WHIPgroup files a large number of cases using the patent prosecution highway (PPH), which accelerates prosecution by allowing the USPTO to consider another patent office’s written opinion. WHIPgroup often uses this procedure for foreign clients, since a U.S. application can benefit from a positive opinion in a corresponding foreign national or PCT case. Overall, 67% of WHIPgroup’s PPH cases have been allowed without an Office Action. Another 5% of cases were found to have allowable subject matter in the first Office Action. Final disposition of PPH cases, from filing of the request to obtaining a granted patent, is typically less than a year. Accordingly, leveraging this program results in drastically lowered prosecution costs for WHIPgroup clients.
By Hao Zhang and Patrick D. Duplessis U.S. inventors seeking to protect their IP rights worldwide often file foreign patent applications in markets where they conduct business or where they are likely to find infringers [Read More…]
The Federal Circuit recently provided insight into the complicated issue of § 101 subject matter eligibility for method of treatment claims. In Vanda Pharmaceuticals Inc v West-Ward Pharmaceuticals, 887 F.3d. 1117 (Fed. Cir. 2018), a [Read More…]
On July 17, the WHIPgroup Tech Entrepreneur Meetup will return to the important topic of Artificial Intelligence. We will hear from the co-founders of Dreyev (pronounced “drive”), an interactive driving safety system that combines AI with [Read More…]