​​Patently Strategic – Patent Strategy for Startups

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An invention cannot be patented if the differences between your claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was conceived. Determining obviousness – and the validity of your patent – is more than simply establishing that the invention doesn’t already exist and that it isn’t documented elsewhere. Its conception must also not have otherwise been obvious to those in the field at the time.

If you’re thinking that sounds awfully subjective in the present and highly susceptible to hindsight bias in the future, you’d be right. Beyond being one of the four main drivers for patent application rejection at examination time, obviousness is also one of the primary vectors used by the Patent Trial and Appeal Board for invalidating patents via Inter Partes Review, so it’s essential to get this right so as to limit your patent’s potential invalidation surface area.

** Episode Overview **

Kristen Hansen, Patent Strategy Specialist at Aurora, and Dr. David Jackrel, President of Jackrel Consulting, lead today’s two-part discussion with our all-star panel, dissecting recent court decisions impacting the core patenting issue of obviousness. In breaking this all down in terms of how obviousness has been playing out in the courts, Dave, Kristen, and the panel discuss:

⦿ Inter Partes Review and how some PTAB strategy deviates from conventional patenting wisdom when it comes to obviousness.
⦿ Recent obviousness case law decisions.
⦿ Practice tips related to obviousness including analysis of how previously invalidated claims impact future claims, the dangers of being your own lexicographer, and the strategic importance of drafting backup positions in your specification.

** Mossoff Minute: PREVAIL Advances **

In this month's Mossoff Minute, Professor Adam Mossoff discusses some incredibly exciting news about the PREVAIL Act, which is designed to bring much overdue reform to the Patent Trial and Appeal Board.

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Patent examiners can make mistakes. Patent office clerks can misfile paperwork and cause procedural errors. The software tools, document formats like DOCX, and the IT systems your application passes through can have bugs. What recourse do you have when quality issues creep in at this stage? This is where petition practice, fortunately, comes to the rescue.

** Quality Patents Part 5 **

This is our final episode in a multi-part series focused on quality patents. The prior four episodes have all been about managing quality for everything in your immediate control. Steps you and your practitioner should be taking before and after your patent is granted. But what about the last mile, where you’re turning your carefully crafted patent application over to the patent office for examination and prosecution?

Patent petition practice is the process of filing formal requests, referred to as “petitions,” with the USPTO or other relevant patent offices to address procedural and administrative issues that can arise during the patent application process. Filing petitions can be an essential step to correct course when rules are misapplied, procedural errors occur, administrative actions need to be reversed, or deadlines are missed.

** Guest Hosts: Julie Burke and Michael Spector **

Julie Burke is a registered patent agent and former USPTO employee with 20 years of experience at the patent office. Julie rose up at the PTO to become a Quality Assurance Specialist – the type of manager you’d call when your case got off track. During this time, she handled more than 900 petitions at the patent office! After leaving the PTO, she founded her own consulting company, IP Quality Pro LLC, where she helps patent attorneys navigate complex situations in the patent system to protect their inventor’s ideas. This experience from both sides of the petition practice table has given Julie a level of access, experience, and insights shared by few in the industry. Julie is also presently an advisor for Petition.ai, the first searchable database of US patent prosecution petitions and associated documents. Julie is joined by the co-founder of Petition.ai, Michael Spector.

** Discussed Links **

⦿ Quality Patents Part 1: https://www.aurorapatents.com/blog/quality-patents
⦿ Quality Patents Part 2: https://www.aurorapatents.com/blog/ptab-survival-guide
⦿ Quality Patents Part 3: https://www.aurorapatents.com/blog/continuation-practice
⦿ Quality Patents Part 4: https://www.aurorapatents.com/blog/itc-proofing-patents
⦿ After Final Practice: https://www.aurorapatents.com/blog/new-podcast-after-final-practice

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For inventors, the promise of the patent system is the right to exclude others from making, using, importing, and selling their patented innovations for a limited period. But how do patent holders actually enforce those rights, particularly when the copycat product is being manufactured outside of domestic jurisdiction? In an otherwise challenging time for rights assertion, the ITC – or International Trade Commission – can be one of the most impactful long-range weapons an inventor has in their arsenal for stopping patent pirates.

The ITC has the authority to grant exclusion orders, which are enforced by U.S. Customs and Border Protection to block the importation of infringing products at U.S. ports of entry.

But how can you access the ITC, what are its requirements, how can you afford it, and what should you be thinking about now to help future proof your patent portfolio for the most effective use later at the ITC? We’re answering all of these questions in an episode that is part of our ongoing series on patent quality – aimed at not just getting a granted patent but in having one that will hopefully be valuable and stand the test of time.

** Guest Host: Evan Langdon **

Because experience is the best teacher, we’ve enlisted the help of Evan Langdon to guest host this month’s episode. Evan is a partner at Fabricant LLP and the Chair of its ITC practice. Evan has been focused on ITC litigation for the past 15 years, both offensively and defensively, having represented clients in more than thirty Section 337 cases at the ITC. Evan is recognized among the nation’s top ITC practitioners by Chambers USA and Chambers Global.

