Today we continue our weekly installment highlighting the best of the patent blogosphere from the past week. If there are any patent blogs you think should be highlighted by our Top 5, please comment on this post and we’ll check them out.
1) Patently-O: AIA Changes The Role of the Eastern District of Texas – This post brings attention to the article, 2011 Trends in Patent Case Filings, by James C. Pistorino and Susan Crane, in which they discuss the impact the AIA’s new joinder provisions has on the distribution of new lawsuit filings. The new joinder rules limit the ability of a plaintiff to join multiple unrelated defendants in a single action, which as a result, may allow courts to more easily transfer venue and thus shift filing focus away from the Eastern District of Texas.
2) Article One Partners Blog: Donald Duck, Patents, and Ping Pong Balls – This post entertains the notion that it may be possible to use a comic strip as a form of prior art. As per the post, ” “Enabling” is a key facet of prior art. On the other hand, if one can demonstrate obviousness, then a patent can be rendered moot. In this case, Donald Duck may have succeeded in making the idea obvious.”
3) ABC News: Nokia Patents Vibrating Tattoo, Lets You Feel Alerts – Although not an actual “blog post”, this article is very interesting in that it describes a recent U.S. patent application from Nokia. The cell phone company is trying to patent, “a magnetic vibrating tattoo that could wirelessly connect to a mobile device and alert users of phone calls, texts and battery status–all via vibration.”
4) IP Watchdog: Track One By the Numbers. What are you Waiting for? – This post describes how the USPTO, under Director Kappos’ leadership, has picked up the pace in clearing out the backlog of patent applications. The post primarily highlights the Track One Acceleration program: “Track One is by far the most successful policy initiative that has come to bear during the Kappos Administration. The only problem with Track One is that more applicants are not using it!”
5) Patents Post-Grant: Republican Candidates Fire Back at Patent Holder: EveryMD v. Rick Santorum, Mitt Romney, and Newt Gingrich(C.D.CA), is a case in which the claim is that U.S. Patent 7,644,122 is infringed by Facebook, and as business customers of Facebook receiving messages, that there is some type of liability on the part of the candidates. This post reports on how the candidates for the Republican nomination are questioning the legitimacy of the suit.
Tags: AIA joinder provision, Nokia vibrating tattoo, prior art, Track One Program, USPTO
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