Category Archives: Intellectual Property

Treatise Update – Patent Licensing and Selling: Strategy, Negotiation, Forms (Second Edition)

Patent Licensing and Selling guides practitioners through the fundamentals of drafting and structuring profitable patent licensing deals. Containing more than 350 sample agreements and clauses, the book provides actionable strategies to negotiate these deals. It also highlights terms that can trigger delays and disputes, strategies around exclusive licenses, and pointers for selecting markets for specific licensees. In addition, the text integrates discussion on infringement protection and enforcement steps, license duration and termination guidelines, and confidentiality considerations.

The new release includes revised and expanded coverage of the following topics:

  • Definitions: New sections 1:1.1 and 1:5.1[C] discuss the implications of failing to define a term, using the as term “affiliate” as an example and showing the need to uncover the identity of each affiliate (section 1:5.1[A]) and to determine whether an entity qualifies as an affiliate (section 1:5.1[B]), as well as any limitations around the term (section 1:5.1[C]), the consequences of leaving the term “affiliate” undefined (section 1:5.1[D]), which edition of dictionary to use (section 1:5.1[E]), and the overall lessons to be learned (section 1:5.1[F]).
  • Additional future licenses: Inclusion of a sample pro­vision dealing with a situation in which the licensee discovers that he or she unknowingly developed products that infringed patents already owned by the licensor and that are not licensed to the licensee under the patent license agreement (see section 2:5.4).
  • Royalties: Added information on withholding taxes on royalty payments (see NEW section 4:9.8).
  • Prosecution and maintenance: Instruction on the consequences of a party’s decision to abandon prosecution and mainte­nance (see section 6:3.2[A]).
  • Licensee efforts: Extensive coverage of a licensee’s obligation to use “best efforts” and commercially reasonable efforts (see section 12:1.1 and section 12:6, respectively).
  • Technology license agreements: New coverage around licensing of oth­er intellectual property, such as trade secrets, confidential information, and know-how (see NEW Chapter 20).
  • New contract provisions: Examples 1:5B, 1:9, and 1:20 (Definition of affiliate); Example 1:41A (Choice of law); Example 1:51A (Commercially reasonable efforts); Example 2:53 (Additional future patent li­cense; licensee infringing licensor patents not licensed under the patent license agreement); Examples 4:55A, 4:55B, and 4:55C (Tax withholding); Example 5:10 (Audit; pay­ment for audit); and Example 6:6 (Notice of intent to abandon prosecution or maintenance of licensed patents).

The Table of Examples, Table of Authorities,and Index have also been updated.

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New Title! Commercial Legal Finance

PLI Press is proud to announce the publication of the new practice guide Commercial Legal Finance.

This book offers industry-specific guidance on the mechanics of litigation and arbitration finance in key jurisdictions and practice areas around the world.  It provides a wealth of applied use cases for law firms and corporations and addresses key questions concerned with legal finance structures, pricing, and ethical considerations. The book also gives a step-by-step overview of the process for obtaining legal finance and a helpful glossary of terms.

Notably, Commercial Legal Finance covers the following important topics:

  • The basics of commercial legal finance (see Chapter 1)
  • The role of the funder (see Chapter 2)
  • The mechanics and economics of funding (see Chapter 3)
  • The major ethical issues related to legal finance (see Chapter 4)
  • The financing of investor-state arbitration (see Chapter 5)
  • Key considerations for financing patent litigation and other intellectual property matters (see Chapter 6)    

In addition, the book devotes full chapters to the use of funding in the U.S. (Chapter 7), England and Wales (Chapter 8), Europe (Chapter 9), Asia (Chapter 10), and Australia (Chapter 11).

We are excited to share this new title with you!

PLUS Subscribers can access this title with their subscription.

