1 Information Fluency: Literacy in the Digital Age Lisa Janicke Hinchliffe [email protected].
PATENTS PROF. JANICKE IP SURVEY COURSE 2009. F2009Patents2 THE USUAL QUESTIONS: CAN I GET A PATENT...
-
Upload
barbra-watkins -
Category
Documents
-
view
222 -
download
0
description
Transcript of PATENTS PROF. JANICKE IP SURVEY COURSE 2009. F2009Patents2 THE USUAL QUESTIONS: CAN I GET A PATENT...
PATENTS
PROF. JANICKEIP SURVEY COURSE
2009
F2009 Patents 2
THE USUAL QUESTIONS:
• CAN I GET A PATENT ON ____?
• IF I’M EMPLOYED OR CONSULTING, WHO WILL OWN IT?
• HOW MUCH WILL IT COST?
F2009 Patents 3
THE USUAL QUESTIONS:
• HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE?
• WHAT CAN I DO WITH IT IF I GET IT?
F2009 Patents 4
ELIGIBILITY• JUST ABOUT ANYTHING BELIEVED
TO BE “NEW” – BASICALLY NOT KNOWN BEFORE
• COMPUTER SOFTWARE: GENERALLY YES
• BUSINESS METHODS: YES
F2009 Patents 5
ACTUAL INVENTORS MUST “APPLY”
• MERELY PAPERWORK – OWNERSHIP IS OFTEN IN AN ASSIGNEE
• WHO ARE THE INVENTORS?
– ROLE OF CLAIMS IN MODERN PATENT LAW– YOU DON’T PATENT A THING ANY MORE
F2009 Patents 6
INVENTORS
• THOSE WHO THOUGHT OF SOMETHING COVERED BY THE CLAIM
• NOT THOSE WHO LEARNED IT FROM SOMEONE ELSE
F2009 Patents 7
INVENTORS
• YOU DON’T REALLY KNOW WHO THEY ARE UNTIL THE CLAIMS ARE DRAFTED
• THOSE INVOLVED IN A MINISTERIAL OR MANAGERIAL WAY AREN’T
F2009 Patents 8
INVENTORS
• ARE ALWAYS THE INITIAL OWNERS OF THE PATENT RIGHT
• USUALLY THEY ASSIGN TO A COMMON ENTITY, WHICH BANKROLLS THE APPLICATION
F2009 Patents 9
HOW THE CLAIMS SYSTEM WORKS
• CLAIMS ARE AT THE BACK OF A PATENT
• THEY ARE THE ONLY IMPORTANT PART, FOR PRACTICAL PURPOSES
• THEY DEFINE THE SCOPE OF COVERAGE
F2009 Patents 10
PURPOSE OF A CLAIM: TO DEFINE COVERAGE AS
BROADLY AS POSSIBLE
• ANYONE WHO LATER OPERATES WITHIN THE LANGUAGE OF A CLAIM IS AN “INFRINGER”
• OTHERS AREN’T
F2009 Patents 11
EXAMPLE OF CLAIMING: THE FIRST CAR
• CLIENT SHOWS YOU A MACHINE SHE HAS DEVISED
• IT HAS:– CHASSIS– 4 WHEELS– 10-CYLINDER ENGINE – BRAKE ON EACH WHEEL– 3-SPEED TRANSMISSION
F2009 Patents 12
HOW TO CLAIM?• RULE #1: CLAIM CAN BE AS BROAD
AS POSSIBLE, BUT MUST NOT COVER ANY PREVIOUSLY KNOWN CONFIGURATION
• RULE #2: CLAIM MUST EMBRACE SOMETHING THE INVENTOR DEVISED
F2009 Patents 13
RETURN TO CAR EXAMPLE
• ASSUME: CLOSEST PREVIOUSLY KNOWN MACHINE WAS THE HORSE-DRAWN WAGON
F2009 Patents 14
CLAIM 1:1. A VEHICLE, COMPRISING:
(a) A CHASSIS;
(b) A PLURALITY OF WHEELS ATTACHED TO SAID CHASSIS; AND
(c) AN ENGINE FOR TURNING ONE OF SAID WHEELS.
F2009 Patents 15
CLIENT’S PRIDE• CLIENT IS UPSET: NO MENTION OF
HER 10-CYLINDER ENGINE, THE FINEST PART OF THE CREATION!
• CAR WON’T BE ANY GOOD WITHOUT IT!
• SAME FOR 3-SPEED TRANSMISSION
F2009 Patents 16
ADVICE:• DON’T GIVE UP BROADEST SCOPE!