** Episode Overview **

⦿ What is the ITC and what are its advantages over court-based litigation to stop infringers?
⦿ Requirements for filing an ITC Action
⦿ Litigation financing options for the ITC
⦿ Offensive and defensive strategies at the ITC
⦿ Patent drafting and portfolio strategy tips for increasing your odds at the ITC
⦿ Masimo v. Apple and the ITC's import ban of the Apple Watch
⦿ The recent Lashify case and what it means for the domestic industry requirement

** Discussed Links **

⦿ Quality Patents Part 1: https://www.aurorapatents.com/blog/quality-patents
⦿ Quality Patents Part 2: https://www.aurorapatents.com/blog/ptab-survival-guide
⦿ Quality Patents Part 3: https://www.aurorapatents.com/blog/continuation-practice
⦿ Patent Anatomy: https://www.aurorapatents.com/blog/new-podcast-patent-anatomy
⦿ RESTORE Act: https://www.aurorapatents.com/blog/restoring-injunctive-relief

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There’s not a more important concept that’s more widely misunderstood by those newer to patenting than continuations. So we’re dedicating Part 3 of our series on quality patents to everything you need to know about this essential step for future proofing and increasing the value of your portfolio.

Void of pursuing continuations, the language of your patent is frozen in time at issuance. The specifics of the enforceable boundaries of your protection are forever fixed to the claims you chose to pursue with your initial application – but not necessarily with the full breadth of your invention as conceived. For many reasons, practitioners and inventors will often choose to limit how much of an invention is claimed in an initial application. But then the future happens. Case law changes. New competitors arise. New prior art surfaces. And challenges may come in the form of litigation or IPRs as we discussed in our last episode. With a closed family, all you can do is hope you had the right foresight to predict this future with your static document.

Continuations, on the other hand, allow patent owners to keep patent families open – in other words, not textually frozen in time at issuance. When done right and timely, the patent family becomes a series of living documents, allowing a patent owner to claim and capture the full scope and breadth of the conceived innovation, but with the benefit of hindsight, known R&D outcomes, and changing market conditions.

** Episode Overview  **

⦿ The basics of continuation practice and its strategic benefits
⦿ Types of continuation applications and how and when each applies
⦿ The close cousin concepts of terminal disclaimers and prosecution latches
⦿ The potential unfortunate consequences of the recent Sonos v. Google decision regarding a very common use of continuation practice

** Mossoff Minute  **

In this month's Mossoff Minute, Adam discusses the introduction of the RESTORE Act. This is an exciting new piece of legislation aimed at restoring patent owners’ abilities to obtain injunctions to stop infringers from continuing to steal innovations after being found guilty of doing so.

** Discussed Links **

⦿ Quality Patents Part 1: https://www.aurorapatents.com/blog/quality-patents
⦿ Quality Patents Part 2: https://www.aurorapatents.com/blog/ptab-survival-guide
⦿ Patent Anatomy: https://www.aurorapatents.com/blog/new-podcast-patent-anatomy

** Follow Aurora Patents **

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The most terrifying thing that can happen to a patent owner is receiving what’s called an IPR or Inter Partes Review petition. This is a tool that accused infringers can use to invalidate patents. And they have … to alarming effect. As we’ve discussed, the kill rate at the PTAB is staggering. The Patent Trial and Appeal Board – or as regular listeners of this audience more commonly know it as, the "Patent Death Squad" – has racked up a claim execution rate north of 84% and the death of thousands of valid patents at the hands of infringers looking to profit from innovations they didn’t invest in to create. This is an institution that is clearly out of balance and screaming for reform.

And while we continue to diligently work toward those necessary reform solutions, we also have to deal with the world as it is and craft the highest quality, most future-proof patents possible. So we’re dedicating Part 2 of our series on Patent Quality to creating a guide for how to help IPR proof your patent – things you can do when you write and prosecute patent applications before an examiner to maximize the likelihood that the resulting patent will survive the IPR that it will eventually experience if it’s a valuable patent.

** Guest Host: Matt Phillips **

Your expert author of this guide is someone who’s spent considerable time in the belly of the beast, successfully representing both petitioners and patent owners. Matt Phillips is a clear thinker, a great speaker, and draws from a deep well of real world expertise built from both sides of the IPR table.  His practice focuses on post grant proceedings including review proceedings at the PTAB, reexaminations, and reissues. According to Matt, post-grant proceedings are about 80% of what he’s done for the past 10-15 years. He also created and taught the “Post-Grant Patent Practice” course for the Patent Resources Group for eleven years and is a co-author of a two-volume treatise of the same name. Matt has taught as an adjunct law school professor. He has published over 40 articles on post-grant patent topics and been an invited speaker around the country and internationally on post-grant topics.

