Functional Elements In Patent Claims, As Construed By The Patent Trial And Appeal Board (Ptab), 13 J. Marshall Rev. Intell. Prop. L. 251 (2014),
2014
UIC School of Law
Functional Elements In Patent Claims, As Construed By The Patent Trial And Appeal Board (Ptab), 13 J. Marshall Rev. Intell. Prop. L. 251 (2014), Tom Brody
UIC Review of Intellectual Property Law
Claims in patents include both structural elements and functional elements. Functional elements occur in various categories: (1) Functional elements that mandate a particular range of structures that are able to perform the required function; (2) Functional elements that mandate a particular cooperation between structures; (3) Compound noun/function functional elements, (4) Active-type functional elements; (5) “Capable of”-type functional elements, (6) Single-word structural elements that are typical nouns, but that are also functional elements, e.g., “plasticizer,” and (7) Quasi-functional elements that lack any patentable weight. This article discloses which of these types of functional elements confers the broadest claim scope, and which …
Will Nanotechnology Products Be Impacted By The Federal Courts’ “Product Of Nature’ Exception To Subject-Matter Eligibility Under 35 U.S.C. 101?, 13 J. Marshall Rev. Intell. Prop. L. 397 (2014),
2014
UIC School of Law
Will Nanotechnology Products Be Impacted By The Federal Courts’ “Product Of Nature’ Exception To Subject-Matter Eligibility Under 35 U.S.C. 101?, 13 J. Marshall Rev. Intell. Prop. L. 397 (2014), Laura W. Smalley
UIC Review of Intellectual Property Law
In 2013, the Supreme Court in Myriad held that DNA is a “product of nature” that is not patentable merely because it is isolated from the human body. The year before, the Supreme Court in Prometheus held that diagnostic tests that incorporate little more than a “law of nature” is not patent eligible. These two decisions altered the landscape of patent eligible subject matter under Section 101 of the patent statute. They not only impact the patent eligibility of isolated DNA or diagnostic tests, but they may also have far wider-ranging impact on other technological fields, including biotechnology and nanotechnology. …
Hatch-Waxman’S Safe-Harbor Provision For Pharmaceutical Development: A Free Ride For Patent Infringers?, 13 J. Marshall Rev. Intell. Prop. L. 445 (2014),
2014
UIC School of Law
Hatch-Waxman’S Safe-Harbor Provision For Pharmaceutical Development: A Free Ride For Patent Infringers?, 13 J. Marshall Rev. Intell. Prop. L. 445 (2014), Kate Y. Jung
UIC Review of Intellectual Property Law
The Safe-Harbor provision of the Hatch-Waxman Act allows generic drug manufacturers to use a patented invention during pre-market testing of generic drugs. However, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit’s recent interpretation of the Safe-Harbor provision in Momenta Pharmaceuticals, Inc. v. Amphastar Pharmaceuticals, Inc. created controversy when it extended the Safe-Harbor exemption to post-FDA approval. This extension was done in an unprecedented manner and would “allow almost all activity by pharmaceutical companies to constitute ‘submission’ and therefore justify a free license to trespass.” The U.S. Supreme Court has yet to settle this matter, and courts are now faced …
Review And Reflection: Copyright Hearings And Related Discourse In The Nation’S Capital, 13 J. Marshall Rev. Intell. Prop. L. 487 (2014),
2014
UIC School of Law
Review And Reflection: Copyright Hearings And Related Discourse In The Nation’S Capital, 13 J. Marshall Rev. Intell. Prop. L. 487 (2014), Maria A. Pallante
UIC Review of Intellectual Property Law
On February 28, 2014, the Register of Copyrights of the United States and Director of the U.S. Copyright Office Maria A. Pallante delivered a keynote speech on the copyright hearings and related discourse in the nation’s capital. The speech was given at The John Marshall Law School’s 58th Annual Intellectual Property Conference. This article is based on her speech at the Conference.
