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Full-Text Articles in Intellectual Property Law

Rethinking The Role Of Clinical Trial Data In International Intellectual Property Law: The Case For A Public Goods Approach, Jerome H. Reichman Jan 2009

Rethinking The Role Of Clinical Trial Data In International Intellectual Property Law: The Case For A Public Goods Approach, Jerome H. Reichman

Marquette Intellectual Property Law Review

Clinical trials are currently used to test drugs; however, the risk and cost of clinical trials are increasing so drastically that the clinical trials may become unsustainable. This article evaluates the legal and economic trends of intellectual property protection for pharmaceutical clinical trial data. The protection of clinical trials has become an alternative to patents as market exclusivity encourages the development and testing of unpatentable pharmaceuticals. This author argues that clinical trials should be treated as a national and international public good instead of a private good and proposes that the government should oversee and fund the clinical trials to …


Nanobiotechnology, Synthetic Biology, And Rnai: Patent Portfolios For Maximal Near-Term Commercialization And Commons For Maximal Long-Term Medical Gain, Thomas M. Mackey Jan 2009

Nanobiotechnology, Synthetic Biology, And Rnai: Patent Portfolios For Maximal Near-Term Commercialization And Commons For Maximal Long-Term Medical Gain, Thomas M. Mackey

Marquette Intellectual Property Law Review

This article examines patent portfolio construction and management of three nascent technologies: nanobiotechnology, synthetic biology, and interference RNA. The author outlines how a practitioner can use patent portfolios to help his or her client to maximize long-term gain. Finally, the article advocates changes that would remove barriers to patentability and increase patent quality.


Intellectual Property Rights And Global Warming, Estaelle Derclaye Jul 2008

Intellectual Property Rights And Global Warming, Estaelle Derclaye

Marquette Intellectual Property Law Review

Global warming is an issue that is everywhere in today's society. This article examines whether intellectual property rights could be the solution to the global warming problem. The article limits its discussion to patent and copyright law and explores solutions to global warming that are applicable in Europe. The author suggests that these recommendations could influence other countries to make their intellectual property rights greener, as intellectual property rights are based on international instruments and universal agreements that could apply in any country. The article examines how current copyright and patent laws already tackle global warming and explains how these …


Kewanee Revisited: Returning To First Principles Of Intellectual Property Law To Determine The Issue Of Federal Preemption, Sharon K. Sandeen Jul 2008

Kewanee Revisited: Returning To First Principles Of Intellectual Property Law To Determine The Issue Of Federal Preemption, Sharon K. Sandeen

Marquette Intellectual Property Law Review

In the early 1970s it was thought that states could regulate in the areas of trade secrets without interfering with federal patent policies. However, this concept was called into question in the Sixth Circuit's ruling in Kewanee Oil Co. v. Bicron. In 1974 the Supreme Court ruled that Ohio's trade secret law was not preempted by federal patent law. This article revisits the issues raised in Kewanee in light of the Supreme Court's current preemption jurisprudence, changes in patent law, copyright law, and trade secret law since that time. First, the article reviews the history and context of the Kewanee …


Phillips V. Awh, Corp., A Doctrine Of Equivalents Case?, Natalie Sturicz Jul 2008

Phillips V. Awh, Corp., A Doctrine Of Equivalents Case?, Natalie Sturicz

Marquette Intellectual Property Law Review

For a number of years, U.S. courts have noted that the doctrine of equivalents has been unworkable. This article explains that as American courts move toward a more holistic approach to claim interpretation, the doctrine of equivalents will become increasingly unnecessary as a means of expanding patent scope. The author asserts that adopting a "person having ordinary skill in the art" approach to claim interpretation and eliminating the doctrine of equivalents in patent infringement cases would benefit patent law in several ways: (1) when courts interpret patent claims from the perspective of a person reasonably skilled in the art, patentees …


The Experimental Use Exception And Undergraduate Engineering Projects, Henry L. Welch Jul 2008

The Experimental Use Exception And Undergraduate Engineering Projects, Henry L. Welch

Marquette Intellectual Property Law Review

The experimental use exception was originally conceived as a defense applicable when the infringing activities were philosophical. Over time the exception has evolved into a test of the profit motives of the infringer. Despite their status as non-profits, universities now find themselves under the same narrow interpretation of the experimental use exception as previously applied only to profit-seeking businesses. This article explains that the experimental use exception is still a viable defense to patent infringement for a student-sponsored capstone senior design project. In a student-sponsored capstone senior design project, the impetus and general direction of the project are provided almost …


Speaking Words Of Wisdom: Let It Be: The Reexamination Of The Human Embryonic Stem Cell Patents, Julia Vom Wege Dovi Jan 2008