** Discussed Links **

⦿ Quality Patents Part 1: https://www.aurorapatents.com/blog/quality-patents
⦿ Patent Anatomy: https://www.aurorapatents.com/blog/new-podcast-patent-anatomy
⦿ Patent Wars: https://www.aurorapatents.com/blog/patent-wars-innovators-revolutionaries-and-the-race-to-reform
⦿ American Inventor Horror Story: https://www.aurorapatents.com/blog/new-podcast-american-inventor-horror-story

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Is your patent a vanity piece of paper for your office wall? Or is it a reliable, defendable, assertable, property right? The difference is often quality.

Is your patent simply a transactional cost and a large pile of legal bills for your startup? Or is it a leverageable asset worthy of attracting precious investment dollars, worth its cost in multiples of valuation? The difference is often quality.

Is your patent application only good enough to get through the examination process? Or has it been crafted to stand the tests of time and varied audiences if you later need to assert that document against an infringer, find yourself litigating with it in an Article 3 Court at the hands of a judge and jury, God forbid, end up having to defend its validity at the PTAB, or even needing to use it to block pirated imports at the International Trade Commission? The difference is often quality.

Quality will be our focus for a good chunk of the remainder of this season. What goes into a quality patent, and where possible, how do you get it without breaking the bank?

** Episode Overview **

In this first episode of our quality series, Kristen Hansen and the panel discuss:

⦿ What do we mean when we say patent quality?
⦿ Why is patent quality important?
⦿ How to balance quality and budget
⦿ The importance of searching, continuations, and draftsperson domain expertise
⦿ Very practical tips, tricks, examples, and Kristen’s Musts for drafting quality applications

** Mossoff Minute **

In this month's Mossoff Minute, in honor of celebrating America’s independence, we’re flashing back to our conversation with Professor Adam Mossoff about why patents exist, how the US system differed from all predecessors, and how the Founders’ notions of the core principles of democracy are inextricably linked with the societal good that comes from innovation and intellectual property protection.

** Discussed Links **

⦿ Patent Anatomy: https://www.aurorapatents.com/blog/new-podcast-patent-anatomy
⦿ Claim Construction: https://www.aurorapatents.com/blog/claim-construction
⦿ Patent Wars: https://www.aurorapatents.com/blog/patent-wars-innovators-revolutionaries-and-the-race-to-reform
⦿ American Inventor Horror Story: https://www.aurorapatents.com/blog/new-podcast-american-inventor-horror-story

** Follow Aurora Patents **

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We’ve seen few entrepreneurial success stories that haven’t involved heavy doses of perseverance, grit, observation, and creative problem-solving. Today’s guest possesses these qualities in spades. And while I can’t necessarily recommend some of the more death-defying specifics of his approach … at least not without a lot of “don’t try this at home” fine print :)  … I do think that most inventors and aspiring entrepreneurs will benefit immensely from studying our guest's thoughtfully crafted, time-tested, and wildly inventive approaches to innovation and business.

Robert Cameron is the Owner and CEO of Multi Wedge – as well as the inventor of some brilliant products sold under the same name. Multi Wedge non-marring pry tools are designed to pry delicate materials without damage. These are excellent tools for woodworking, electrical wiring, delicate mechanical work, and so much more. Robert’s wedges were recently tested by SpaceEx and used in the manufacturing process of Jet Engines at G.E Aviation. And of slightly less significance, but much closer to home, found under the Christmas trees of several of my closest relatives this past December. Robert has molded 1.3 million 3-piece sets, 3.3 million single wedges, and has been selling Multi Wedge in over 18,000 stores since 2010.

I met Robert back in October at the US Inventor Conference in DC. I was lucky enough to bump into him over dinner when he shared his incredible story with me. It's one of the funniest and most inspiring success stories you’ll hear.

** Mossoff Minute **

In this month's Mossoff Minute, Professor Adam Mossoff discusses findings from the recently published World IP Day Patent Litigation Study. This study clearly shows problems with the patent system but not the problems you typically hear from the companies that have been dominating the patent policy discussions for the past decade. Adam also highlights the importance of injunctions and damages – something we'll be discussing a lot more in segments to come.

** Discussed Links **

⦿ Multi Wedge: https://multiwedge.com/

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The difference between getting claim construction right and getting it wrong is the difference between a valid patent and an invalid patent – and the difference between millions of dollars awarded from infringement decisions vs. ending up with a worthless piece of paper.

In this month’s episode, Dr. David Jackrel, President of Jackrel Consulting, leads a discussion into three real-world applications for patent claim construction, as tested and decided upon by the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. This is the highest court in the land under the Supreme Court for handling intellectual property disputes – and establishes much of the legal precedent the patent world has to go on … for better and for worse. The panel dissects the claims for each case, discusses the court’s analysis, and provides tips and strategies for more effective claim drafting in light of the strengths and weaknesses of the litigated patents.