What Reversals And Close Cases Reveal About Claim Construction: The Sequel, 13 J. Marshall Rev. Intell. Prop. L. 525 (2014),
2014
UIC School of Law
What Reversals And Close Cases Reveal About Claim Construction: The Sequel, 13 J. Marshall Rev. Intell. Prop. L. 525 (2014), Thomas Krause, Heather Auyang
UIC Review of Intellectual Property Law
This article updates and elaborates on last year’s What Close Cases and Reversals Reveal About Claim Construction at the Federal Circuit. Like the previous article, this article provides empirical insight into claim construction at the Federal Circuit, by approaching the question with two unique and distinct subsets of data: (1) “reversals” of all district court claim construction decisions since Phillips v. AWH, and (2) “close cases,” or post-Markman claim construction cases that had dissents in which a currently-active judge participated. The past year’s reversals data once again confirms that district courts persistently favor narrow claim interpretations in cases in which …
They’Re Playing Our Song! The Promise And The Perils Of Music Copyright Litigation, 13 J. Marshall Rev. Intell. Prop. L. 555 (2014),
2014
UIC School of Law
They’Re Playing Our Song! The Promise And The Perils Of Music Copyright Litigation, 13 J. Marshall Rev. Intell. Prop. L. 555 (2014), William R. Coulson
UIC Review of Intellectual Property Law
Music copyright cases are unique, costly, difficult, and complex. It was no different in the case where Ray Repp, a music composer for a Catholic publishing house, filed suit against Andrew Lloyd Webber, the famed British composer most famous for such Broadway hits as Cats and Phantom of the Opera. Repp alleged that Webber’s “Phantom Song,” the theme music for the Phantom of the Opera musical, infringed Repp’s song “Till You,” which he wrote and copyrighted almost a decade earlier. Webber in turn claimed that Repp’s “Till You” was in fact a copy of an even earlier Webber song, “Close …
Aerevolution: Why We Should, Briefly, Embrace Unlicensed Online Streaming Of Retransmitted Broadcast Television Content, 13 J. Marshall Rev. Intell. Prop. L. 577 (2014),
2014
UIC School of Law
Aerevolution: Why We Should, Briefly, Embrace Unlicensed Online Streaming Of Retransmitted Broadcast Television Content, 13 J. Marshall Rev. Intell. Prop. L. 577 (2014), Bradley Ryba
UIC Review of Intellectual Property Law
The United States has long recognized broadcast television programming’s importance to the public’s information and entertainment needs. Accordingly, Congress has historically offered strong copyright protections for broadcast television networks. Those strong protections allowed broadcast networks to withstand business threats from innovations like cable television and VCRs. However, Congress’ recent silence on DVRs and cloud computing technology has allowed an entrepreneur to create the networks’ next biggest threat, Aereo. The creators of Aereo and similar businesses designed their services specifically around ambiguities within copyright law that could allow them to transmit networks’ content without paying the otherwise necessary consent fees. These …
Streaming Into The Future: Why Legislation And Technology Have Opened Pandora’S Box For The Recording Industry And The Webcasting Services, 13 J. Marshall Rev. Intell. Prop. L. 649 (2014),
2014
UIC School of Law
Streaming Into The Future: Why Legislation And Technology Have Opened Pandora’S Box For The Recording Industry And The Webcasting Services, 13 J. Marshall Rev. Intell. Prop. L. 649 (2014), Rachael Stack
UIC Review of Intellectual Property Law
Today, music is everywhere, but this was not always the case. Listeners are surrounded by endless access to libraries and playlists from the advancement in technology. With the rapid technological advancements, Copyright law has been left behind at a stand still. Since the enactment of the Copyright Act, sound recordings have received less favorable treatment compared to their music counterpart. Sound recording copyrights are afforded digital performance royalties when broadcasted on popular Internet streaming services, like Pandora. In the last few years, music streaming has become more popular among listeners and thus, more sound recording royalties have been distributed; but, …
Adopting Pharmacogenomics And Parenting Repurposed Molecules Under The Orphan Drug Act: A Cost Dilemma?, 13 J. Marshall Rev. Intell. Prop. L. 667 (2014),
2014
UIC School of Law
Adopting Pharmacogenomics And Parenting Repurposed Molecules Under The Orphan Drug Act: A Cost Dilemma?, 13 J. Marshall Rev. Intell. Prop. L. 667 (2014), David C. Babaian
UIC Review of Intellectual Property Law
The business model under which the pharmaceutical industry has operated in the recent past has become untenable. The era that has seen a consistent pipeline of blockbuster medicines for common chronic diseases is waning. New paradigms for more efficient and more economical drug development are being sought and implemented. Recent growth both in the repurposing of existing drugs and in the orphan product market has signaled the new hope for success and profit. New technology and the promise of personalized medicine augment the sense of optimism in this time of complementary transition in the wider healthcare industry. Yet, are the …