Speaking Words Of Wisdom: Let It Be: The Reexamination Of The Human Embryonic Stem Cell Patents, Julia Vom Wege Dovi

Marquette Intellectual Property Law Review

Embryonic stem cell research represents an area of scientific inquiry that bears great promise, and patent law ensures that stem cell technology is both protected and utilized to its fullest potential. This article analyzes why the USPTO should not invalidate or narrow three challenged stem cell patents owned by the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF) through the Public Patent Foundation. The author outlines the science behind stem cells, explains the applicable law, and articulates the policy considerations relevant to patent law and stem cells. Ultimately, the author argues that that the challenged patents should remain valid because they have not …


Meddimmune, Microsoft, And Ksr: The United States Supreme Court In 2007 Tips The Balance In Favor Of Innovation In Patent Cases, And Thrice Reverses The Federal Circuit, Sue Ann Mota Jan 2008

Meddimmune, Microsoft, And Ksr: The United States Supreme Court In 2007 Tips The Balance In Favor Of Innovation In Patent Cases, And Thrice Reverses The Federal Circuit, Sue Ann Mota

Marquette Intellectual Property Law Review

In 2007 the Supreme Court reversed three patent cases from the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. The three cases were MedImmune, Inc. v. Genentech, Inc. (holding a patent licensee does not have to breach a license agreement before seeking declaratory judgment that the underlying patent is invalid, unenforceable, or not infringed), Microsoft Corp. v. AT&T Corp. (holding Microsoft did not supply a component of an invention from the United States that had the possibility of infringing under the Patent Act), and KSR International Co. v. Teleflex Inc. (holding the requirement of non-obviousness under the Patent Act is analyzed …


In Re Seagate: Did It Really Fix The Waiver Issue? A Short Review And Analysis Of Waiver Resulting From The Use Of A Counsel's Opinion Letter As A Defense To Willful Infringement, Dov Greenbaum Jan 2008

In Re Seagate: Did It Really Fix The Waiver Issue? A Short Review And Analysis Of Waiver Resulting From The Use Of A Counsel's Opinion Letter As A Defense To Willful Infringement, Dov Greenbaum

Marquette Intellectual Property Law Review

The Federal Circuit, through its decision in Seagate, sought to clarify and definitively establish various consequences of an assertion of willful infringement by a patentee. This comment discusses the history and potential outcomes of the Seagate decision; first, by outlining basic issues of privilege and immunity and examining the history of uncertainty regarding waiver leading up to the Seagate decision. The remainder of the comment examines the potential outcomes of the decision, and presents possible resolutions to further resolve the issue and more fully repair attorney-client privilege and immunity.


Fixing Through Legislative Fixation: A Call For The Codification And Modernization Of The Staple Article Of Commerce Doctrine As It Applies To Copyright Law, Blake Evan Reese Jul 2007

Fixing Through Legislative Fixation: A Call For The Codification And Modernization Of The Staple Article Of Commerce Doctrine As It Applies To Copyright Law, Blake Evan Reese

Marquette Intellectual Property Law Review

Courts have misinterpreted and disagreed over how to apply relevant principles of patent law to copyright cases in an effort to strike a balance between protecting copyright holders' rights without restricting innovation. The author argues that courts have inflicted damage upon the balance of copyright's competing policies, leaving copyright owners and technology innovators facing great uncertainty. The author's Comment addresses the development of the Staple Defense and the logical reasoning supporting a new legislative proposal.


The Proper Scope Of Patentability In International Law, Shawn J. Kolitch Jan 2007

The Proper Scope Of Patentability In International Law, Shawn J. Kolitch

Marquette Intellectual Property Law Review

Patent law encourages innovation, but the harm caused by some inventions may outweigh the benefits of disclosure. This article examines the environmental and public health consequences of patent laws around the world and argues that the patent incentive should be selectively removed to mitigate the harmful effects of granting patents without regard to the invention-specific impacts of doing so.


What Is Patentable Subject Matter? The Supreme Court Dismisses Labcorp V. Metabolite Laboratories, But The Issue Is Not Going Away, Sue Ann Mota Jan 2007

What Is Patentable Subject Matter? The Supreme Court Dismisses Labcorp V. Metabolite Laboratories, But The Issue Is Not Going Away, Sue Ann Mota

Marquette Intellectual Property Law Review

Patent law seeks to strike a balance regarding patentable subject matter between overprotection, which can impede the free exchange of ideas, and under-protection, which can lessen the incentive to invent. This article summarizes the Supreme Court's recent decision to dismiss Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings v. Metabolite Laboratories, Inc., passing on the opportunity to consider the issue of what constitutes patentable subject matter under the Patent Act, and the author outlines recommendations for when the issue is raise by future litigants.