Dave is joined today by our always exceptional group, including:

⦿ Dr. Ashley Sloat, President and Director of Patent Strategy at Aurora
⦿ Kristen Hansen, Patent Strategy Specialist at Aurora
⦿ Ty Davis, Patent Strategy Associate at Aurora

** Mossoff Minute **

In this month's Mossoff Minute, Professor Adam Mossoff discusses the ill-advised price control mania presently sweeping the globe and its predictable impacts on free markets and innovation if we continue down the current path we’re precariously walking.

** Discussed Links **

⦿ Aurora hiring links: https://www.aurorapatents.com/careers.html
⦿ Claim Strategies Episode (Part 1): https://www.aurorapatents.com/blog/patent-claims-the-name-of-the-game
⦿ Claim Construction Episode (Part 2): https://www.aurorapatents.com/blog/claim-construction
⦿ Patent Anatomy Episode: https://www.aurorapatents.com/blog/new-podcast-patent-anatomy
⦿ Patent Anatomy Blog Post: https://www.aurorapatents.com/blog/patent-anatomy-whats-in-a-patent

** Follow Aurora Patents **

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We’re talking about AI and its impact on the patent system.

This month's episode evaluates where we presently are and considers where it could all be heading. Dr. David Jackrel and Dr. Ashley Sloat lead a two-part discussion with our all-star panel that begins with a deep dive on the present state of AI patent tools for searching, proofreading, drafting, and prosecution – and then moves on to an exploration of how these tools could eventually provide solutions for many problems plaguing the industry including PTAB invalidation rates, hindsight bias, prior art search quality, and the unsustainable bar.  Discussion highlights include:

⦿ ChatGPT 4.0 vs. professionals on core competencies
⦿ Why AI is evolving so rapidly
⦿ AI problems and hallucinations
⦿ AI and public disclosure risk
⦿ AI implications for inventorship
⦿ Current state of AI-assisted patent searching, proofreading, drafting (rule and LLM-based), and prosecution tools
⦿ AI's potential future role in the patent system for fixing issues with the PTAB, search quality, and the unsustainable bar

David and Ashley are also joined today by our always exceptional group of experts including:

⦿ Kristen Hansen, Patent Strategy Specialist at Aurora
⦿ Ty Davis, Patent Strategy Associate at Aurora
⦿ Josh Sloat, Chief Everything Else Officer at Aurora

** Mossoff Minute **

In this month's Mossoff Minute, Professor Adam Mossoff discusses the patentability of AI-generated works and inventions.

** Discussed Links **

⦿ USPTO Inventorship Guidance for AI-Assisted Inventions

** Follow Aurora Patents **

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Our interview with James Howard, Founder and Executive Director of the Black Inventors Hall of Fame.

James Howard is a college professor, design historian, entrepreneur, industrial designer, inventor, filmmaker, and restauranteur. He brings over 25 years of experience as a design professor and has authored a course on Design Thinking and Design History that explores the impact of design on society.  As an accomplished Industrial Design educator and entrepreneur, Howard has lectured on the experience of Black American inventors. Howard himself is an extraordinary inventor with 20 patents, several of which we discuss, cover innovations that save people's lives daily.

James' life work is now culminating in his mission of bringing a broad and detailed awareness to the important work of African American inventors, artists, and innovators who have inspired and forged ahead against tremendous odds and adversity. In creating the Black Inventors Hall of Fame, James hopes to have a place where kids of all ages and persuasions can go and be inspired to become the next generation of scientists, engineers, doctors, and inventors. Because like the great inventor Lonnie Johnson says, “What they see, they will be.” 

** Mossoff Minute **

In this month's Mossoff Minute, Professor Adam Mossoff discusses how there’s a pirate living in your Apple Watch and why the media’s coverage of Apple’s predatory infringement of Masimo's patents is missing the mark.

** Discussed Links **

⦿ Black Inventors Hall of Fame
⦿ BIGG documentary: The Gathering
⦿ Tech Boy Book
⦿ Why Patents Exist
⦿ Inventor Stories Vol. 1

** Follow Aurora Patents **

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⦿ Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuroraPatents
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Claim construction is a process in which courts attempt to interpret the meaning and scope of the claims of a patent. It’s like reconstructing what an inventor and their practitioner meant back when they drafted the patent application. While your patent might not be tested in a court for many years, understanding the sometimes surprising language specifics and context traps while drafting now can help set you up for success later when defending your patent or attempting to stop an infringer. The words you choose now and the support you provide when drafting are your opportunity to help derisk the process of courts and juries later interpreting what you meant. And oftentimes, claim construction can be the KEY FACTOR in resolving disputes even before litigation, with the facts that come out of claim construction deciding the monetary value and payouts in settlements.

