JOLT Digest

Content by Vera Ranieri

Google Sued for Use of Trademarked Terms in Adwords Program

A class action was filed against Google on May 11, 2009 in federal court in Texas challenging its use of trademarked terms in its adwords program. The New York Times covered the case and surrounding issues. Ars Technica analyzes Google’s new AdWords policy.

ACLU Challenges Constitutionality of Gene Patents

The ACLU filed suit in the Southern District of New York challenging the patenting of genes and genetic tests as unconstitutional. The New York Times reported on the suit and the ACLU’s plaintiff. Patently-O provides further analysis and links to the ACLU blog and the complaint.

Oregon State Appeals Court Finds Frozen Embryos ”Personal Property” in Divorce Proceeding 
By Anna Lamut – Edited by Stephanie Weiner 

Dahl v. Angle
Or. Ct. App., October 8, 2008, A133697
Slip Opinion

The Court of Appeals of the State of Oregon upheld the decision of the trial court to enforce a contract made between a now-divorced husband and wife regarding six frozen embryos resulting from the couple’s attempt to conceive in vitro. The contract provided that, in the event of a disagreement, the wife would have the right to decide what would happen to the embryos. Necessary to the Court of Appeals’ decision was a finding that the contractual right to determine the fate of frozen embryos is personal property.

While married, the parties had unsuccessfully tried to conceive a child via in vitro fertilization, a process that left six frozen embryos at the Oregon Health and Science University (”OHSU”). The parties executed an “Embryology Laboratory Specimen Storage Agreement” at the time that they underwent the procedure, which gave the wife, Dr. Laura Dahl, the “sole and exclusive right” to instruct OHSU to transfer or dispose of the embryos in the event that the parties were not able to agree. Dr. Dahl chose to have the embryos destroyed, while her ex-husband, Dr. Darrell Angle, denied having initialed or read the agreement. He claimed that “embryos are life” and did not want the embryos destroyed because “there’s no pain greater than having participated in the demise of your own child.”

The Associated Press and CBS provide overviews of the case. 

Andy Dworkin of the Oregonian provides commentary. 

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Federal Circuit Holds Patent Unenforceable Following Patentee’s Failure to Disclose Material Notes

By Michelle Yang — Edited by Wen Bu

Monsanto Corp. v. Bayer Bioscience N.V.
Federal Circuit, January 25, 2008, No. 2007-1109
Slip Opinion

On January 25, the Federal Circuit affirmed the District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri’s holdings: 1) that Bayer’s patent for certain chimeric genes was unenforceable for inequitable conduct, and 2) that the district court had jurisdiction to declare three related patents unenforceable.

The Federal Circuit held that Bayer’s patent was unenforceable for inequitable conduct. Judge Gajarsa’s opinion held that Bayer breached its duty of candor and good faith to the United States Patent and Trademark Office in failing to disclose its employee’s notes on another researcher’s poster at a scientific conference.

The court also upheld the district court’s jurisdiction over three other patents relating to the chimeric genes, holding that the district court still retained jurisdiction because of Monsanto’s request for attorney fees, despite Bayer’s motion to dismiss the claims on the other patents and subsequent signing of a covenant not to sue Monsanto for infringement of those patents.

Dennis Crouch of Patently-O summarizes the opinion.
Lawrence B. Ebert of IPBiz mentions some interesting aspects of the case’s procedural history.
Stephen Albainy-Jenei of Patent Baristas warns that “note-taking can come back to bite your patent.”

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