Breaking The Law To Break Into The Black: Patent Infringement As A Business Strategy , Eric C. Wrzesinski Jan 2007

Breaking The Law To Break Into The Black: Patent Infringement As A Business Strategy , Eric C. Wrzesinski

Marquette Intellectual Property Law Review

Corporations and businesses make important decisions everyday that affect their financial viability and market image. This article analyzes the phenomenon of patent infringement, considering whether firms consciously decide to infringe certain patents as a sound business strategy, or whether such cases arise spontaneously due to incomplete and careless research of prior art by infringing firms. The author considers the extent to which patent infringement may remain an effective business strategy for technology-producing firms, even when not employed willfully, due to the inadequate deterrence function of current U.S. patent laws.


Trips And Traditional Knowledge: Local Communities, Local Knowledge, And Global Intellectual Property Frameworks, Olufunmilayo B. Arewa Apr 2006

Trips And Traditional Knowledge: Local Communities, Local Knowledge, And Global Intellectual Property Frameworks, Olufunmilayo B. Arewa

Marquette Intellectual Property Law Review

Intellectual property treatment of traditional or local knowledge is a major issue of contention today, particularly since the implementation of the TRIPs Agreement, which establishes minimum levels of intellectual property protection for members of the World Trade Organization. Discourse surrounding local knowledge is highly charged with accusations of "piracy" from Western countries countered with allegations of "biopiracy" from Third World countries. Flowing beneath the surface of this dialogue are multiple levels of historical experience. Intellectual property frameworks were formed in the nineteenth century during a period when evolutionary views of the development of human societies were paramount. Local knowledge was …


Corporate Patents: Optimizing Organizational Responses To Innovation Opportunities And Invention Discoveries, Richard Gruner Jan 2006

Corporate Patents: Optimizing Organizational Responses To Innovation Opportunities And Invention Discoveries, Richard Gruner

Marquette Intellectual Property Law Review

This article examines the interplay between patent incentives and corporate innovation. It argues that innovation concerning today's complex technologies often requires efforts on a corporate organizational scale and that changes in patent and corporate laws are needed to fully promote effective and efficient innovation in corporate environments. The prevalence of patent ownership and exploitation by corporations reflects a fundamental but poorly appreciated truth about modern technological innovation. Patent incentives influencing individuals don't bring most new inventions to the public. Rather, in many recently developed technology areas, corporate-initiated efforts are the primary sources of publicly valuable innovation and, hence, the main …


Accepting Exceptions?: A Comparative Approach To Experimental Use In U.S. And German Patent Law, Peter Ruess Jan 2006

Accepting Exceptions?: A Comparative Approach To Experimental Use In U.S. And German Patent Law, Peter Ruess

Marquette Intellectual Property Law Review

Experimental use is a keystone of research and innovation for some and obstacle in using a patent for others. In a genuine international field such as patent law, monitoring recent developments is best done in a comparative way. Particularly, the decision Merck v. Integra of the US Supreme Court and the new EU law, give reason to explore this field in more detail.


Soft-Science Examiners At The Uspto: A Non-Obvious Solution To Reduce Erroneous Patent Grants, Mandy Barbara Seuffert Jan 2006

Soft-Science Examiners At The Uspto: A Non-Obvious Solution To Reduce Erroneous Patent Grants, Mandy Barbara Seuffert

Marquette Intellectual Property Law Review

Soft science graduates can participate in patent application review, or secondary review, at the USPTO when there exists a question as to a patent's validity or obviousness. Four reasons militate in favor of including soft science patent application reviews: (1) the PTO can increase the number of examiners at a relatively low cost; (2) more time can be devoted to each questionable patent application review; (3) soft science examiners use complimentary skills and insights that might promote fewer erroneous patent approvals; and, (4) fewer parties will be forced to litigate over patent validity. This paper examines the rising problems associated …


Of The Inequals Of The Uruguay Round, Srividhya Ragavan, Srividhya Ragavan Jan 2006

Of The Inequals Of The Uruguay Round, Srividhya Ragavan, Srividhya Ragavan

Marquette Intellectual Property Law Review

Ten years ago, the TRIPs Agreement set a distinct tone in international law by requiring Members to prioritize international trade obligations as a means to achieve national goals. Within the next five years, the AIDS crisis highlighted that compromising pressing national responsibilities-like a looming public health crisis-to fulfill international obligations may, in fact, detrimentally affect international trade. Meanwhile, access to medication continues to be an unresolved issue even as we celebrate the tenth anniversary of TRIPs and the end of the transitional period. This Article suggests that the success of TRIPs depends on its ability to address national responsibilities that …


