IP SOLUTIONS BLOG

A recent Chronicle of Higher Education posting describes an amusing deception carried out by a researcher in response to receiving numerous “aggressive” unsolicited e-mail messages from an open access publisher which finances its scientific journals by charging authors a publication fee.

Philip M. Davis, a doctoral student in communication at Cornell University, submitted a fake computer-generated research paper from a fake institution. The paper – “a nonsensical five-page report with footnotes and graphical charts” – was accepted after the publisher said it had been peer-reviewed (along with an invoice for $800.)

This made me wonder what happened to the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) conducted “Peer-to-Patent” experiment. The answer is that, as of June 15, 2009, the pilot is now closed to new applications, but the pipeline of existing applications will continue to be processed until they have all completed the normal peer review cycle (estimated to be mid-October).

The pilot was set-up to determine if peer review can support, in a cost effective manner, timely, accurate decisions about what inventions merit a U.S. patent.  Certainly in terms of participation the pilot can be judged a success.  A recent update recorded that since Peer-to-Patent launched, there have been 370,011 page views from 67,188 absolute unique visitors in 152 countries/territories with 2,501 registered users of the site and nearly 350 prior art uploads by volunteer experts since the project’s launch.  121 applications have completed or are currently participating in the program.  There are currently 27 patent applications available for review.

The decision to discontinue the program was made by the USPTO on the heels of the recent recognition of Peer-to-Patent by the White House Open Government Initiative.  The USPTO has requested a period of time in which to evaluate the program before making a decision on whether and how to proceed further.

We’d be interested here in your views of the program.

Bob Stembridge, Customer Relations Manager, Thomson Reuters Patent Law, Patent Reform, Patents Patents, Peer-to-Patent, USPTO

In a recent article published in BusinessWeek, Thomson Reuters CEO Tom Glocer provides insight into the factors driving the professionalization in the developing world. Among those factors is the patent boom in China. He explains that as the nation’s economy shifts to one focused on innovation, China is creating a legal system with a greater focus on protecting property rights. Read the full article.

Kevin Bonsor, Marketing Manager, IP Solutions Economy, Global IP, Patents Economy, Global IP, Patents, property rights

With the close of comments from the recent Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) meeting in Sydney, opinions still vary as to how the launch of new generic top level domains (gTLDs) will affect brand owners. The creation of such customized gTLDs may be exactly what you want. For others however, particularly those who use arbitrary terms as their brand name, this could be more problematic.

Take Apple® for example. Long before it was one of the top 30 most valuable brands in the world or had anything to do with a computer, an “apple” was just a fruit. Arguably scores of apple growers associations throughout the world primarily still think of “apple” as a fruit and would like to own the top level domain “.apple” if they could have it. Fact is, in the U.S. alone, the word “apple” is a registered trademark to several brand owners in 11 different classes, including music, computers, cosmetics, garden tools, horseshoes, tourism services, bags, rubber seals, tobacco, books and toys. So, who should get first bite of the “.apple” top level domain name? Or, should there be an .apple domain at all?

Explore this issue further in the latest issue of Thomson CompuMark’s Client Times Online, with an insightful article written by Foley & Lardner’s Jon Dudas, Jeff Kobulnick and Norm Rich.

If you would like to subscribe to Thomson CompuMark’s Client Times Online e-newsletter, please contact Victoria Poor, Marketing Communications Manager for Thomson CompuMark.

Victoria Poor, Marketing Communications Manager, Thomson CompuMark Brand Protection, Trademarks brands, gTLDs, Trademarks

Trademark professionals worldwide have turned their attention to the power of social media and its effects on trademarks and brands. What was once considered to have a benign impact on brands is now a challenge to overcome for many trademark owners.

The challenge for trademark owners in social media environments is not so much brand confusion, but rather in dealing with and being relevant in open, uncontrolled, and unregulated global communication networks where their relevance, reputations, image and statements are subject to immediate and massive commentary and opinion which can have a direct effect on their revenue and longevity.

The meaning of a trademark/brand as a symbol of reputation takes on a whole new meaning in this environment because the control over reputation can easily shift from the brand owner to the consumer/observer/publisher community. Trademark/brand owners are learning that keeping or harder yet, regaining control requires taking an active role in these communities by fully participating as a community member.

Steven Weinberg, an attorney with Cowan, DeBaets, Abrahams & Sheppard LLP, discusses the realities of twitter, Facebook and other social media vehicles that face the trademark industry in the in the July issue of Client Times Online. Read on.

If you would like to subscribe to Thomson CompuMark’s Client Times Online e-newsletter, please contact Victoria Poor, Marketing Communications Manager for Thomson CompuMark.

Victoria Poor, Marketing Communications Manager, Thomson CompuMark Brand Protection, Trademarks Brand Protection, Social Media, Trademarks

David Brown, president of Thomson Reuters IP Solutions, took a few moments out on his recent trip to Beijing to share his thoughts on global growth in the patent and trademark industry. In this podcast, he discusses how law firms are capitalizing on these growth opportunities, especially in China and Korea, to develop new clients and retain market share, and how Thomson Reuters is supporting the patents and trademark business through the new combined offering of Westlaw Patents + Thomson Innovation.

Kevin Bonsor, Marketing Manager, IP Solutions Global IP, Patents, Thomson Reuters, Trademarks Global IP, patent, Thomson Reuters, Trademarks