Kristen Hansen, Patent Strategy Specialist at Aurora, leads the discussion along with our all-star patent panel, exploring:

⦿ The evolution of claim terms
⦿ Claim construction basics and a historical look at what are called Markman hearings
⦿ Intrinsic evidence vs. extrinsic evidence
⦿ Claim construction in prosecution vs. litigation

Kristen is also joined today by our always exceptional group of IP experts including:

⦿ Dr. Ashley Sloat, President and Director of Patent Strategy at Aurora
⦿ Dr. David Jackrel, President of Jackrel Consulting
⦿ Dr. David Cohen, Principal at Cohen Sciences
⦿ Steve Stupp, Partner at Stupp Associates, LLC
⦿ Ty Davis, Patent Strategy Associate at Aurora
⦿ Arman Khosraviani, Patent Agent and Former US Patent Examiner

** Mossoff Minute **

This month's Mossoff Minute, Professor Adam Mossoff discusses recently proposed regulations that would misapply Bayh-Dole provisions to impose march-in rights on patent-protected innovations and create price controls via compulsory licensing. This amounts to government seizure of private property and will do tremendous harm – especially to the life sciences – if implemented.

** Going Deeper **

⦿ Patent Claim Basics and Strategies
⦿ Patent Anatomy Guide

** Follow Aurora Patents **

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From patenting classic boardgames like Monopoly and Battleship back in the 1930s to challenges with protecting modern innovations in areas like game development and VR, our experts are breaking down everything you need to know about patenting games so you don’t end up just rolling the dice when investing in protections for your entertaining innovations. 

As a bonus, in this month’s episode, we’re bringing you two dealers: Dr. David Jackrel, President of Jackrel Consulting, will be covering the physical realm of board games and toys. Kristen Hansen, Patent Strategist and software guru here at Aurora, will be covering all things computer and video games in the second half. 

David and Kristen are joined by our always exceptional group of IP experts. Two exceptional gamers who would never be regarded as NPCs:

• Dr. Ashley Sloat, expert hotel builder and securer of rights on properties of all colors, but especially the green ones.
• Ty Davis, who’s always playing chess when it comes to claims.

** Mossoff Minute **

Professor Adam Mossoff recently attended the annual Inventor’s Hall of Fame induction ceremony and discusses two sets of inductees and their groundbreaking inventions of the mRNA platform and CRISPR gene editing technology.

** RISE Award Winners **

To learn more about this year's RISE award winners including Dustin Webb (Absolute Concept Designs), Rebel Cultures (Della Fetzer), Sand Baggage (Michael Wahlstrom),  and Chefshare  (Dr. Erin Eatough), please visit https://www.aurorapatents.com/rise-up-with-aurora.html.
 
** Follow Aurora Patents **

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We’re talking about claims – the fundamental building blocks of a patent. There simply is not a more important concept to grasp in all of patenting. As a former chief justice of the Federal Circuit once famously said, “The name of the game is the claim.” And in terms of what game you’re playing, the claims are where you separate the patents playing checkers from the patents playing chess.

This is where your patent practitioner earns their money and as you’ll learn today, also where the most costly mistakes can be born. As David Cohen, a Patently Strategic regular, has said in the past, "Ninety percent of the mental exercise in drafting patents is in the strategy of looking around corners, anticipating the future, and trying to capture as many would-be infringers as possible.” How your claims are crafted is literally the difference between a patent being an intellectual asset and a worthless stack of paper.

In this month’s episode, Ty Davis, Patent Strategy Associate here at Aurora, leads a discussion, along with our all star patent panel, delving deeply into:

⦿ Claim fundamentals
⦿ Claim drafting strategies
⦿ How to think about claims in the context of infringement
⦿ And in the game of patenting, how to move like a queen, so you’re not treated like a pawn.

Ty is joined by our always exceptional group of IP experts, including:

⦿ Dr. Ashley Sloat, President and Director of Patent Strategy at Aurora
⦿ Kristen Hansen, Patent Strategist at Aurora
⦿ Dr. David Jackrel, President of Jackrel Consulting
⦿ Marie Smyth, Patent Agent, formerly with Greenberg Traurig and Meta
⦿ Porter Thames, J.D. and Patent Agent at SMU Science and Technology Law Review

** Mossoff Minute **

This month's Mossoff Minute, featuring Professor Adam Mossoff, looks at the poorly named Advancing America's Interests Act and its potential impact on the ITC being able to block import of products that infringe on American patents.

** Resources **

⦿ Patent Anatomy Episode: https://www.aurorapatents.com/blog/new-podcast-patent-anatomy
⦿ Patent Anatomy Guide: https://www.aurorapatents.com/blog/patent-anatomy-whats-in-a-patent 

** Follow Aurora Patents **

⦿ Home: https://www.aurorapatents.com/
⦿ Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuroraPatents
⦿ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/aurora-cg/
⦿ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aurorapatents/
⦿ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aurorapatents/
⦿ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@aurorapatents
⦿ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@aurorapatents/

Thanks for listening! 