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Treatise Update – Patent Litigation (Third Edition)

Patent Litigation (Third Edition) enhances every patent litigator’s ability to prevail at trial while helping to cut the costs and complexity of litigation. Written by leading patent litigators, the treatise provides guidance on various infringement actions and their respective burdens of proof.  It also offers pointers on conducting comprehensive pre-suit investigations; developing potent case themes; assembling strong litigation teams; developing smart budgets; maximizing the persuasive impact of documents, exhibits, and witnesses; and making savvy use of technology, jury consultants, and litigation support vendors.

Highlights of this release include updated discussion of the following topics:

  • Substantive Issues of a Patent Case: Defenses against patent validity, such as collateral estoppel and unadjudicated claims, applicant-admitted prior art, obviousness, and inadequately disclosed claims (see sections 1:3.3[B], 1:3.3[C], 1:3.3[F], and 1:3.3[H]) and, in the area of inequitable conduct before the PTO, the mitigation of nondisclosure of information through supplemental examination (see section 1:3.4[A][4]). 
  • Discovery and Privilege: Use of testimony from patent law experts (see section 4:4.4[C]).
  • Nondiscovery Motions and Court-Initiated Procedures: Markman proceedings and claim construction (see section 7:2). 
  • Witnesses Special to a Patent Case: Inventor testimony (see section 8:2.1[A]).
  • Damages and Attorney’s Fees: Consequences of the district court’s failure to address prejudgment interest (see section 9:10.1) and willfulness and enhanced damages (see section 9:11.1).
  • Trial: Rule 50(a) and Rule 50(b) motions (see sections 12:12.3 and 12:14); Rule 59 motions for a new trial and altering or amending the judgment (see new section 12:14.4); and Rule 60 proceedings for relief from judgment (see new section 12:14.5).

The Table of Authorities and Index have also been updated.

Order a print copy today. PLI PLUS subscribers can access this title through their subscription.

For additional recent developments in patent litigation, check out this recent PLI Chronicle article, PTAB’s Longhorn Decision Could Signal More USPTO OED Disciplinary Proceedings.

Treatise Update – Taxation of Intellectual Property: Law and Practice

Taxation of Intellectual Property covers the tax consequences of creating, buying, exploiting, and selling various intellectual property assets (including patents, trade secrets, copyrights, trademarks, and computer software), as well as the tax considerations affecting intellectual property litigation. It identifies the IP taxation fundamentals relevant to individuals, corporations, partnerships, and non-profits and includes in-depth coverage of the various deductions applicable to patent royalties, salaries of researchers, and infringement-related legal fees.

Some of the recent developments discussed in this new release include:

  • Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) for Corporations: Coverage of the repeal of the AMT for corporations by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (TCJA) and the subsequent updates to this by the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (see section 3:2.3).
  • Research or Experimental Expenditure Deductions: Discussion of the new 5-year capitalization and amortization rule imposed on research or experimental expenditures by the TCJA (see section 4:3).
  • Research Credit for Small Business and Start-Ups: Provides the increased amount of the credit that small businesses and start-ups can apply against their payroll tax liability pursuant to the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (see section 4:6).
  • Tax Treatment of NFTs: Answers the question of whether an NFT used in trade or business would qualify as a Section 1231 asset eligible for capital gains treatment (see section 6:3.5[A][1]).
  • Litigation Expenses: Extensive coverage of the Actavis Lab v. United States case which dealt with the issue of whether a generic drug manufacturer’s patent infringement litigation expenses were tax deductible  (see section 7:1.1[C]).
  • Charitable Contributions of Cryptocurrency: Explanation of the circumstances in which a qualified appraisal is required for charitable contributions of cryptocurrency (see section 9:4.4[A]).

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PLI PLUS subscribers can access this title through their subscription.

Free Legal Form of the Month

PLI PLUS offers unlimited electronic access to more than 4,500 downloadable, searchable, and editable legal forms ready for use in your practice. In an effort to highlight this unique content type, we’ve selected one form per month and made it available for anyone to download for free – no subscription required.

