Patents

Case summaries and articles about  patents.

August 18, 2021
Photograph of a black robotic hand reaching out to touch a human hand

Are We Ready to Name AI as an Inventor of Patents?

The Australian Federal Court recently recognized that an artificial intelligence can be listed as an inventor under the Australian Patent Act.
August 9, 2021
Photograph of an auto-injector needle with a drop of liquid at the tip of the needle.

Federal Court of Appeal Reaffirms Overbreadth as Grounds for Invalidity

2021 FCA 154: The FCA held that overbreadth is not an “improper re-emergence of the promise doctrine”. Overbreadth is supported by bargain theory and s. 27 of the Act.
July 27, 2021
Photograph of centrifuge tubes in a test tube rack on a laboratory bench.

Variations on Previously Approved Drugs Are Ineligible for Data Protection

2021 FCA 137: On July 12, 2021, the Federal Court of Appeal issued a decision dismissing an application for judicial review of a decision of the Minister of Health denying data protection for a drug. Janssen Inc. had sought protection for its drug SPRAVATO but was rejected on the basis that it was not an “innovative drug” eligible for such protection.
July 21, 2021
Photo of a project planning board covered in yellow sticky notes.

A Synergistic Combination: Patents and SR&ED

The trick is to efficiently resource patent and SR&ED initiatives while keeping product development on track. Here are a few tips that can help you do that.
July 15, 2021
Lightbulbs in a row. Lightbulbs are illuminated, Edison-style glass bulbs.

Amendments to Patent Rules Continue: Further Streamlining Canadian Patent Prosecution

Proposed changes to Canada’s patent system include excess claim fees and limits on office actions which will lay the groundwork for patent term adjustments.
July 7, 2021

CAFC Invalidates a Camera Patent, Blurring Lines in the Patent Eligibility Inquiry

Fed. Cir. No. 2020-1760: The CAFC sided with Apple and Samsung, finding a patent for an “improved” digital camera to be an abstract idea and not patent-eligible subject matter.
June 7, 2021
Close up view of a green circuit board for a computer

PAB Allows Two Software Patents, Revealing Post-Choueifaty Approach

2021 CACP 9, 2021 CACP 12: In two recent decisions involving software patents, the Patent Appeal Board found the inventions to be directed to patentable subject-matter
May 19, 2021
Photograph of a row of glass bottles containing vaccines against COVID-19.

Promoting Diversity vs COVID-19 Patents: Why We Must Get It Right

As the pandemic rages and the vaccines roll out, we face a difficult question about whether to relax patents on COVID-19 technologies in order to accelerate global vaccine distribution. For intellectual property professionals, we must ensure that we help guide the right policy decision. History is going to judge us. 
May 12, 2021
Black textbook with red spine. The title "Canadian Patent Law" is written on the cover in gold.

PCK IP Releases 4th Edition of Canadian Patent Law

Co-authors Stephen Perry and Andrew Currier have drawn on years of experience in the field of IP to craft a complete resource for the patent prosecutor.
April 20, 2021
Canadian flag waving in front of the Parliament buildings in Ottawa.

Canadian Innovation Deserves Robust Roster of Canadian Patent Agents Registered Before the USPTO

This paper uses publicly available filing statistics and a professional survey in an attempt to gather empirical data on the work done by Canadian Patent Agents in the Canadian Intellectual Property Office (“CIPO”) versus the United States Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”).
March 26, 2021
Photograph of an oil and gas pump.

Federal Court Applies Its Own Claim Construction to Infringement Case

2021 FC 85: The Federal Court upheld the validity of all claims, but found that PetroChina was not infringing Maoz Betser-Zilevitch's patent for an SAGD.
March 3, 2021
Model of a human brain photographed in an anatomy lab.

A Closer Look: CAFC Finds Immersion Photography Claims Are Obvious

Fed Cir, 2019-1927: The CAFC overturned a finding of non-obviousness by the US Patent Trial and Appeal Board on a patent owned by Melanoscan, LLC.
February 1, 2021
Business person sitting a board room table in front of sunny window

Federal Court of Appeal Restricts Admissibility of Foreign Prosecution History

2021 FCA 7: The FCA narrowly interpreted section 53.1 of the Patent Act, refusing to look at a corresponding US application that was not named by number.
January 19, 2021

Quebec Court Finds New Drug Pricing Rules Tip Constitutional Scale

2020 QCCS 4541: Court held that forthcoming amendments to the Patented Medicines Regulations are unconstitutional and infringe on provincial powers.
December 2, 2020
Close-up photograph of a fountain pen writing words in ink on paper.

Written Description Particularly Important if Amending Claims in Response to Competitor

Fed. Cir. 2018-1779: A patent for testing fetal DNA was found to be unpatentable because the claims were not fully supported by the written description.
November 16, 2020
An orange backhoe on a construction site with mountains in the background.

Federal Court Finds Patent Obvious in Summary Judgment

2020 FC 997: In a summary judgement for patent impeachment, Canada's Federal Court found a patent for heating hydraulic booms to be invalid for obviousness.
November 2, 2020
Photograph of eyeglasses focusing on a computer screen displaying software code.

After Choueifaty: A New Test for Examining Software Inventions in Canada

Andrew Currier and Stephen Perry review best practices for drafting software patents to global standards and propose a new test for examining software inventions in Canada.
October 27, 2020
Photograph of a money jar spilling coins against white background.

FCA Upholds Largest Patent Infringement Award in Canadian History

2020 FCA 141: Court warns judges not to be "spooked" by the enormous sums that may be calculated in an accounting of profits for patent infringement.
October 5, 2020
Orange transport truck driving on a highway under a blue sky.

Federal Court Cannot Designate Standard-Essential Patents

T-1686-18: Canada's Federal Court has clarified that it does not have jurisdiction to designate Standard-Essential Patents.
September 23, 2020
Lines of programming code on a computer screen.

Federal Court Rejects CIPO’s “Problem-Solution” Approach to Claim Construction

2020 FC 837: A recent decision spells the end to the problem-solution approach, which has long been used to block patent applications for software.