• WRITE MANY OTHER CLAIMS, NARROWER (IN CASE CL. 1 TURNS OUT TO VIOLATE RULE #1)
• EACH CLAIM IS TREATED AS A MINI-PATENT
F2009 Patents 17
ONE EXCEPTION: NEW INFO ON PRIOR ART
• YOU FIND OUT AT SOME POINT THAT THE LOCOMOTIVE PRE-EXISTED YOUR CLIENT’S DEVELOPMENT
F2009 Patents 18
AMENDED CLAIM 1:1. A VEHICLE, COMPRISING:
(a) A CHASSIS;(b) A PLURALITY OF WHEELS ATTACHED TO SAID CHASSIS; (c) AN ENGINE FOR TURNING ONE OF SAID WHEELS; AND (d) A STEERING DEVICE FOR TURNING AT LEAST ONE OF SAID WHEELS.
F2009 Patents 19
BROAD CLAIM COVERAGE IS ESSENTIAL
• MOST PATENTS ARE DEAD LETTERS, BECAUSE THE CLAIM SCOPE IS NOT COMMERCIALLY MEANINGFUL
• EASY TO DESIGN AROUND SUCH CLAIMS
F2009 Patents 20
ONLY CLAIMS ARE VALID/INVALID
• EACH CLAIM IS ADJUDICATED INDEPENDENTLY
• A “PATENT” IS NEITHER VALID NOR INVALID
F2009 Patents 21
ONLY A CLAIM CAN BE INFRINGED
• ACCUSED INFRINGING PRODUCT/METHOD MUST BE WITHIN LANGUAGE OF A VALID CLAIM
• “CLAIM SCOPE IS EVERYTHING!”
F2009 Patents 22
• MOST PATENTS CONTAIN MANY CLAIMS, OF VARYING SCOPE
• USUAL STYLE: TELESCOPING DOWNWARD– IN THE EVENT THE BROADER CLAIMS
ARE HELD INVALID
F2009 Patents 23
SOME MYTHS
• “HE HAS A PATENT ON THE IDEA OF PUTTING …..”
• REALITY: FOR EACH CLAIM, HE HAS A PATENT COVERING THE FAMILY OF COMBINATIONS RECITED IN THE CLAIM
F2009 Patents 24
SOME MYTHS• “THERE IS A GREAT MARKET FOR THE
STRUCTURE I HAVE ACTUALLY DEVISED”
• REALITY: MARKETS ARE NOT STRUCTURE-SPECIFIC; CLAIMS BROAD ENOUGH TO COVER FOLLOW-ON DESIGNS ARE CRITICAL
F2009 Patents 25
SOME MYTHS
• “WE’RE GOING TO LICENSE IT TO A BIG COMPANY!”
• REALITY: BIG COMPANIES DON’T WANT AN OUTSIDE IDEA; IT IS A NUISANCE UNLESS IT ADVANCES THEIR FIVE-YEAR PLAN
F2009 Patents 26
SOME MYTHS (cont’d)
• IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH WHETHER THE IDEA IS A “GOOD” ONE
• THE PROBLEM IS HIGH RISK
F2009 Patents 27
SOME ROUGH ESTIMATES
• COST THROUGH U.S. ISSUANCE: $5-10K AND UP
• TIME TO ISSUANCE: 2 YEARS
• EXCLUSIVITY IN MEANTIME: NONE
F2009 Patents 28
• FOREIGN COVERAGE NEEDED, TOO
• EUROPE AND JAPAN: $30K AND UP
• MAINTENANCE FEES: ABOUT EQUAL TO PROCUREMENT COSTS
• TOTAL: $100K-140K AVERAGE
F2009 Patents 29
HOW EFFECTIVE IS A PATENT?
• DEPENDS ON CLAIM SCOPE
• DEPENDS ON $$ TO FIGHT
• 45% ARE HELD INVALID
F2009 Patents 30
DO YOU HAVE TO DO A SEARCH BEFORE FILING?
• NO. BUT NON SEARCHING ENLARGES RISK OF WRITING UNPATENTABLE CLAIMS.
• PTO NOW MOVING TO REQUIRE SEARCHES
F2009 Patents 31
DO YOU HAVE TO BUILD AND TEST THE INVENTION
BEFORE FILING?
• NO. FILING APPLICATION ACTS AS “CONSTRUCTIVE” REDUCTION TO PRACTICE.
• NOT GOOD TO WAIT.
F2009 Patents 32
WHAT ARE THE CHANCES OF GETTING A PATENT
ALLOWED?
