Imagine That IP Law Blog

A recent Federal Circuit decision in Larry G. Junker v. Medical Components, Inc., Martech Medical Products, Inc., 2021-1649, 2022 U.S. App. LEXIS 3647 (Fed. Cir. Feb. 10, 2022) serves as a reminder for businesses to carefully watch commercial activity with respect to the bar date for patent applications.

The subject of the appeal is Mr. Junker’s design patent claiming an ornamental design for a handle for an introducer sheath shown below with solid lines.

Mr. Junker accused the defendants of infringing the patented design. In response, the defendants countered in-part that the ... Read More ›

In the latest measure affecting global intellectual property protection, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin announced a new law allowing “parallel imports.” This action will permit Russian importation of goods without the permission of the rightful trademark owners. The new law was enacted in response to sanctions placed on the Russian economy after recent events. It seeks to satisfy the demand for goods that arose after famous brands like Apple, Nike, McDonald's, Coca-Cola, and Pepsi temporarily suspended sales in the Russia. Practical application of the law could ... Read More ›

When you begin to study the law of trade secrets, you are advised that trade secret protection requires that the secret cannot be publicly disclosed, and this requirement is contrary to the patent protection system that requires the owner to publicly disclose the invention. This secrecy requirement appears unrealistic in a commercial environment. It is difficult to imagine how one can exploit the trade secret commercially without some disclosure to others engaged in the commercial activity associated with use of the trade secret. Those necessary disclosures could involve ... Read More ›