{"id":11929,"date":"2019-02-13T18:02:37","date_gmt":"2019-02-13T23:02:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lotempiolaw.com\/?p=11929"},"modified":"2019-02-13T18:02:37","modified_gmt":"2019-02-13T23:02:37","slug":"patent-trademark-ip-stories-2-3-19","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lotempiolaw.com\/2019\/02\/blog-2\/patent-trademark-ip-stories-2-3-19\/","title":{"rendered":"Top Patent, Trademark, and IP Stories from Last Week (2\/4-2\/10\/19)"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2 style=\"text-align: center\">ICYMI: The Top Patent, Trademark, and IP Stories from Last Week (February 4th-10th, 2019)<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Every week, we will be highlighting the top patent, copyright, trademark, intellectual property, etc. stories of the previous week in our \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.lotempiolaw.com\/tag\/icymi\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">In Case You Missed It<\/a>\u201d segment. The list itself is in no particular order and includes a wide range of stories from the patent world that are informative, noteworthy, or just plain bizarre. The stories included encompass everything from Supreme Court cases to insights into emerging industries. Please feel free to comment your thoughts on the stories or share an important one we missed!<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>1.) \u201cCampbell\u2019s Soup Officially Trademarks the Word \u2018Chunky\u201d<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The USPTO has granted Campbell\u2019s Soup trademark rights for the word \u201cChunky\u201d for its Chunky<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_11937\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-11937\" style=\"width: 250px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11937\" src=\"https:\/\/www.lotempiolaw.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/howie-long-campbells-chunky-soup-advertisements.jpg\" alt=\"howie long campbell's chunky soup advertisement\" width=\"250\" height=\"324\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-11937\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">NFL Hall of Famer Howie Long appearing in a “Chunky” soup advertisement submitted by Campbell’s in their patent application (<em>Credit: <a href=\"https:\/\/tsdr.uspto.gov\/#caseNumber=87906726&caseType=SERIAL_NO&searchType=statusSearch\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Campbell’s\/USPTO<\/a><\/em>)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">soup brand. In the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/tsdr.uspto.gov\/#caseNumber=87906726&caseType=SERIAL_NO&searchType=statusSearch\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">application<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, Campbell\u2019s cited the brand\u2019s $13 billion in sales and $1 billion in advertising since its 1988 inception as a basis for the trademark. They argued \u201cchunky\u201d had become synonymous with their soup.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">To demonstrate how \u201cchunky\u201d had become one and the same with their soup, Campbell\u2019s provided countless <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/tsdr.uspto.gov\/documentviewer?caseId=sn87906726&docId=RFA20180507113610#docIndex=7&page=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">examples<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> of pop cultural references featuring the brand. Everything from song lyrics, <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Saturday Night Live<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> sketches, late night jokes, <\/span><a href=\"\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">satirical articles<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, and a 20-year partnership with the NFL helped make the case for the trademark as culturally relevant.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">As for the trademark itself, do not expect Campbell\u2019s to start selling \u201cChunky\u201d ice cream or chocolate chip cookies, the right only applies to soup. To read more about this story, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.adweek.com\/agencies\/campbells-soup-officially-trademarks-the-word-chunky\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">click here <\/span><\/a><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">(via AdWeek, February 5th, 2019)<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h3><b>2.) \u201cCourt Rules Medical Diagnostic Can\u2019t Be Patented, Leaving Biotech in \u2018Legal Mess\u201d<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">In a 2-1 decision last week, a U.S. appeals court ruled that a method used for diagnosing neurological disorders cannot be patented as it covers a \u201c<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.lotempiolaw.com\/2017\/09\/patent-2\/patentable-subject-matter\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">law of nature<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">.\u201d The method, which uses the detection of antibodies to diagnose such disorders, occurs naturally and simply covers \u201cthe correlation between certain antibodies and the autoimmune disease Myasthenia gravis.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The ruling arose from a 2015 dispute in which Quest Diagnostics Inc., who was granted a patent for the method, sued Mayo Clinic over royalties for using it. Mayo won after the court agreed last week that the method was a law of nature which the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uspto.gov\/web\/offices\/pac\/mpep\/s2106.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Supreme Court<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> has found are not patentable. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u201cLaws of nature and natural phenomena, as identified by the courts, include naturally occurring principles\/relations and nature-based products that are naturally occurring or that do not have markedly different characteristics compared to what occurs in\u201d<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> –<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uspto.gov\/web\/offices\/pac\/mpep\/s2106.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">USPTO, 2016<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Despite the ruling, there was still some reluctance over the decision. Circuit Judge Alan Lourie of the majority stated \u201cthe claims at issue here involve both the discovery of a natural law and certain concrete steps to observe its operation.\u201d Although such laws cannot be patented themselves, Lourie went on to argue that such processes may be patentable if arrival takes more than \u201cconventional steps.\u201d \u00a0For example, a manufactured substance to conduct the test. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Circuit Judge Pauline Newman said in her dissent that the ruling adds more ambiguity to what is patentable in diagnostic test development. \u201cFor procedures that require extensive development and federal approval, unpredictability of patent support is a disincentive to development of new diagnostic methods,\u201d she added. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The decision adds further confusion for diagnostic test developers who may seek patents elsewhere as patent ambiguity dissuades innovation in the field. Scientific developments and the laws of nature will always be intertwined so developers must use caution when filing ambiguous patents. To read more about this story, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/news\/articles\/2019-02-06\/quest-s-athena-loses-appeal-bid-to-revive-diagnosis-patent\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">click here <\/span><\/a><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u00a0(via Bloomberg, February 6th, 2019<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h3><b>3.) \u201cUnited States Moves Up in International Rankings for Patent Protection\u201d<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Global Innovation Policy Center (<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theglobalipcenter.com\/ipindex2019\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">GIPC<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">) recently <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theglobalipcenter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/023593_GIPC_IP_Index_2019_Full_03.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">ranked<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> the United States number one overall in patent protection policy and standard setting for 2019. The score reflects a strong commitment to patent, trademark, and trade secret protection, as well as enforcement of infringements and commercialization of IP assets. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Following a disastrous 12th place finish last year, the U.S. placed 2nd in \u201cPatents, Related Rights, and Limitations\u201d for 2019. This category measures the strength of the economy for patents and related rights and weighs such factors as the term for patent protection and ability to oppose patents in a fair manner. \u00a0Such a change in the ranking can be attested to USPTO reforms addressing <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ipwatchdog.com\/2018\/10\/09\/patent-uncertainty-real-ideas-real-people-real-harm\/id=101684\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">patent uncertainty<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Following the report\u2019s release, USPTO Director Andrei Iancu reaffirmed the importance of patent policy in driving and protecting innovation. \u201cAs the global intellectual property space becomes increasingly competitive, we must continue to fuel American innovation through a reliable, predictable, and high-quality patent system,\u201d he noted. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Overall, the U.S. either beat or tied the average score of the Top 5 economies for each indicator. The report noted the continued uncertainty in the patentability of high-tech sectors and lack of addressing online piracy as major weaknesses for the U.S. infrastructure. As for notable strengths, the GIPC recognized the U.S. as the \u201cglobal leader and standard setter\u201d for IP protection and enforcement. To read more about this story, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uspto.gov\/about-us\/news-updates\/united-states-moves-international-rankings-patent-protection\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">click here <\/span><\/a><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">(via USPTO, February 7th, 2019)<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h3><b>4.) \u201cSoldiers Are Firing Off Spider-Man-Like Nets From Grenades to Down Enemy Drones\u201d<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The U.S. Army has recently secured a <\/span><a href=\"\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">patent<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> for a projectile that, when fired, will entangle enemy targets including boats and drones in a net. The projectile will be able to be launched from a standard grenade launcher and intercept the enemy. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The net, complete with weights, would be launched from a compressed air tube, spinning as it ensnares its target. The illustration below shows the process of projectile leaving the launcher, released the ball lock mechanism, deploying its net, and capturing the enemy. <\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_11942\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-11942\" style=\"width: 592px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11942 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.lotempiolaw.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/us-army-net-projectile-patent-figure-2-uspto.png\" alt=\"U.S. Army projectile net patent grenade launcher\" width=\"592\" height=\"328\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-11942\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">An illustration of the U.S. Army’s patented net projectile which will be able to entangle enemies hundreds of yards away (<a href=\"https:\/\/pdfpiw.uspto.gov\/.piw?docid=10197365&PageNum=3&IDKey=D8DE24E8CC56&HomeUrl=netacgi\/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2%2526Sect2=HITOFF%2526p=1%2526u=%25252Fnetahtml%25252FPTO%25252Fsearch-bool.html%2526r=1%2526f=G%2526l=50%2526co1=AND%2526d=PALL%2526s1=Army%2526s2=net%2526OS=Army%252BAND%252Bnet%2526RS=Army%252BAND%252Bnet\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>Credit: U.S. Army\/USPTO)<\/em><\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">With the threat of drones in combat zones and restricted areas increases, the invention has the potential to eliminate such threats. Platoons can carry numerous projectiles and take down enemy soldiers or drones from hundreds of yards away. To read more about this story, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.businessinsider.com\/us-army-is-firing-grenades-stuffed-with-nets-to-down-enemy-drones-2019-2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">click here <\/span><\/a><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">(via Business Insider, February 8th, 2019)<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>ICYMI: The Top Patent, Trademark, and IP Stories from Last Week (February 4th-10th, 2019) Every week, we will be highlighting the top patent, copyright, trademark, intellectual property, etc. stories of the previous week in our \u201cIn Case You Missed It\u201d segment. The list itself is in no particular order and includes a wide range of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":39,"featured_media":11930,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,11],"tags":[800,801,593],"class_list":["post-11929","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog-2","category-interesting-stuff","tag-icymi","tag-patent-news","tag-trademark"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lotempiolaw.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11929","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lotempiolaw.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lotempiolaw.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lotempiolaw.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/39"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lotempiolaw.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11929"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lotempiolaw.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11929\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lotempiolaw.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11930"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lotempiolaw.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11929"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lotempiolaw.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11929"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lotempiolaw.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11929"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}