• IF YOU DON’T CARE ABOUT CLAIM SCOPE, MAYBE 90%
• BUT MOST WILL BE COMMERCIALLY DEAD LETTERS
F2009 Patents 33
LACK OF NOVELTY FOR A CLAIM
AND LOSS OF RIGHTTO A CLAIM
• FOCUS ON §102 (b) – IT ACCOUNTS FOR 90% OF SITUATIONS ENCOUNTERED IN REAL LIFE
F2009 Patents 34
4 “PRIOR-ART” EVENTS:
• PATENTING• DESCRIBING IN PRINTED
PUBLICATION• OFFERING FOR SALE (IN U.S.)• PUBLICLY USING (IN U.S.)
F2009 Patents 35
RULE
• IF ANY ONE SPECIES WITHIN THE CLAIM APPEARS IN THE PRIOR ART, THE CLAIM IS INVALID– TRUE NO MATTER HOW REMARKABLE
THE OTHER SPECIES ARE– DISCOVERY OF GREAT PROPERTIES
AND THEIR DISCLOSURE IN THE PATENT WILL NOT SAVE THE CLAIM
F2009 Patents 36
NO WAY OUT(OTHER THAN EARLY U.S.
FILING DATE)
• EARLY INVENTION DATE WON’T HELP
• FOREIGN PRIORITY DATE WON’T HELP
F2009 Patents 37
A CLOSER LOOK AT DESCRIBING IN A PRINTED
PUBLICATION• REASONABLE ACCESSIBILITY
REQ’D.– BUT DOESN’T HAVE TO BE WELL
KNOWN– CAN BE IN A UNIVERSITY LIBRARY
• ENABLING DISCLOSURE REQ’D.
F2009 Patents 38
A CLOSER LOOK AT THE ON-SALE BAR
• COMPLETED SALE NOT REQUIRED
• OFFER IN U.S. IS ENOUGH
• INVENTION MUST BE “READY FOR PATENTING” Pfaff v. Wells Electronics, 525 U.S. 55 (1998)
F2009 Patents 39
A CLOSER LOOK AT THE PUBLIC-USE BAR
• PRIMARY PURPOSE OF EXPERIMENTATION, EVEN IN PUBLIC, TAKES ACTIVITY OUTSIDE THE PUBLIC USE CATEGORY
• PRIVATE USES CAN BE A BAR BY ANALOGY TO ON SALE, IF REGULARLY USED FOR PROFIT– LEARNED HAND’S RULE RE. METHOD CLAIM
SECRETLY USED IN PROFITABLE SERVICING: REBUILDING ENGINE PARTS
F2009 Patents 40
SOME PRACTICAL PROBLEMS UNDER § 102(b)
• [SEE FILE IN CLASS MATERIALS: TIMEBAR PROBLEMS ON PATENT CLAIMS]
F2009 Patents 41
OBVIOUSNESS
• THE CENTRAL GROUND OF REJECTION IN MOST APPLICATIONS
• KEYED TO THE PERSON “OF ORDINARY SKILL IN THE ART” AT THE TIME INVENTION WAS MADE
§103(a)
F2009 Patents 42
THE DISCLOSURE PORTION OF THE
APPLICATION • REFERS TO DRAWINGS,
SPECIFICATION (OTHER THAN CLAIMS)
• NORMALLY DOESN’T HAVE MAJOR IMPACT ON SCOPE
F2009 Patents 43
THE DISCLOSURE PORTION OF THE
APPLICATION• IS A BURDEN IMPOSED BY
STATUTE • MUST TEACH HOW TO MAKE AND
USE WHAT’S CLAIMED § 112 (1st para.)
• MUST SET FORTH THE “BEST MODE” – SUBJECTIVELY § 112 (1st para.)
F2009 Patents 44
• THE WRITTEN DESCRIPTION IS SPECIFIC, AND TELLS WHAT THE INVENTOR ACTUALLY DEVISED OR IMAGINED– HAS LITTLE TO DO WITH THE PATENT
GRANT (CLAIMS)– A CLAIM MUST INCLUDE WHAT
INVENTOR IMAGINED, BUT LOTS ELSE BESIDES!
– THE INTENT IS TO COVER FUTURE INVENTIONS OF OTHERS!
F2009 Patents 45
INFRINGEMENT IS OF A CLAIM
• JUDGMENT IN A PATENT CASE IS BY CLAIMS, NOT “THE PATENT”
• ONE CLAIM STANDING VALID AND INFRINGED = A VICTORY FOR THE PATENT OWNER
F2009 Patents 46
ACTS OF INFRINGEMENT
• MAKING • USING • SELLING • OFFERING TO SELL • IMPORTING §271 (a)
SOMETHING WITHIN
THE CLAIM
IN THE U.S.
