US election 2020: five IP stories from the year

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US election 2020: five IP stories from the year

Trump v Biden 2020 Presidential Election

As the Trump v Biden battle goes to the wire, Managing IP recaps on election-relevant stories from 2020

With several key states yet to declare, the US election is going to the wire – and may not even be decided today.

While you wait, Managing IP brings you five articles from 2020 that are relevant to the election. 

We will bring you more coverage when we know whether Donald Trump or Joe Biden will be the next US president. 

Election 2020: how politics shapes the pharma patent debate

Just a week before election day, reporter Charlotte Kilpatrick spoke to in-house counsel about how politics has attempted to chip away at patent rights in the pharma industry.

Sources said that while the result won’t have a dramatic impact on patents, they are keeping an eye on how politics could shape the pharma patent debate in the future nonetheless.

Iancu: there’s a lot still to be done – for me, or the next director

Americas editor Patrick Wingrove spoke to USPTO director Andrei Iancu, whom Trump appointed in 2017. 

In the interview, Iancu set out his hopes for the office, particularly in diversity and inclusion, and his proudest accomplishments since taking office in 2018.

Exclusive: DoJ antitrust chief reveals plans to leave in 2021

In October, Patrick Wingrove revealed that the head of the US Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division would step down after Trump’s first term regardless of the election result.

Makan Delrahim later reflected on his tenure as he prepares to depart – probably for the private sector.

Survey: in-house counsel on the US patent landscape

Long before election day, reporter Rani Mehta surveyed more than 50 in-house counsel on the state of the US patent landscape.

Among other findings, the survey showed that respondents wanted to see more remote hearings in the future and that Delaware (which happens to be Biden's home state) was their preferred court to litigate in.

In-house survey: Trump takes early edge over Biden on IP

As part of the survey in May, Rani Mehta found that Trump had taken an early edge over Biden, at least when it came to IP matters. 

When asked which man's IP views were better for their business, 20% voted Trump, 11% picked Biden, and the remainder either didn't know or picked neither candidate. 



more from across site and SHARED ros bottom lb

More from across our site

This year’s most-read stories covered uncertainty at the USPTO, a potential boycott of a major international IP conference, rankings releases, and a contempt of court proceeding
The parties have agreed on a court-guided settlement covering Pantech’s entire SEP portfolio, marking a global first
The introduction of Canada’s patent term adjustment has left practitioners sceptical about its value, with high fees and limited eligibility meaning SMEs could lose out
With the US privacy landscape more fragmented and active than ever and federal legislation stalled, lawyers at Sheppard Mullin explain how states are taking bold steps to define their own regimes
Viji Krishnan of Corsearch unpicks the results of a survey that reveals almost 80% of trademark practitioners believe in a hybrid AI model for trademark clearance and searches
News of Via Licensing Alliance selling its HEVC/VCC pools and a $1.5 million win for Davis Polk were also among the top talking points
The winner of a high-profile bidding war for Warner Bros Discovery may gain a strategic advantage far greater than mere subscriber growth - IP licensing leverage
A vote to be held in 2026 could create Hogan Lovells Cadwalader, a $3.6bn giant with 3,100 lawyers across the Americas, EMEA and Asia Pacific
Varuni Paranavitane of Finnegan and IP counsel Lisa Ribes compare and contrast two recent AI copyright decisions from Germany and the UK
Exclusive in-house data uncovered by Managing IP reveals French firms underperform on providing value equivalent to billing costs and technology use
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