Articles & Media

USPTO Hosts Women’s Entrepreneurship Symposium

»»On March 31st, the conclusion of Women’s History Month, the USPTO concluded its annual Women’s Entrepreneurship Symposium. Each year since 2011, the USPTO has honored diverse panels of successful women innovators, notable inventors, and experts and welcomed them to share their stories of overcoming adversity on their way to success. As part of the symposium, […]

Patent Filings Hint At Major Role For Small Modular Reactors In The Future Of The Energy Sector

»»As part of Maier & Maier’s ongoing commitment towards serving all of our clients IP needs, we routinely provide research and analysis for Business Intelligence. A major component of these services is surveying the IP Landscape for clients to help clients make informed decisions and to develop a strategic IP Plan. Recently, the team analyzed […]

VLSI Tech Patents Win $2.18 billion From Intel

»»Last week, a Western District of Texas Jury entered a $2.18 billion dollar patent infringement verdict, one of the largest ever awarded in U.S. district court, in VLSI Technology LLC v. Intel Corporation. In the case, VLSI Technology sued Intel Corp for infringement in April 2019 asserting three patents against Intel processors, but only two […]

USPTO To Terminate Pilot Program for First Action Interviews

»»As part of January 15, 2021, the USPTO will discontinue the First Action Interview Pilot Program that’s been in place for the past twelve years. The program allows practitioners to conduct an interview with the examiner prior to the first office action. This interview is held after the examiner’s preliminary prior art search and allows […]

USPTO Covid-19 Relief Effort Grants Nearly 400 Applications Prioritized Status

»»As part of the U.S. Federal Government’s response to Covid-19, the USPTO announced programs to prioritize Covid-19 related patent and trademark applications this past May and June respectively. Since this summer, applicants were permitted to apply for special status without the normal payment requirements for special status. Thus far, the USPTO has ushered in nearly […]

Kunin Thankful for Strong USPTO Leadership In 2020

»»This Thanksgiving, Maier & Maier’s Steve Kunin noted the strength of USPTO leadership as Director Iancu deftly handled the ongoing pandemic to keep the office productive and effective. “We should continue to be grateful for Director Andrei Iancu’s leadership and stewardship of the USPTO during these trying times caused by the adverse impacts of COVID-19. With […]

IP Check-In On The Supreme Court Docket

»»There are currently multiple significant IP cases pending at the Supreme Court, including both the Oracle case and the Arthrex cases, and a number of petitions denied cert. Here are the latest case updates on IP at the Supreme Court: Google v. Oracle On October 7th, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments for the Google […]

USPTO Well-Equipped For Surge Of Artificial Intelligence IP

»»As Artificial Intelligence (“AI”) continues to transform industries across both the U.S. and the globe, the United States Patent and Trademark Office has been handling the issues at a much higher rate. In response to the developing field, the USPTO released a report on AI and the related Intellectual Property issues. “The USPTO has long […]

Supreme Court Outlook: Nominee Amy Coney Barrett’s IP Record

»»With multiple IP issues percolating in the lower courts, there will likely be many federal issues decided in the coming years. With the passing of Justice Ginsberg, Amy Coney Barrett stands as the nominee to inherit those votes and a staunch textualist. Here are the some of the most recent Barrett decisions on intellectual property […]

Maier & Maier Secures Sale for Client After Successfully Prosecuting Portfolio of Patents

»»Maier & Maier has officially secured a deal for its clients on a patent portfolio in the gas-flow technology field. Maier & Maier successfully prosecuted the patent portfolio on behalf of the inventor. With the demonstrated high quality of Maier & Maier’s drafting and prosecution, the inventions drew interest from the purchaser. Maier & Maier […]