DURING THE TERM
F2009 Patents 47
INDIRECT INFRINGEMENT
• INDUCING §271 (b)
• CONTRIBUTORY §271 (c)
• SHIPPING PARTS §271 (g)
• IMPORTING PRODUCT OF PATENTED PROCESS §271 (g)
F2009 Patents 48
TYPICAL MODERN BUSINESS TRANSACTION
• THREE OR MORE PLAYERS:– PARTS/MATERIALS VENDOR– MANUFACTURER/SELLER– RETAILER
• COULD BE MANY MORE:– CONSULTANT/ADVISOR– END USER
F2009 Patents 49
EACH PLAYER NEEDS TO BE ANALYZED FOR
LIABILITY
• CLAIM-BY-CLAIM ANALYSIS• DON’T COUNT ON INDEMNITY– BUT …..
F2009 Patents 50
EXAMPLE: A POWER DRILL FOR HOME USE
• PATENT HAS TWO CLAIMS:– 1. STRUCTURE OF DRILL– 2. METHOD OF DRILLING THROUGH
CONCRETE
F2009 Patents 51
CONSIDER POSSIBLE INFRINGERS:
• VENDOR OF MOTORS TO TOOLCO• TOOLCO• RETAILER• END USER
WHO IS LIABLE FOR WHAT?
F2009 Patents 52
OWNERSHIP
• ORIGINATES FROM NAMED INVENTORS
• WHY JOINT OWNERSHIP IS IMPRACTICAL (ABSENT STRINGENT AGREEMENT):– ANY CO-OWNER CAN USE FREELY– ANY CO-OWNER CAN LICENSE
WITHOUT ACCOUNTING TO OTHER CO-OWNERS
F2009 Patents 53
MORE ABOUT FOLLIES OF JOINT OWNERSHIP
• HARD TO AGREE ON BRINGING SUIT
• HARD TO AGREE ON PAYING FOR SUIT
• HARD TO AGREE ON SETTLEMENT POSTURE
F2009 Patents 54
LICENSING
• PERMISSION TO DO WHAT WOULD OTHERWISE BE ILLEGAL
• 3 GENERAL TYPES:– NONEXCLUSIVE– SOLE [does not exclude patent owner]– EXCLUSIVE [excludes patent owner]
F2009 Patents 55
IMPLIED WARRANTIES
• LICENSOR HAS SUFFICIENT TO GRANT THE LICENSE
• LICENSE TO MAKE INCLUDES “HAVE MADE”
F2009 Patents 56
NOT IMPLIEDLY WARRANTED
• VALIDITY OF ANY CLAIM• PRACTICING LICENSE WILL NOT
INFRINGE THIRD-PARTY PATENTS• LICENSOR WILL “THROW IN”
RELATED PATENTS• OTHERS WON’T GET BETTER
TERMS
F2009 Patents 57
NOT IMPLIEDLY WARRANTED:
• RIGHT TO SUBLICENSE 3RD PARTIES
• RIGHT TO ASSIGN THE LICENSE– PERILOUS UPON MERGER
F2009 Patents 58
LITIGATION
• THREE MAIN TYPES– INFRINGEMENT ACTION– DECLARATORY JUDGMENT OF
INVALIDITY, NONINFRINGEMENT, OR UNENFORCEABILITY (BY ACCUSED INFRINGER)
– DECLARATORY JUDGMENT OF INVALIDITY, NONINFRINGEMENT, OR UNENFORCEABILITY (BY A LICENSEE)
F2009 Patents 59
SUITS AGAINST THE UNITED STATES
• MUST BE IN COURT OF FEDERAL CLAIMS
• NO INJUNCTIONS ALLOWED
• NO SUITS OR REMEDIES AGAINST CONTRACTORS ALLOWED
F2009 Patents 60
PARTIES TO LITIGATION
• PATENTEE IS NECESSARY, UNLESS SUBSTANTIALLY ALL RIGHTS ARE GIVEN OVER TO EXCLUSIVE LICENSEE
• ANY EXCLUSIVE LICENSEE HAS STANDING TO SUE (ALONE IF SHE HAS ALL RIGHTS; OTHERWISE JOINING PATENTEE)
F2009 Patents 61
PARTIES TO LITIGATION
• NONEXCLUSIVE LICENSEE HAS NO STANDING TO SUE
• PARTIES DEFENDANT: CAN INCLUDE INDIVIDUALS WORKING FOR CORPORATION– THIS IS TORT LAW– NO IMMUNITY FOR EMPLOYEES