North America
Ruling could alter gene pool of US patent law
Much-anticipated outcome of case concerning patents on breast cancer genes may lead to wave of biotech filings...  »
Painted into a corner? Brand value of artists’ estates under threat from legal action
Fears over lawsuits and legal costs are forcing art experts to wind up their authentication work. Matt Packer explains how the trend could seriously damage the art market’s IP credentials...  »
Grand visions for grander innovations
Large-scale, state-managed projects make impressive showcases for the inventive spirit – but only in rare cases are they impervious to external factors, writes Matt Packer...  »
Luggage brand gets legal attaché on the case to Avenge box design
Container for collection of comic-book adventures also has a lawsuit in store...  »
Social media spotlight: latest legal moves in the UK and US
A defamation case and the opinion of a labour-rights body show how the UK and US legal systems are adjusting to a network of challenges, writes Matt Packer...  »
Weighing up the billions lost from software piracy
A major report on unlicensed software has highlighted a soaring escalation of the problem. However, writes Matt Packer, support for the IP Rights of official vendors has far from vanished...  »
Satellite offices aim to slash US patent backlogs and boost jobs
USPTO hopes to enhance efficiency and help innovators bring their products to market more quickly by branching out across the country...  »
Please RT: Twitter patent agreement leaves experts unconvinced
A promise by Twitter to give its employees more power and control over their inventions looks set to shake up corporate IP policies. But, writes Nick Huber, some patent experts warn that it could be b....  »
Non-practising entities drive patent suit defence costs to $29bn, says study
Patent portfolio holding companies are damaging SME finances, according to a major law school – but the leader of one such company argues they are making a valuable contribution...  »
Patent pugilism: historic squabbles over standards and status
History is peppered with rivalries between inventors, but the best ones are those that decide the future of entire infrastructures. Matt Packer charts the stories behind those momentous struggles...  »