Former in-house lawyer eyes Washington DC growth for Foley Hoag
A former in-house lawyer at a biotech company has been tempted back to private practice in part because of the potential for growth in the life sciences sector.
Foley Hoag announced on Monday, March 11, that it had added Xianfeng Morgan Xu as counsel in its Washington DC office from biotech company Inscripta.
To read the full article click here.
The IP Lounge: AI clarifications, Managing IP Awards preview
In this episode, deputy editor Max Walters was joined by Rani Mehta, senior reporter for the Americas, and Sukanya Sarkar, our special projects editor, to unpick some of the biggest talking points from February and look ahead to the Managing IP Awards season.
Top of the list was artificial intelligence (AI), as there have been some notable clarifications on AI use from the Indian and US governments in recent weeks.
We also looked at law firm strategies, including a potential acquisition for Rouse, and previewed next month's Managing IP Awards.
To listen to the episode, click here.
Other articles published on Managing IP this week include:
Promise of 'bet the company' disputes helped Paul Hastings lure A&O team
New IPH hire: online TM services becoming ‘more trusted’
Weekly take: Why transparency and certainty are crucial for SEP licensing
Five minutes with … Parminder Lally, Appleyard Lees
Domestic bliss? Ex-Baker McKenzie lawyers eye gap in Chinese market
Goodwin Procter's ‘global platform’ lures PTAB lawyer
How firms jostle for talent in ‘competitive’ life sciences market
Elsewhere in IP
AI Act approved
The European Parliament approved the EU AI Act on Wednesday, March 13. Among the act’s provisions is that producers of some general-purpose AI systems be transparent about the material used to train their models and comply with EU copyright law.
Easy does it
Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou, founder of low-cost airline easyJet and the associated easyGroup brands, was interviewed by The Guardian newspaper on Sunday, March 10.
The entrepreneur, known for asserting his company’s trademarks, told the newspaper: “We have an army of lawyers: that’s what they’re paid to do.” However, he estimated that just a “ninth” of his time is spent on intellectual property fights.
Trademark troubles
News and politics site Politico published a rundown of the ‘Russia warship, go fuck yourself’ EU trademark (EUTM) saga on Monday, March 11. The EUTM application has been rejected by both the EUIPO and the office’s Boards of Appeal.
The application was originally filed by Roman Gribov, the Ukrainian soldier who first uttered the phrase, and is now being managed by Ukraine’s border control body the Administration of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine. Brussels-based law firm Bukovnik & Kulbaba IP Guardians is representing the Administration.
UPC pressure
Ireland’s minister of state for enterprise, trade, and transport, has warned that recent referendum defeats in the country put the government “under pressure” ahead of another referendum in June on joining the Unified Patent Court.
“I think it certainly puts us under a bit of pressure,” Neale Richmond told RTÉ News in Brussels this week.
Nokia assertion
Sticking with the UPC, Nokia said on Wednesday, March 13, that it had sued Verifone for the alleged unauthorised use of its connectivity technologies. The Finnish company filed cases in Germany and at the UPC. Verifone’s devices, Nokia said, infringe a mix of its patented inventions covering fundamental technologies in cellular and Wi-Fi standards.
EPO quality
The EPO unveiled a Quality Dashboard on Friday, March 8, that presents the office’s key performance indicators (KPIs) surrounding the quality of its patent granting process.
The dashboard, which will share KPIs on search, examination, opposition, Boards of Appeal outcomes and digitalisation, is aimed at enhancing transparency by providing regular updates on quality and user satisfaction.
Bitcoin feud ends
The England and Wales High Court ruled on Thursday, March 14, that computer scientist Craig Wright is not Satoshi Nakamoto, the self-proclaimed creator of the bitcoin cryptocurrency.
In the Crypto Open Patent Alliance (COPA) v Wright case Wright had claimed that he and Satoshi Nakamoto, a pseudonym for the cryptocurrency's creator, are the same person. Wright has previously asserted his copyright over the 2008-published whitepaper that gave rise to bitcoin’s creation.
Bird & Bird represented COPA while Wright was represented by Shoosmiths.
Five more years
The Council of the EU has extended the term of Andrea Di Carlo, deputy executive director of the EUIPO, for an additional five years, starting from November 1 2024. The decision follows an earlier proposal by the EUIPO’s management board.
Di Carlo became deputy executive director in November 2019.
That's it for today, see you again next week.
