North America
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....  »
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...  »
Auction of major Kodak patent portfolios cleared at Bankruptcy Court
Ruling splits off sale of patent holdings from final stages of ownership dispute, as photography giant continues to weather financial difficulties...  »
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...  »
ICANN’s grand domains reveal: the trends behind the fanfare
Global authority’s outgoing president and CEO Rod Beckstrom has at last announced the list of applicants for new domain suffixes. Matt Packer combs the details for themes that have special interest ....  »
Non-lawyer debate takes external focus
While accepting the role that Legal Services Outsourcing companies now play in the legal sector, the American Bar Association has proposed new guidelines for lawyers in managing their work with LSO pr....  »
Dewey & LeBoeuf partnership exodus spurred by legal evolution
Cleaving to the traditional partnership model and ramping up hires during a time of change in the legal sector has forced a high-profile firm to wind down its affairs, writes Jo Russell...  »
US IP: the five-trillion dollar industry
Commerce group puts high valuation on intellectual assets generated by American companies – and hails the positive implications for jobs ...  »
Banking group sounds alarm over potential abuse of finance gTLDs
Leading European watchdog highlights suffixes that could be snatched by ‘unscrupulous individuals’ aiming to defraud consumers of financial services, writes Nick Huber...  »