Category: Patents

Access to Medicine, Patents

High Drug Prices: Meet Bayh-Dole

Imagine this: you have just been diagnosed with cancer. The diagnosis is serious, and if untreated, will end your life. But good news – there is a lifesaving treatment available! It will just cost you $150,000 a year. Not only are you left with the emotional stress of a serious diagnosis, but now have the added financial stress of the unaffordable price tag that comes with the treatment. Is there anything that can be done to make the treatment more affordable? Continue reading “High Drug Prices: Meet Bayh-Dole”

Hannah Dawson
Fun Facts, Patents, Trademarks

Are Crocs an endangered species? How an iconic company protects itself from poachers

Crocs and the Importance of their Intellectual Property

We all recognize the brand! Crocs has sold over 850 million pairs of their iconic shoes in over 85 different countries since 2002. Today, Crocs offers numerous models of shoes. However, the company’s success can be attributed to their original clog-style shoe named the “Classic Clog.” The Classic Clog is made from a resin-based material known as Croslite. This material allows the shoe to be durable while offering the user exceptional comfort. These features have led Crocs to market its clog design for use across a variety of applications including boating, gardening, hiking, and even hospital-use.

Continue reading “Are Crocs an endangered species? How an iconic company protects itself from poachers”

Manuel Franco Pech
Patents

Sparring in Federal Court: The Competitive Spirit of Patent Litigation

I still remember my first sparring match vividly. It was a 3-minute practice combat session in my childhood martial arts class. I practiced techniques, learned the rules, and prepared myself for controlled combat with a partner. I instantly fell in love with the competitive spirit of sparring. Recently, I was reminded of that spirit when I discovered patent litigation as a law clerk.

Continue reading “Sparring in Federal Court: The Competitive Spirit of Patent Litigation”

Christina Conroy
Patents

Cash Rules Everything in IP

Like many other engineering graduates in the state of Michigan, I started my engineering career in the automotive industry. Lucky for me, I landed a pretty fun job in vehicle safety. The crash lab located in the space behind my office ran full speed crash tests on a daily basis. However, I spent most of my day behind a computer analyzing vehicle structures for crashworthiness.
Continue reading “Cash Rules Everything in IP”

Corinne Macnichol
Patents

“Linking” Nintendo’s Gaming Innovations to Software Patent Subject Matter Eligibility

The Legend of Zelda is a Nintendo video game series centered around protagonist Link. One of the newer installments of the series, Breath of the Wild, has won several awards in the gaming industry. But, what in the world does the Legend of Zelda have to do with patent law?

Continue reading ““Linking” Nintendo’s Gaming Innovations to Software Patent Subject Matter Eligibility”

Christina Conroy
Patents

Free Patent Lawyers? It’s easier than you think!

Are you a student curious if there is a place for pro bono work in patent law? Are you a practitioner curious about how the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has addressed accessibility to patent protection? Do you or a friend want to file a patent for an invention but can’t afford a patent attorney?  If so, this blog is for you! Continue reading “Free Patent Lawyers? It’s easier than you think!”

Manuel Franco Pech
Patents

Knowing Your Audience: The Importance of Venue in Patent Litigation

As a summer associate working in patent litigation, I kept seeing the same judge’s name in the same district court. At first, I had no idea why this was the case. However, I’ve since learned how important venue is in patent litigation.

Selecting the right venue is crucial in patent litigation cases, because where a case is filed can impact its likelihood of success. So, what exactly is venue? And why is it so important to patent litigation? Allow me explain.

Continue reading “Knowing Your Audience: The Importance of Venue in Patent Litigation”

Jack Hynes
Fun Facts, Patents

The Sound of Science: Musicians Who Were Also Inventors

When people think about musicians, they usually don’t think inventor. But some musicians broke the mold when they patented their inventions. Let’s explore these true renaissance people.  We should make note of these talented folks who generally own both copyright on their music (and sound recordings) AND patents on their inventions

Continue reading “The Sound of Science: Musicians Who Were Also Inventors”

Andrew Sutherland
Fun Facts, Patents

Eight Great Pumpkin Patents

Fall is here which means stores and front stoops are full of all things pumpkin! Taking IP this Fall has made me realize that many great fall items may have some kind of intellectual property (IP) protection. That’s been one of my favorite parts of learning more about IP, the realization that it truly impacts all areas of our lives. To help prove my point I rounded up some of the most interesting pumpkin related patents I could find. Continue reading “Eight Great Pumpkin Patents”

Madison Causey