It's that time of year when we make resolutions to improve our health, our relationships, our careers, or other areas of our lives. I'm not starting a new diet today (although if I were, the invention described in this patent application could be helpful), but I have been thinking about New Year's resolutions for the U.S. patent system. Make Diagnostic Methods Patentable Again It's been nearly six years since the Supreme Court called the patent eligibility [...]

In 2016, the Japan Patent Office (JPO) issued a patent for a "system" of serving steak meals to fast food chain Ikinari! Steak. The method was fairly simple, and caused a stir because it seemed hardly worthy of a patent. The JPO seems to agree, now. An opposition case ended on November 28, 2017, declaring the patent null. The application originally was issued an office action by the JPO because it described a mere series [...]

In a rather unique case the Israel Supreme Court issued an interlocutory injunction prohibiting the company Hazera from requesting access to watermelon seeds of the company Origene Seeds, deposited for the purpose of patent procedure under the Budapest Treaty, and thereby cancelled a previous decision of the Tel Aviv District Court. Background Israel is a signatory to the Budapest Treaty on the International Recognition of the Deposit of Microorganisms for the Purposes of Patent [...]