Pinwheel Of Fortune, 13 J. Marshall Rev. Intell. Prop. L. 761 (2014),
2014
UIC School of Law
Pinwheel Of Fortune, 13 J. Marshall Rev. Intell. Prop. L. 761 (2014), James Ming Chen
UIC Review of Intellectual Property Law
This paper examines public health law in the context of prospect theory, the leading behavioral account of risk aversion and risk-seeking. The paper first demonstrates how international environmental law can be mapped along prospect theory’s risk-seeking axis. It then completes this picture of prospect theory by examining National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius, which upheld the constitutionality of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (“PPACA”). Although Sebelius upheld the PPACA as an exercise of the federal government’s taxing authority, it reasoned that a directive aimed at uninsured individuals to buy health insurance lay beyond the power of Congress …
A Scientific Approach To Intellectual Property And Health: Innovation, Access, And A Forgotten Corner Of The Universal Declaration Of Human Rights, 13 J. Marshall Rev. Intell. Prop. L. 794 (2014),
2014
UIC School of Law
A Scientific Approach To Intellectual Property And Health: Innovation, Access, And A Forgotten Corner Of The Universal Declaration Of Human Rights, 13 J. Marshall Rev. Intell. Prop. L. 794 (2014), Adam Houston
UIC Review of Intellectual Property Law
For years, there has been vigorous debate over the relationship between intellectual property and health, especially in the context of pharmaceutical patents. Despite numerous attempts to strike a balance between innovation and access, however, few have looked to Article 27 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights for guidance. Article 27, and its further elaboration and codification under Article 15 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights, explicitly address this balance by pairing the right of everyone “to share in scientific advancement and its benefits” with a similarly universal right of authors to “material interests resulting” from …
Protecting Traditional Knowledge In International Intellectual Property Law: Imperatives For Protection And Choice Of Modalities, 14 J. Marshall Rev. Intell. Prop. L. 25 (2014),
2014
UIC School of Law
Protecting Traditional Knowledge In International Intellectual Property Law: Imperatives For Protection And Choice Of Modalities, 14 J. Marshall Rev. Intell. Prop. L. 25 (2014), Tesh Dagne
UIC Review of Intellectual Property Law
The need for protecting traditional knowledge (TK) has been acknowledged in discussion and negotiations under the umbrella of a number of inter-governmental organizations that deal with biodiversity, the environment, indigenous peoples’ rights, human rights, food and agriculture, among others. It has, however, proved difficult to arrive at a consensus on the proper modality that can serve the needs and desires of Indigenous and Local Communities (ILCs) in their economic and cultural participation. The article examines the imperatives for the protection of TK and explores the modalities of TK protection at the international level for regulating the control of, access to …
Does Reckless Indifference Suffice For A Cancellation Proceeding Predicated On Fraud?, 14 J. Marshall Rev. Intell. Prop. L. 50 (2014),
2014
UIC School of Law
Does Reckless Indifference Suffice For A Cancellation Proceeding Predicated On Fraud?, 14 J. Marshall Rev. Intell. Prop. L. 50 (2014), Tal Benschar, Milton Springut
UIC Review of Intellectual Property Law
The Lanham Act provides for cancellation of a trademark “registration [that] was obtained fraudulently.” 15 U.S.C. § 1064(3) (2012). The Federal Circuit has held that such requires a showing of a subjective intent to deceive the Trademark Office. In re Bose Corp., 580 F.3d 1240, 1243, 91 U.S.P.Q.2d (BNA) 1938 (Fed. Cir. 2009). However, the Bose court left open whether reckless disregard for the truth suffices to make out a case of fraud. This article answers that question in the affirmative. We show that at common law, reckless disregard for the truth has long been recognized as sufficient to make …
Gender Diversity In The Patent Bar, 14 J. Marshall Rev. Intell. Prop. L. 67 (2014),
2014
UIC School of Law
Gender Diversity In The Patent Bar, 14 J. Marshall Rev. Intell. Prop. L. 67 (2014), Saurabh Vishnubhakat
UIC Review of Intellectual Property Law
This article describes the state of gender diversity across technology and geography within the U.S. patent bar. The findings rely on a new gender-matched dataset, the first public dataset of its kind, not only of all attorneys and agents registered to practice before the United States Patent and Trademark Office, but also of attorneys and agents on patents granted by the USPTO. To enable follow-on research, the article describes all data and methodology and offers suggestions for refinement. This study is timely in view of renewed interest about the participation of women in the U.S. innovation ecosystem, notably the provision …