September’s free form:

Specimen Provisions from Patent License Agreements

More information about Legal Forms & Checklists:

  • Forms & Checklists Flyer – This flyer provides an overview of the forms & checklists on PLI PLUS and highlights a handful of popular examples.
  •  Popular PLUS Forms – This flyer provides a list of the top five most downloaded forms in prominent practice areas on PLI PLUS.

Send us an email at plus@pli.edu to learn more.

New Edition! Pharmaceutical and Biotech Patent Law (2023)

PLI Press is proud to announce the publication of the new edition of Pharmaceutical and Biotech Patent Law.

This book provides the legal, scientific, and technical information needed to help clients obtain, defend, and challenge patents in these important business areas. It shows readers how to craft problem-free patent applications and includes detailed checklists that help resolve tricky patent issues in the complex pharmaceutical and biotech fields. It is regularly updated to reflect Federal Circuit rulings and other significant court decisions.

Some of the recent developments reflected in this new edition include:

  • Inter Partes Review: Coverage of the PTO guidance for discretionary denials which clarifies when institutions will not be denied under Fintiv (see Section 1:5.3).
  • Patentability of Stereoisomers and New Salts: Discussion of the Federal Circuit’s decision in Mylan Pharmaceuticals Inc. v. Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp. regarding whether Mylan Pharmaceuticals had failed to show that the claims of U.S. Patent No. 7,326,708 were either anticipated or rendered obvious by the asserted prior art (see Sections 7:2.4[A][2] and 7:2.6[C][1]).
  • Cell and Gene Therapy Products: New chapter exploring the patent landscape for cell and gene therapy products and the current disputes related to these products (see Chapter 15).
  • ITC Litigation: New chapter providing recent trends and practice tips on ITC Litigation (see Chapter 16).

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Treatise Update – Kane on Trademark Law: A Practitioner’s Guide (Seventh Edition)

Kane on Trademark Law is a comprehensive resource on trademark law that provides court-tested practical suggestions on how to quickly spot potential conflicts and save time on searches, overcome common descriptiveness rejections, update or amend registrations, and prepare witnesses for depositions. It includes detailed lists of cases, full-color illustrations of previously litigated marks, sample forms, and step-by-step checklists.  The treatise is updated regularly to provide in-depth analysis of the most recent developments in the field.

The new release provides expert analysis and practical insights regarding a wide range of trademark issues. Topics of interest include:

  • Trade dress: A color illustration from the Tenth Circuit’s Bimbo Bakeries case has been added to Appendix B. The case is also cited in section 3:2.2[F].
  • Clearance: Revisions discuss the importance of ensuring that the appropriate rights have been secured to use the planned typeface for the brand (see section 4:3.4).
  • Priority: Revisions cover requirements to estab­lish “use analogous to trademark use” (see section 5:1.1).
  • Internet: Revisions cover the Metabirken NFT jury verdict and issues surrounding artificial intelligence tools, such as ChatGPT and Dall-E (see section 11:1.3).
  • Defenses: Revisions include updates to the General Cigar case (see section 12:2.2[D][1]) and Bluetooth case (see section 12:1.4).

The Table of Authorities has also been updated.

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Treatise Update – Advertising and Commercial Speech: A First Amendment Guide (Second Edition)

Advertising and Commercial Speech: A First Amendment Guide offers a practical examination of how the U.S. Supreme Court’s commercial speech doctrine impacts advertising across nearly 50 industries and professions. The book explores legal standards for defamation, false commercial speech, and disparagement along with developments around advertising for alcohol, financial institutions, professional services, medication, real estate, tobacco, and more.