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In this month's episode, we’re talking about the use of government grants and the strings that can come attached to your IP! We’re exploring the various types of small business research grants, how the Bayh-Dole Act regulates inventions generated under government grants, licensing and ownership implications for your patent when using federal dollars, and the sticky webs that you may find yourself in if you are not carefully tracking IP and adhering to the numerous provisions and timelines.

Dr. Ashley Sloat, President and Director of Patent Strategy here at Aurora, leads the discussion along with our all-star patent panel, exploring:

⦿ How the Bye-Dole Act of 1980 regulates inventions under government grants
⦿ As a small business, what types of grants are available to you and whether or not they can cover IP-related costs
⦿ The rights of the federal government to your Invention when you use grant money
⦿ Implications for using subcontractors to perform the work under the grant
⦿ And of course, some of the biggest gotcha’s and practical tips for avoiding them

Ashley is also joined today by our always exceptional group of IP experts including:

⦿ Kristen Hansen, Patent Strategy Specialist at Aurora
⦿ Dr. David Jackrel, President of Jackrel Consulting
⦿ Ty Davis, Patent Strategy Associate at Aurora

** Mossoff Minute **

This month's Mossoff Minute, featuring Professor Adam Mossoff, looks at the introduction of a very important piece of patent reform legislation called the PREVAIL Act.

** Follow Aurora Patents **

⦿ Home: https://www.aurorapatents.com/
⦿ Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuroraPatents
⦿ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/aurora-cg/
⦿ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aurorapatents/
⦿ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aurorapatents/
⦿ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@aurorapatents
⦿ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@aurorapatents/

Thanks for listening! 

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In this month’s episode, we’re talking about Jack Daniels, Mickey Mouse, Andy Warhol, Jason Voorhees, Winnie-the-Pooh, Lizzo, and WallStreetBets … What do they have to do with patents you might fairly be wondering? Honestly, not much.

Patents are our focus in our business and in this podcast, so we devote a lot of air time to talking about protecting ideas and inventions, but in the realm of intellectual property, patents have some pretty close cousins. In thinking more broadly about creating the largest possible moat with your IP, you also need to be considering what our guest, Mallory King, refers to as “brand protection” – or the copyrights, trademarks, and contracts necessary to protect your brand’s rights and assets.

Copyrights and trademarks in particular have seen a lot of limelight this year involving some of the biggest brands and pop culture icons. At the same time, major IP rights questions are erupting around the use of generative AI systems like ChatGPT. In addition to covering the basics necessary to help get you booted up, we’re going to use these high profile topics and Supreme Court cases as a vehicle to get a deeper understanding of copyrights and trademarks and some of the sharpest corners you should be aware of when managing your own brand protection.

** Topics Highlights **'

⦿ Copyright and Trademark Basics
⦿ Work made-for-hire and Friday the 13th
⦿ Jack Daniels Properties v. VIP Products
⦿ Brand protection expiration, Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey, and Steamboat Willie
⦿ Lizzo's "100% That Bitch" trademark appeal
⦿ r/WallStreetBets trademark dispute with Reddit
⦿ Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc. v. Goldsmith
⦿ Generative AI: Humans as authors and fair use implications

** Mossoff Minute **

This month's Mossoff Minute, featuring Professor Adam Mossoff, looks at the introduction of the 2023 Patent Eligibility Restoration Act, its biggest criticisms, and why it needs to be passed. 

** Connect With Our Guest **

Mallory King is the owner and attorney at Breathe Brand Protection, PLLC, a boutique law firm specializing in all things brand protection. Based in Traverse City, Michigan, Mallory is passionate about helping entrepreneurs and small businesses protect their most valuable brand assets, both locally and nationwide. You can learn more about Mallory and Breathe Brand Protection at https://www.breathe.law/

** Follow Aurora Patents **

⦿ Home: https://www.aurorapatents.com/
⦿ Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuroraPatents
⦿ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/aurora-cg/
⦿ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aurorapatents/
⦿ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aurorapatents/
⦿ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@aurorapatents
⦿ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@aurorapatents/

Thanks for listening! 

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Why do patents exist in the first place? What function do they serve in society? And what is their historic origin story? In this month’s episode, with the help of Professor Adam Mossoff, we zoom way out, turn the time dial back a bit, and focus on the genesis of patents.

There’s a special kind of magic that happens when individual incentives align with societal good. Abraham Lincoln, who believed that the creation of the patent system was only surpassed by the discovery of America and the invention of the printing press in terms of the three greatest advancements in human history, once said, “The Patent System added the fuel of interest to the fire of genius.” The recognition and protection of mental labor and the fruits of the mind as natural property rights enabled any inventor – big or small – to profit from their discoveries and partner with those possessing the resources necessary to scale and bring new products and services to the marketplace. The exchange of this protection for an enabling public disclosure enhanced society and accelerated the pace of innovation by facilitating the open exchange of information and created the greatest free library of science and technological information in the world. And because the economy grows and society flourishes when innovation is encouraged, society was transformed in the 19th and 20th centuries as demonstrated by the scientific and technological revolutions that define our modern society and by virtue, created the greatest hockey stick graph in history.

