Tag: Patent

Patents

Can I Patent that? A Wade Into The Patentable Subject Matter Thicket

I can’t be the only one who’s experienced this scenario. You’re surrounded by your friends and one of them thinks of an invention that solves a frustrating problem in daily life. Then, one of your friends exclaims: “You should patent that!” As the discussion progresses, the euphoria of potential financial freedom sets in. If only we could commercially exploit this idea, then we’d be financially free–released from our student loan burdens and other debts. Hold on. Before you and your friends liquidate all your assets, apply for a patent (i.e., a time-limited exclusive right to your invention), and book an audition on Shark Tank, let’s go through a few things.

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Johnny Jansky
Access to Medicine, Patents

The Price Isn’t Right: Sen. Warren’s Antidote to Costly Medicine

When I tell you the cost of many medications in America is prohibitively expensive, you likely aren’t surprised. Access to medicine and drug costs has been a major topic of debate for a long time. Most recently, U.S. politicians and pharma industry leaders have stoked the fiery debate on healthcare costs in response to the National Institute of Health’s (NIH) rejection for a petition to grant march-in rights for a prostate cancer medication called, Xtandi®. To learn more about march-in rights and the recent concern over the drug, Xtandi®, read High Drug Prices: Meet Bayh-Dole.
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Bailey Hammond
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?

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Christina Conroy
Loyola Spotlight

A Journey from the Lab to the Office: An Interview with Brad Loren

Brad Loren is an associate at McAndrews Held and Malloy Ltd. (McAndrews).
Prior to attending law school, Brad attended the University of Iowa where he earned a B.A. in Chemistry and Political Science. After earning his undergraduate degrees, Brad attended Purdue University where he earned his Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry. Brad’s Ph.D. research focused on pharmaceutical development, specifically organic synthesis and drug delivery. After earning his Ph.D., Brad attended Loyola University Chicago School of Law, where he graduated cum laude in 2021. Continue reading “A Journey from the Lab to the Office: An Interview with Brad Loren”

Manuel Franco Pech
Loyola Spotlight

A Jack of All Trade(marks, patents & copyrights)s: An Interview with Monika Malek

Monika Malek is an associate in Vedder Price’s Chicago office and a member of the firm’s Intellectual Property (IP) group. She maintains a broad practice spanning trademark, copyright and patent litigation, prosecution (writing and filing a patent), enforcement (monitoring for potential infringement or enforcing an owner’s rights) and portfolio management (advising on business strategies associated with a patent). Prior to joining Vedder Price, she was an associate at a boutique law firm where she worked closely with clients on litigation and transactional matters involving a wide range of IP issues. She earned her law degree from Loyola University Chicago School of Law and her undergraduate degree in Biology from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. While in law school, she was awarded Loyola’s Laura Terlizzi Scholarship, given to a female student intending to practice intellectual property law, and three CALI Awards for the highest grade in Copyright, IP Advocacy, and IP Colloquium. She also researched issues related to drug patents in domestic and international contexts as a research assistant to Professor Ho.
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Sophia Gunzburg
Why Loyola

My Creative Journey Towards IP Law

Every kid in the world at some point in their lives has probably dreamt of inventing something or creating a brand–and making millions off their creative genius. I know I have. While I regret to inform you that I am neither a millionaire nor the next Steve Jobs (yet!), I’ve dabbled in many areas of intellectual property, which ultimately led me down the path to IP law. Continue reading “My Creative Journey Towards IP Law”

Kenneth Kang
Copyrights

Demystifying the Public Domain: How Expired IP Promotes Creativity

Before coming to law school, I only had a vague understanding of what the public domain was. Mostly, it seemed like a phrase people would throw around when describing music that was insanely old. However, a few of my friends make music in their spare time and seeing how they used music they found within the public domain” helped me understand its importance and how it functions.

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Kayla Stetzel
Fun Facts

Stealing Settlers? How IP factors into Online Games

Can Intellectual Property Protect Board Games?

I love board games and have been playing a lot of Settlers of Catan online during the pandemic. I use a site called colonist.io, which is an offshoot, unaffiliated version of the Settlers of Catan game. During my Intellectual Property (IP) class with Professor Ho earlier this year, I wondered how IP rights extend to board games. When we tend to think of IP, we might think of cool technological inventions for patents or Disney’s Mickey Mouse for copyright. IP generally relates to protecting human created products, names, and expressions, and can give its owner rights to protect these.

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Ariel Katz