Do We Have Too Many Intellectual Property Rights?, Richard A. Posner Jul 2005

Do We Have Too Many Intellectual Property Rights?, Richard A. Posner

Marquette Intellectual Property Law Review

The Honorable Richard A. Posner discusses the dangers presented by the propertization of intellectual property rights, particularly in the areas of copyright and patent. Unlike physical property, intellectual property rights are limited by duration, scope, and allowance of faire use. These limitations underlie the existence of a rich public domain that encourages the most valuable uses of intellectual property by reducing transaction costs and encouraging the creation of additional creative works.


Divergent Evolution Of The Patent Power And The Copyright Power, Edward C. Walterscheid Jul 2005

Divergent Evolution Of The Patent Power And The Copyright Power, Edward C. Walterscheid

Marquette Intellectual Property Law Review

Patent and copyright law in the United States derives from a constitutional grant of power to Congress, which drafted the Patent and Copyright Acts. The U.S. Supreme Court has addressed the meaning of various terms in the Patent and Copyright Clause, but only addressed the constitutionality of a copyright statute in 2003. The Court has never considered the constitutionality of a patent statute. The purpose of this article is to explore Congress' and the courts' diverging interpretations of the patent and copyright powers. It explores the reasons for this divergence, tracing the historic kinship between the two powers from the …


A Technical Critique Of Fifty Software Patents, Martin Campbell-Kelly, Patrick Valduriez Jul 2005

A Technical Critique Of Fifty Software Patents, Martin Campbell-Kelly, Patrick Valduriez

Marquette Intellectual Property Law Review

There has been a great deal of discussion on the desirability of software patents in the legal, economic, and technical academic literature. Case law is the basis of most of the legal literature on the topic. Typically, the basis of the economic literature on patents is the statistical analysis of large numbers of patents. The technical literature frequently hostile to patents often is based on an examination of a small number of pathologically bad patents The authors seek to overcome the inherent limitations of each category of article. The approach taken was to conduct a detailed, technical examination of the …


U.S. V. Rxdepot: The Battle Between Canadian Store-Front Companies, The Fda And Brand-Name Companies, Michael Rosenquist Jul 2005

U.S. V. Rxdepot: The Battle Between Canadian Store-Front Companies, The Fda And Brand-Name Companies, Michael Rosenquist

Marquette Intellectual Property Law Review

Prescription drugs are taken by millions of Americans each year for everything from seasonal allergies to beating cancer. However, millions of Americans each year are without health insurance of some form of prescription drug coverage. When the costs of prescriptions are beyond those Americans' reach, where should they turn to for help? RxDepot, Inc. was a company founded by an entrepreneur, Carl Moore, who believed he had the answer to the problem. In 2002, he began opening stores in the United States where customers could bring in the prescription, have it sent to a Canadian pharmacy, and receive their prescriptions …


Trips, Patents, And Access To Life-Saving Drugs In The Developing World, Bryan C. Mercurio Jul 2004

Trips, Patents, And Access To Life-Saving Drugs In The Developing World, Bryan C. Mercurio

Marquette Intellectual Property Law Review

This article critically analyzes the agreement implementing Paragraph 6 of the Doha Declaration. The author briefly details the trend of linking intellectual property rights to international trade before summarizing the pertinent provisions of the TRIPs Agreement. The author then introduces the controversy surrounding access to medicines by first detailing the global events that brought the issue to the fore and then by evaluating the accomplishments and unanswered questions of the Doha Declaration. The author also discusses the agreement implementing the Paragraph 6 Mandate, critically analyzes its provisions, and addresses several lingering questions and problems unaddressed by this agreement. The author …


Scope Of Protection: Comparison Of German And English Courts' Case Law, Sasa Bavec Jul 2004

Scope Of Protection: Comparison Of German And English Courts' Case Law, Sasa Bavec

Marquette Intellectual Property Law Review

This article examines the scope of patent protection granted in Germany and the United Kingdom (UK). The author aims to review the legal framework, practice, and case law on the issue of the interpretation of patent scope in Germany and the UK. The author also discusses the legal principles applied by courts in Germany and the UK in different patent cases and examines the differences in the application of patent application. The author concludes that the only significant difference between Germany and the UK that can be identified is the inability of German courts to decide on the validity of …


Protection For Indigenous Peoples And Their Traditional Knowledge: Would A Registry System Reduce The Misappropriation Of Traditional Knowledge?, Thomas J, Krumenacher Jan 2004