But somewhere along the way, we lost sight of this. Patents became a victim of their own success. Their impact on society, the economy, and innovation became both ubiquitous and too often unseen at the same time. This episode is the start of our effort to help undo this collective societal amnesia about the significance of patents.

** Episode Overview **

• CliffsNotes Patent History, from conceptual origins in Ancient Greece through the pre-revolutionary English system and the origin of the word "patent", itself. 
• The U.S. Patent System, its democratization of invention, and its significant break from its predecessors, championed and breathed into existence by the collective wisdom of the likes of George Washington, James Madison, and Thomas Jefferson. 
• Embedded in Democracy. The prominent role patents played in the Federalist Papers, the Constitution, the first ever State of the Union Address, and as the third ever act of the first Congress. 
• Innovation Bridge or Blockade? How the differences in the U.S. system played out internationally across the Industrial, chemical, pharma, biotech, computer, and mobile revolutions.
• Trolling the Founders. How the fundamental virtues that made the U.S. system unique and proved successful over its history have now tragically become the primary attack vectors used by its opponents.

** Connect With Our Guest **

You can follow Adam on Twitter at @AdamMossoff, where he posts regularly on patent and innovation policy, including his excellent “this Day in Innovation History” tweets.

** Follow Aurora Consulting **

⦿ Home: https://www.aurorapatents.com/
⦿ Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuroraPatents
⦿ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/aurora-cg/
⦿ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aurorapatents/
⦿ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aurorapatents/

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What do investors want to see in patents? What do patents tell a potential investor about a founder? And what do investors wish inventors knew before coming to them?

To answer these questions and more, we're joined this month by Dr. Sridhar Iyengar, an angel investor and accomplished serial entrepreneur in the medical devices and wearables space. Having been on both sides of the table, Dr. Iyengar's unique insights provide a comprehensive understanding of the essential role that patents can play in securing funding and in your company's long term success.

Sridhar and I are also joined today by:

⦿ Dr. Ashley Sloat, President and Director of Patent Strategy at Aurora
⦿ Dr. Sophia Li, Patent Strategy Fellow at Aurora

** RISE Award **
We’re now accepting applications for the 4th Annual RISE Award! For the selected applicant, we will work closely with you and your team of inventors to provide one of the following:
⦿ A free provisional U.S. patent application or
⦿ $5,000 towards a non-provisional U.S. patent application.

Apply now: https://www.aurorapatents.com/rise-up-with-aurora.html

** Resources **

⦿ Show Notes: https://www.aurorapatents.com/blog/what-investors-want-in-patents-with-sridhar-iyengar

** Follow Aurora Consulting **

⦿ Home: https://www.aurorapatents.com/
⦿ Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuroraPatents
⦿ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/aurora-cg/
⦿ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aurorapatents/
⦿ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aurorapatents/

And as always, thanks for listening! 

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How does the use of or contribution to open-source software impact your intellectual property rights?

In this month's episode, we’re talking about software and the convoluted risk/reward interplay between patents, copyrights, and open source. Use of free open-source code can be an invaluable tool when building complex software applications. Why reinvent wheels? And depending on resources and budget, sometimes it’s the only practical way. But like with most things, free often isn’t really free. The cost is just transferred somewhere else. When it comes to open source, these short term savings can have significant long term consequences for your intellectual property rights.

⦿ Can you mix open source with commercial software and still keep your code private?
⦿ Can you patent your own software that uses open-source software?  Could you ever actually assert those rights?
⦿ Can you patent open-source software you author and why would you?

We'll discuss answers to these questions and more. Kristen Hansen, Patent Strategist and software patent guru here at Aurora, leads a discussion along with our all-star patent panel, exploring:

⦿ The fundamentals of open-source licensing and how certain viral license types can require you to publicly make available your company’s source code.
⦿ How copyrights, patents, and open-source licenses differ in terms of software protection strategies.
⦿  Whether or not – and why you might – patent open-source software and the often proprietary code that leverages it, as well as the associated patent right assertion risks that can come with doing so.

We look at concerns through the eyes of both users and authors of open source. And pragmatically as we can, highlight how it’s possible to construct a strategy where open-source innovation is encouraged without forgoing all future earning power and without blocking others from using it.

Kristen is joined today by our always exceptional group of IP experts including:

⦿ Dr. Ashley Sloat, President and Director of Patent Strategy at Aurora
⦿ Dr. David Jackrel, President of Jackrel Consulting
⦿ Ty Davis, Patent Strategy Associate at Aurora

** Resources **

⦿ Show Notes: https://www.aurorapatents.com/blog/open-source-and-patent-rights
⦿ Slides: https://www.aurorapatents.com/uploads/9/8/1/1/98119826/opensourceandpatents.pdf

** Follow Aurora Consulting **

⦿ Home: https://www.aurorapatents.com/
⦿ Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuroraPatents
⦿ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/aurora-cg/
⦿ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aurorapatents/
⦿ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aurorapatents/

And as always, thanks for listening! 

