USPTO Focuses on Pharmaceutical Patent Quality in Proposed Initiatives Posted on December 02, 2022 In July 2021, President Biden issued an Executive Order on promoting competition in the U.S. economy. Among other measures, the Executive Order called for action “to help ensure that the patent system, while incentivizing innovation, does not unjustifiably delay generic drug or biosimilar competition beyond that reasonably contemplated by applicable law." Against this backdrop, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office...
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Does v. Reddit: Ninth Circuit’s Narrow Reading of the Sex Trafficking Exception Further Complicates Debate over Section 230 Immunity Posted on November 16, 2022 The Ninth Circuit’s recent ruling in Jane Does, et al v. Reddit, Inc. is the first federal appellate court decision addressing internet platforms’ Section 230 immunity under a 2018 anti-sex amendment. The decision, upholding Reddit’s immunity in a child sex trafficking claim, precludes a string of similar cases in federal Circuit Courts and sets the stage up for more debate...
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China’s Supreme People’s Court Issued its First Patent Linkage Decision Posted on November 14, 2022 On August 5, 2022, China’s Supreme People’s Court issued the landmark decision of Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. v. Wenzhou Haihe Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. This is the first Patent Linkage case in China since its establishment of the Patent Linkage system in 2020. The Court upheld the decision of the Beijing Intellectual Property Court and dismissed the infringement claim made by...
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Proposed Patent Eligibility Restoration Act Reinvigorates Debate Over Biotechnology Patents Posted on November 11, 2022 Patent Eligibility Restoration Act of 2022, S.4734, 117th Cong. § (2022) On August 2, 2022, Sen. Thom Thillis (R–NC) introduced bill S.4734, titled the Patent Eligibility Restoration Act of 2022. The Act would modify 35 U.S.C. Section 101, the existing federal statute on patentable inventions, which currently grants patent eligibility for a very broad class of inventions. S.4734 Section ...
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Colorado Proposes Detailed Regulations to Implement the Colorado Privacy Act Posted on November 07, 2022 On October 10, 2022, the Colorado Secretary of State published draft rules implementing the Colorado Privacy Act of 2021. The proposed rules give consumers rights over their personal data, including the ability to access, correct, or delete personal information previously gathered by an entity and the ability to “opt out” of having their personal data sold or used for targeted...
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PayPal’s “Misinformation” Fine Sparks Backlash Posted on November 01, 2022 A platform’s user agreement is rarely an attention-drawing document. However, early this October, PayPal ignited online discussion with its newest policy. What attracted criticism was an unusual provision stating that the company would fine its customers an astounding $2,500 in damages for spreading “misinformation.” The provision prohibits customers from using PayPal’s services for activities identified by it as “sending, posting...
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NetChoice, L.L.C. v. Paxton: 5th Circuit Sets Up Supreme Court Battle Over Content Moderation Authority of Social Media Giants Posted on October 21, 2022 The Fifth Circuit’s recent decision in NetChoice, L.L.C. v. Paxton, has set up a possible Supreme Court clash between social media behemoths and States passing “anti-online censorship” laws. In August 2021, the Texas legislature passed H.B. 20, prohibiting large social media platforms from “censoring” content on the basis of viewpoint or geographic location within the State. Netchoice, a trade association...
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AI - Is it Art, yet? Posted on October 20, 2022 The increasing popularity of artificial intelligence has entered the consumer creative market, as seen through the lens of AI-generated music and art. On September 15, the copyright office granted Kris Kashtanova a copyright for the AI-generated graphic novel Zarya of the Dawn. In an announcement posted on Instagram, Kris Kashtanova of New York claims to have created the novel with...
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American Data Privacy and Protection Act: Latest, Closest, yet Still Fragile Attempt Toward Comprehensive Federal Privacy Legislation Posted on October 19, 2022 By a 53-2 vote, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce advanced the American Data Privacy and Protection Act (ADPPA) to the full House of Representatives on July 20, 2022. This bill is not only the latest attempt by Congress to introduce a federal comprehensive data privacy legislation after over 20 years of fruitless debate but also the closest it...
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Fighting Against the Clock: Did Congress Miss its Opportunity to Pass a Monumental Big Tech Oversight Bill? Posted on October 17, 2022 Introduction: As the national midterm election nears, the future of the American Innovation and Choice Online Act (AICOA) hangs in the balance. The AICOA is one of several antitrust bills designed to curb monopolistic influence in key industries, and it specifically focuses on government oversight over the largest tech companies. If passed, the AICOA would represent the most significant update...
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