Protection For Indigenous Peoples And Their Traditional Knowledge: Would A Registry System Reduce The Misappropriation Of Traditional Knowledge?, Thomas J, Krumenacher

Marquette Intellectual Property Law Review

This Comment examines the controversy over whether a registry system is the best way to prevent Western inventors from obtaining intellectual property protection for traditional knowledge that has been misappropriated from underdeveloped parts of the world. This dilemma exists because traditional knowledge often constitutes patentable subject matter, most indigenous peoples do not subscribe to a Western "property rights" view of the world, and exploitation of traditional knowledge has become easier through improved communication capabilities. This Comment argues in favor of a registry system to catalog traditional knowledge; patent examiners would deny patent protection to any invention that replicates traditional knowledge. …


Patenting The Biological Bounty Of Nature: Re-Examining The Status Of Organic Inventions As Patentable Subject Matter, Burton T. Ong Jan 2004

Patenting The Biological Bounty Of Nature: Re-Examining The Status Of Organic Inventions As Patentable Subject Matter, Burton T. Ong

Marquette Intellectual Property Law Review

Mr. Ong discusses the controversy regarding biotechnology patents. Opponents of biotechnology patents are concerned that these patents show disrespect for life and nature, expropriate the traditional knowledge of indigenous communities, and encourage practices that threaten the environment. Proponents of biotechnology patents argue that patents are, at worst, neutral on such issues because they only grant a right to exclude; moreover, such patents encourage innovation in the public interest. Ong focuses instead on whether an individual inventor deserves an intellectual property right based on his contributions to a modified living organism or an organic substance derived from a living organism. He …


Market Definition In Intellectual Property Law: Should Intellectual Property Courts Use An Antitrust Approach To Market Definition?, Anna F. Kingsbury Jan 2004

Market Definition In Intellectual Property Law: Should Intellectual Property Courts Use An Antitrust Approach To Market Definition?, Anna F. Kingsbury

Marquette Intellectual Property Law Review

In her Article, Ms. Kingsbury notes that American courts do not use antitrust law's market definition approach in intellectual property cases. She discusses five potential rationales for this dichotomy: (1) intellectual property cases involve new products without defined markets; (2) market definition limits judicial flexibility; (3) courts do not want to burden intellectual property litigants with the time and expense of economic evidence; (4) judges reason from precedent, and that precedent did not consider market definition; and (5) "market" conveys a different meaning in intellectual property law than it does in antitrust law. Kingsbury presents counterarguments to these rationales and …


Tailoring Patent Policy To Specific Industries, Dan L. Burk Jan 2003

Tailoring Patent Policy To Specific Industries, Dan L. Burk

Marquette Intellectual Property Law Review

Mr. Burk illustrates that federal courts have diverged along industry-specific paths when deciding patent cases. Burk highlights courts' disparate treatment of the biotechnology and computer software industries within the uniform patent statute. Due to industries' differing requirements for innovation and development, Professor Burk argues that the currently general patent statute and its incentive to innovate may be improved by tailoring it to specific industries. Burk creates a dialogue on what kinds of statutory schemes promote innovation. Citing the Supreme Court's statement in Diamond v. Chakrabarty that the patent statute is meant to cover anything under the sun made by man, …


The Role Of Intellectual Property Rights In Negotiating And Planning A Research Joint Venture, Kurt M. Saunders Jan 2003

The Role Of Intellectual Property Rights In Negotiating And Planning A Research Joint Venture, Kurt M. Saunders

Marquette Intellectual Property Law Review

This Article considers the role of intellectual property rights in research joint ventures. Professor Saunders begins by outlining the various advantages of pursuing research in a joint venture business form, including the sharing of expertise and investment costs. The author identifies and elucidates the intellectual property issues, as well as related licensing and antitrust implications, that arise in the joint venture context. Most notably, Saunders articulates the different intellectual property concerns that surface at each separate stage-from negotiation and planning, to termination of the collaboration.


Stemming The Stem Cell Setback, Patrick J. Fleis Jan 2003

Stemming The Stem Cell Setback, Patrick J. Fleis

Marquette Intellectual Property Law Review

This Comment highlights the recent federal funding setbacks in the biotechnology industry and considers the resulting challenges to future research collaboration. After providing a historical background to stem cell technology, Mr. Fleis examines the passionately opposed public responses to the technology's use of embryos and to its future applications. Fleis continues by noting past legislative initiatives that have accelerated the ease of patenting biotechnology and research findings in general. The Comment addresses several possible solutions to the tension between limited government funding and continued stem cell research, such as the adoption of a more relaxed experimental use standard. Stem cell …