for a patent litigation counsel with 3 years of litigation experience to work at their New York office. [Link]
  • The USPTO is seeking patent examiners with engineering backgrounds and experience in the patent field. [Link]
  • Ice Miller is looking for a patent attorney with 2+ years of experience to work at their Indianapolis office. [Link]
  • Ice Miller is seeking a 2012 law school graduate eligible to sit for the patent bar. [Link]

Upcoming Events:

  • What You Need to Know About… The New ND Cal Patent Pilot Program, session will be hosted by Stanford Law School on January 18. Guest include Chief Judge Randall Rader, Jeff Fehervari, Laura Storto, Judge Nathanael Cousins, Judge Elizabeth Laporte, Judge Lucy Kohand many others.
  • The American Bar Association Section of Intellectual Property Law, Young Lawyers Division, ABA-IPL Young Lawyers Action Group and the ABA Center for Continuing Legal Education will sponsor a webinar on January 20 at 1 p.m. Eastern time. The webinar, Prosecution Strategies: Tackling USPTO Obviousness Rejections will explore how the KSR standards have been applied in various technology areas and provide guidance for effective avenues of argument based on the technology area. Speakers include: Janet Hendrickson, Gregory Hillyer, Michelle O'Brien, and Zachary Stern. [Link]
  • The American Conference Institute (ACI) The Comprehensive Guide to Patent Reform For Life Science Companies, conference is scheduled for January 31- February 1 in New York. (Patently-O readers register with PO 200 for a discount). [Link]
  • The 7th Annual Conference on EU Pharma Law & Regulation will be held on February 22-23 on London. The conference will bring together eminent in-house counsel from the world's largest pharma and biotech companies, top legal practitioners and regulatory experts in an outstanding speaker panel. (Patently-O readers register with PO 10 for a discount). [Link]
  • LES (USA & Canada) 2012 Winter Meeting will be held March 12-14 in Anaheim, CA. The meeting will focus on cutting-edge issues in the high tech space with overlapping content in related industries, including clean tech, nanotech, and medical devices. Featured speakers include Honorable Randall Rader, Chief Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit; Catherine Casserly, CEO, Creative Commons; and Patrick Ennis, Head of Global Technology, Intellectual Ventures. Save $100 before January 31. [Link]

Contact Lawrence.Higgins@patentlyo.com with leads for future Bits and Bytes.