Among the many topics discussed in this new release are the following:

  • Compelled editorial transparency: New section 12:13 discusses laws passed in Florida and Texas targeting social media platforms’ efforts to combat user-generated disinformation posted on their websites.
  • On-site and off-site signs and billboards: Section 13:2.1[A][7] covers the Seventh Circuit’s ruling regarding whether to apply strict scrutiny or intermediate scrutiny to an ordinance limiting digital displays and off-premises signs.
  • Drugs & drug paraphernalia: Section 14:14 explores a case from the Washington Court of Appeals rejecting a challenge to the state’s advertising restrictions on marketing cannabis products.
  • Regulation of advertising content: Revisions to chapter 14 include:
  1. The ruling of a Florida judge regarding whether part of the state’s Stop W.O.K.E. Act, which forbids companies from undertaking mandatory employee DEI training programs designed to limit or avoid discrimination practices, is unconstitutional (see section 14:16 on fair employment); and
  2. The Eastern District of Arkansas’ final ruling in the Tofurky case involving marketing of plant-based foods (see section 14:20 on food).

In addition, this release includes an updated Table of Cases, Defendant-Plaintiff Table, and Index.

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Treatise Update – Patent Litigation (Third Edition)

Patent Litigation (Third Edition) enhances every patent litigator’s ability to prevail at trial while helping to cut the costs and complexity of litigation. Written by leading patent litigators, the treatise provides guidance on various infringement actions and their respective burdens of proof.  It also offers pointers on conducting comprehensive pre-suit investigations; developing potent case themes; assembling strong litigation teams; developing smart litigation budgets; maximizing the persuasive impact of documents, exhibits, and witnesses; and making savvy use of computers, jury consultants, and litigation support vendors.

The new release covers many important developments, such as:

  • Corporate disclosures under Rule 7.1 and the hotly debated issue of whether recent court-imposed disclosure requirements are justified or permissible (see new section 3:7).
  • Two cases from district courts on the standard for assessing com­munications between the buyer and seller and licensor/licensee of patent rights made before the transactions closed (see section 5:4.2).
  • Case law from the federal circuit regarding an overly broad in­junctive relief in the design patent context (see section 10:5.1).
  • Case law involving Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine and Moderna’s claim that it is shielded from an infringement lawsuit in district court because of its agreement to supply the vaccine to the federal government (see section 14:2.2).
  • The PTAB’s clarification on its guidance for discretionary denial of IPR due to the advanced state of a parallel proceeding under Fintiv and the implications for the global defense strategy of re­spondents in ITC proceedings (see sections 14:4.9 and 15:3).
  • Circulation judge pool review, the PTO’s new internal procedure designed to improve overall quality of PTAB final written deci­sions (see new section 15:8.3).

For additional recent developments in patent litigation, check out this recent PLI Chronicle article, Patent Antibody Case Law Continues to Mature.

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Treatise Update – Faber on Mechanics of Patent Claim Drafting (Seventh Edition)

A trusted working tool for more than two decades, Faber on Mechanics of Patent Claim Drafting spotlights proven claim drafting practices and techniques that have been firmly established by patent authorities and custom. The treatise provides full coverage of U.S. Supreme Court and other court decisions critical to claim drafting. This time-saving handbook offers start-to-finish directions for and real-world examples of each type of claim and numerous tips on how to avoid common claim drafting mistakes.

The many revisions throughout this release continue to assist practitioners in drafting the most effective types of claims for each type of invention. Highlights of the new release include:

  • Updated Chapter 2 explains how a patent claim may be novel but still obvious thereby invalidating the claim (see section 2:7.1) and provides additional instruction on how to determine whether a claim is dependent or independent from a previous claim (see section 2:9).
  • Expanded § 3:9 offers suggested language to include in the patent application or claim of a machine or apparatus if seeking both a U.S. patent and patent protection abroad.
  • Revised § 5:5 provides additional details on how the effective filing date of a claim in a continuation-in-part application is determined.
  • Updated §6:2 expounds on what constitutes Markush expressions.
  • Expanded § 8:3 details how a terminal disclaimer prevents a second patent application by one patentee from being deemed an impermissible double patenting of a previous claim.

In addition, Appendices A, B, and C2 have been updated.

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