Patently-O Bits & Bytes by Lawrence Higgins

Patent,

Business Plan Competition

  • The Licensing Executive Society Foundation 2012 International Graduate Student Business Plan Competition registration has started. Graduate students, including MS/MBA/MD/JD/PhD and postdoctoral scholars, from across the globe are invited to register (http://les2012.istart.org) to participate in the 2012 LES Foundation Graduate Student Business Plan Competition, which uniquely focuses on business plans that include an overview of IP assets and describe how those assets will be managed and commercialized to achieve business goals. Student teams will compete to win expenses-paid trips to the Final Round of Competition at the LES (USA & Canada) Spring Meeting in Boston, MA, May 15-17, where they will attend educational sessions, mingle with global IP leaders and compete for the $10,000 Grand Prize and valuable in-kind prizes or the $5,000 Global Award. Runner-up teams receive $1,000. Students receive comprehensive feedback throughout the process from IP business leaders who share valuable expertise earned in the trenches of businesses ranging from start-ups to Fortune 500 companies. [Link]

The American Growth, Recovery, Empowerment and Entrepreneurship (AGREE) Act

  • On November 15, Senators Chris Coons and Marco Rubio introduced a jobs bill, the AGREE Act. Title VI: Protecting American Businesses Against Illegal Counterfeiting, of the Act reads: "The Coons-Rubio bill helps to protect American IP from counterfeit or otherwise infringing commercial activity. Specifically, the bill clarifies the Trade Secrets Act, making it explicitly clear that it is not a crime for federal officials, in the performance of their duties, to share information about suspected infringing products with the right holder of a trademarked good." This language will supposedly allow custom and border patrol agents to determine if merchandise is legitimate by asking the owner of the trademark that appears on the product. Further, Title II: Encouraging Cutting Edge-Research and Innovation, discusses various tax credits for businesses and is supported by BIO and the Semiconductor Industry Association. [Link]

.xxx and Cybersquatting

  • It seems that many universities and companies are playing it safe and are acquiring .xxx domain names. Organizations can currently pre-register .xxx domain names for around $200 dollars. The University of Missouri recently pre-registered mizzou.xxx, missouri.xxx, and missouritigers.xxx, because they do not want people coming across their trademarks on porn sites. It would seem ideal for educational institutions to pre-register .xxx domain names. However, should every trademark owner be so cautious? Cybersquatting is registering, trafficking in, or using a domain name with bad faith intent to profit from the goodwill of a trademark belonging to someone else. Cybersquatters can cost organizations money and time in their pursuit to try to get rights to a domain name. Therefore, I would think that it would be better to play it safe in this situation, and pre-register .xxx domain names. However, in the near future, there may be some very interesting cases of cybersquatting if an organization fails to pre-register. [Link] [Link]

Patent Jobs:

  • Baker & Hostetler is seeking a patent attorney with 5-8 years of experience. [Link]
  • Hewlett-Packard Company is searching for a patent counsel with a degree in EE, CE, Physics, or CE and 0-6 years of experience. [Link]
  • Hiscock & Barclay is looking for a patent attorney/agent with 3-5 years of experience. [Link]
  • Pramudji Law Group is seeking a patent attorney/agent with at least 2 years of experience and a degree in EE or physics. [Link]
  • Thompson Hine is searching for an associate with 3-5 years of experience and a degree in engineering or physics. [Link]
  • Abel IP is looking for a patent attorney with 4+ years of experience and a background in chemical and/or ceramic materials. [Link]
  • Oblon Spivak is seeking associates with 3-7 years of experience and a background in electrical or mechanical arts. [Link]
  • Shumaker & Sieffert is searching for patent attorneys with 2-5 years of experience and a background in EE, CE, CS, or physics. [Link]
  • Patent GC is looking for a trademark attorney and a patent attorney with an EE or CS background and 10+ years of experience in each case. [Link]
  • Mannava & King is looking for an electrical engineering patent attorney/agent and at least 2 years of experience. [Link]
  • Kacvinsky is seeking lateral associates with 4+ years of patent preparation experience and a degree in EE, CE, or CS. [Link]

Upcoming Events:

  • Has Your ADR Neutral Met Their Disclosure Requirement? Webinar will be held on November 18. The webinar is sponsored by the ABA Section on IP Law and ABA-IPL Young Lawyers Action Group. The program will discuss different ethical conflicts that may arise during IP Mediation/Arbitration and the level of disclosure required by the mediator/arbitrator. The webinar will start at 1:00 PM eastern time and last about 90 minutes. [Link]
  • On Friday, November 18, the Intellectual Property Institute at the University of Richmond School of Law will host the Fifth Annual Evil Twin Debate, featuring Professor Daniel Crane of University of Michigan Law School and Professor Michael Carrier of Rutgers University School of Law at Camden. The Evil Twin Debate series is founded on the notion that experts are often at loggerheads on important issues of IP policy, yet remain friendly on a personal level. The series therefore brings together pairs of scholars who disagree on an important IP topic, but who can air their disagreements in a friendly exchange — serious in substance but lighthearted in tone. [Link]
  • IBC will hold a US Patent Reform Congress Conference on November 18th in London. The conference will focus in the impact of the Leahy-Smith America Invents for the European practitioner, with expertise from the EPO, AIPLA, USPTO and more. (Patently-O readers receive a 10% discount) [Link]
  • Indiana University School of Law's Center for IP Law and Innovation will hold "The America Invents Act: Patent Law's New Lease on Life" symposium on December 2nd. Speakers include a legendary patent law jurist, patent reform leaders, chief corporate patent counsel, leading practitioners and scholars, as well as the PTO's Patent Reform Coordinator. [Link]
  • The American Conference Institute's 2nd Annual Forum on: Paragraph IV Disputes will be held in San Francisco on December 7th. Experienced faculty of renowned litigators and judges will guide attendees through every stage of a Paragraph IV challenge to help them formulate offensive moves and defensive plays. (Patently-O readers can receive a discount by registering with code PO 200) [Link]
  • IBC Legal is holding a conference on International Patent Litigation 2011 in London on December 7th-8th. Use VIP Code FKW82249PO to get a 10% discount. [Link]
  • The WSBA IP Section, WSPLA, IEEE IP Professional Initiative, and the University of Washington School of Law's Law, Technology & Arts Group will be presenting an all-day CLE at the University of Washington School of Law on Friday, December 9, 2011 on the impacts of the America Invents Act.

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