Updates on IP news from our global team! | | What is the Intellectual Property Training Program (IPTP)? | | The IPTP is a program designed to educate participants in the law and practice of Intellectual Property (“IP”). While all aspects of IP (patents, trademarks, copyrights and trade secrets) will be introduced, the emphasis will be on patents and, in particular, on how to prepare and prosecute effective patent applications. Participants generally have a high level of technical education and experience but minimal exposure to intellectual property. Other participants may have significant IP experience in other jurisdictions but wish to learn more about U.S. and other IP practices. | | |
USPTO Issues New Guidance on
AI-Assisted Inventorship,
Rescinding Its 2024 Guidance
| | On November 28, 2025, USPTO Director John Squires issued new guidance on AI-assisted inventorship and explicitly rescinded the February 13, 2024, guidance that had been issued by his predecessor Director Vidal. At issue is what human activity rises to the level of inventorship when a human uses an AI tool in a manner that results in an invention. | | Is Writing Your Own Dictionary Dangerous? Yes. | | While a patent practitioner’s work may not qualify for hazard pay, significant responsibilities include imagining how a patent may be interpreted in the future and avoiding potential negative consequences arising from the words the practitioner used to describe an invention. A powerful tool in a patent professional’s drafting toolbox is the ability to assign a particular definition to any term used in a patent – to act as a “lexicographer.” As a lexicographer, a patent drafter has the ability to simply restate the common meaning of a term for clarity or to assign an alternate – such as an expanded or narrowed – meaning to the term. The ability to act as a lexicographer is especially useful when the drafter wishes to use a term differently than the term’s “ordinary and plain meaning,” but can have unintended consequences when careful attention is not given to the specific use of terminology throughout a patent specification. A recent suit, Aortic Innovations LLC v. Edwards Lifesciences Corp., highlights the importance of careful drafting and diligence in consistent use of terminology to avoid unintentionally invoking the power to act as a lexicographer and redefining a claim term in an unintended manner. | | CNIPA Releases Amendments to Patent Examination Guidelines Effective January 1, 2026 | | The China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) recently released amended Patent Examination Guidelines that will take effect on January 1, 2026. The amendments cover a wide range of topics, including new requirements for inventor identity, ethical standards for inventions involving artificial intelligence (AI), standards for disclosure and inventiveness of algorithm or data-related inventions, examination of inventions involving bitstreams, patent protection scope for plant varieties and biological breeding, and improvements to invalidation procedures. | | |
“Doing the Right Thing:
Ethical Responsibilities in IP Practice”
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All registered patent attorneys and patent agents (registered practitioners), as well as attorneys practicing in trademark and other non-patent law matters before the USPTO, are bound by the ethical standards set forth in USPTO Rules of Professional Conduct, 37 C.F.R. § 11.101. The key ethical rules include some fundamental basics such as: 1.) Do not lie, cheat, or steal. 2.) Do not take on work you do not feel that you are competent to perform. 3.) Avoid conflicts of interest in which a new client is opposed to a current or former client.
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Insights Into the AIPLA 2025
Annual Meeting
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Each year, the American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA) hosts an annual meeting. This year the meeting was held in downtown Washington, D.C. While the meeting was attended by many experienced intellectual property (IP) practitioners, the meeting was also joined by many first-time attendees and new members, including many students.
| | Christina Stender - U.S. Patent Agent | | The 16th edition of Best Law Firms® was published on November 6, 2025. We’re pleased to announce that OBWB made the list once again! This recognition reflects the exceptional talent and commitment of our team. We extend our gratitude to our clients, colleagues, and community partners for their continued confidence and collaboration. |
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