Collateral Damage: Protecting Cultural Heritage In Crimea And Eastern Ukraine,
2014
St. Mary's University School of Law
Collateral Damage: Protecting Cultural Heritage In Crimea And Eastern Ukraine, Zoe Niesel
Faculty Articles
Since the early spring of 2014, the world has watched Russia utilize military forces to invade and annex territory belonging to Ukraine. These actions are, unsurprisingly, raising concerns in Eastern Europe over the prospect of armed conflict in the region, the political consequences of Russian annexation of Ukrainian territory, and the effect of this conflict on ordinary civilians. But there is another potential cost associated with Russia's actions that should not be overlooked - the loss of Ukrainian cultural heritage. History is replete with examples of the destruction of cultural heritage during periods of instability, from Napoleon's systematic looting of …
A Restatement Of Copyright Law As More Independent And Stable Treatise,
2014
Pace Law School
A Restatement Of Copyright Law As More Independent And Stable Treatise, Ann Bartow
Elisabeth Haub School of Law Faculty Publications
Copyright scholar Ann Bartow proposes a Restatement of her field of expertise, an area dominated by one federal statute, the Copyright Act. One might have thought that the traditional Restatement attention to state rather than federal law and common law rather than statutes would disqualify copyright from restateability. But as other contributions to this Symposium observe, federal statutory law has long lain in the sights of restaters, and as Bartow shows, copyright is plenty “complicated,” disputed, and refashioned in the courts. Moreover, as Bartow argues, the place that Restatement of Copyright could occupy is now held by a for-profit treatise …
Frand's Forever: Standards, Patent Transfers, And Licensing Commitments,
2014
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Frand's Forever: Standards, Patent Transfers, And Licensing Commitments, Jay P. Kesan, Carol M. Hayes
Indiana Law Journal
No abstract provided.
Keeping Trolls Out Of Courts And Out Of Pocket: Expanding The Inequitable Conduct Doctrine,
2014
Loyola University Chicago, School of Law
Keeping Trolls Out Of Courts And Out Of Pocket: Expanding The Inequitable Conduct Doctrine, Giordana Mahn
Loyola University Chicago Law Journal
Patent Asserting Entities (“PAEs”), often compared with the mythological troll who lurks under a bridge it did not build, demanding payment from anybody who wants to pass, are criticized for their business model as a type of “holdup” on innovation. They wait until a practicing entity infringes, then demand payment for technology that they did not create. Their critics charge PAEs with stifling innovation, crippling research and development, and chilling healthy competition. And although the courts, Congress, and government agencies identified PAEs as an issue since their recent emergence, current patent laws are ill-suited to limit PAE litigation and combat …
Trademark Hybridity And Brand Protection,
2014
Nonresident Fellow, Center for Internet & Society, Stanford Law School
Trademark Hybridity And Brand Protection, Timothy Greene
Loyola University Chicago Law Journal
What’s in a word? As it turns out, quite a lot. The vast majority of words in our language, including trademarked terms, signify a variety of conceptual meanings and senses. This idea of splintered definition— described in the psycholinguistics literature as “semantic ambiguity” and offered in two flavors: “homonymy” (divergent and unrelated meanings) and “polysemy” (divergent yet related senses)—is underrepresented in trademark law. As a result, there has been a proliferation of legal doctrines that fail to accurately describe our linguistic lives, most notably including dilution and genericness. This Article draws on psycholinguistics literature on semantic ambiguity resolution to highlight …
Excluding Patentability Of Therapeutic Methods, Including Methods Using Pharmaceuticals, For The Treatment Of Humans Under Trade Related Aspects Of Intellectual Property Rights Article 27(3)(A),
2014
Cleveland State University
Excluding Patentability Of Therapeutic Methods, Including Methods Using Pharmaceuticals, For The Treatment Of Humans Under Trade Related Aspects Of Intellectual Property Rights Article 27(3)(A), Michael Henry Davis
Law Faculty Articles and Essays
The Agreement on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights ("TRIPS"), the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade ("GATT"), and the World Trade Organization ("WTO") debacle has radically altered the traditional ability of nations to adopt whatever patent regime seems appropriate to them. Instead, TRIPS requires all member nations, even those which never thought it appropriate to grant such state monopolies, to afford patent protection to areas which had never been granted before-most dramatically in the area of health related innovations and, most expensively, pharmaceuticals. Until TRIPS, most -- or at least a number approaching half -- countries simply did …