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In this month's episode, we're talking patent reform solutions with Judge Paul Michel, Professor Adam Mossoff, and Randy Landreneau!

Nearly two decades worth of Federal Circuit and Supreme Court rulings have thrown the patent system into disarray and weakened patent rights for inventors. Subject matter eligibility is a confused, chaotic mess – leaving even the Federal Circuit Chief Justice at a loss on how to determine eligibility. The muddied state of invention enablement puts at risk the software innovations fueling economic growth and the key life science innovations that can save lives. Court interventions on injunctions have made it all but impossible for patent owners to stop others from using their property rights without permission, turning predatory infringement into an efficient business model. This already perfect storm was compounded by an act of Congress a decade ago that inadvertently created a patent killing machine that has weaponized the patent office against inventors. This has all been bolstered domestically by the deep pocketed marketing and lobbying campaigns of a big tech industry that is now destroying the ladder it once climbed up on. And is being exploited internationally in an undeclared cold war that has led to the greatest wealth transfer in human history – and begs the existential question of who is going to develop the technologies of tomorrow. 

Over the course of the past couple of months, we've had the opportunity and honor to host conversations with thought leaders across the patent world. Working from their insights, this episode explores the biggest problems plaguing patenting and how those problems impact the innovation economy that so very tightly depends on strong, predictable, and reliable patents. Building on that understanding, we work toward getting a more complete view of the legislative, judicial, and educational solutions needed to get back to the gold standard patent system. In doing so, we not only talk with our guests about their support for the proposed solutions on the table, but we also explore the strongest criticisms. 

** Resources **

⦿ Show Notes: https://www.aurorapatents.com/blog/patent-wars-innovators-revolutionaries-and-the-race-to-reform
⦿ Judge Paul Michel and C4IP: https://c4ip.org/
⦿ Adam Mossoff on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AdamMossoff
⦿ Randy Landreneau and US Inventor: https://usinventor.org/
⦿ Innovation Race Movie: https://www.innovationracemovie.com/
⦿ Apply: https://www.aurorapatents.com/careers.html

** Follow Aurora Consulting **

⦿ Home: https://www.aurorapatents.com/
⦿ Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuroraPatents
⦿ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/aurora-cg/
⦿ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aurorapatents/
⦿ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aurorapatents/

And as always, thanks for listening! 

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We’re leading off Season 3 with a close look at a Supreme Court patent case that could have profound impacts on the invention enablement problems we covered heavily in Season 2. SCOTUS is set to hear opening arguments in Amgen v. Sanofi on March 27th. For the first time in over 75 years, the Supreme Court is evaluating the meaning and scope of the enablement requirement. For those who’ve been following along, you’ll know that this has become one of the bigger issues plaguing patenting and especially so in the life sciences.

Dr. Ashley Sloat, President and Director of Patent Strategy at Aurora, leads our discussion today along with our all star patent panel, exploring the scientific background around antibodies necessary to understand the claims, a brief case history of Amgen v. Sanofi, an overview of the enablement factors and tests that have been historically applied in courts and how they might apply to this case, and a discussion around open questions and the potential unintended consequences of the Supreme Court only taking up one-half of the two-sided enablement coin. This ends up being a really great, spirited conversation with panel members coming down strongly on both sides of the case with very compelling arguments – really highlighting the complexities and fundamental issues the court will have to face.

Ashley is joined today by our always exceptional group of IP experts including:

⦿ David Cohen, Principal at Cohen Sciences
⦿ Kristen Hansen, Patent Strategist at Aurora
⦿ David Jackrel, President of Jackrel Consulting
⦿ Ty Davis, Patent Strategy Associate at Aurora

** Aurora is Hiring! **

Join us in the trenches and on this podcast! Aurora is looking for a part-time Biomedical Sciences Patent Agent to help with patent portfolio management, application drafting, prosecution, and strategy. This is a salaried, fully remote position with a flexible work week and benefits. Work where you want, when you want, with a great team, on engaging subject matter, and even get the opportunity to be heard on this Podcast and featured on IPWatchdog! Learn more and apply at https://www.aurorapatents.com/careers.html.

** Resources **

⦿ Show Notes: https://www.aurorapatents.com/blog/scotus-in-focus-amgen-v-sanofi
⦿ Slides: https://www.aurorapatents.com/uploads/9/8/1/1/98119826/amgenvsanofi.pdf
⦿ Apply: https://www.aurorapatents.com/careers.html

** Follow Aurora Consulting **

⦿ Home: https://www.aurorapatents.com/
⦿ Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuroraPatents
⦿ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/aurora-cg/
⦿ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aurorapatents/
⦿ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aurorapatents/

And as always, thanks for listening! 

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Note: The contents of this podcast do not constitute legal advice.