Michael D. Van Loy, PhD, Member, Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C. to Speak at KC’s Event

New York, NY, November 03, 2015 --(PR.com)-- The Knowledge Group/The Knowledge Congress Live Webcast Series, the leading producer of regulatory focused webcasts, has announced today that Michael D. Van Loy, PhD, Member, Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C. will speak at the Knowledge Congress’ webcast entitled: “USPTO’s Subject Matter Eligibility: An Update.” This event is scheduled for December 02, 2015 from 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm (ET).

For further details, please visit:
https://theknowledgegroup.org/usptos-subject-matter-eligibility-an-update-live-webcast-3/

About Michael D. Van Loy, PhD

Mike is a Member of Mintz Levin’s Intellectual Property Section, focusing on all aspects of IP portfolio strategy development including drafting and prosecution of patent and trademark applications; preparation of patentability, infringement, and validity opinions; litigation preparation and support; licensing negotiations; and other monetization approaches. Mike works in a wide range of technical fields, including motor vehicle engines and braking systems, chemical and environmental sensing and analysis, alternative energy sources and storage, emissions controls and remediation technologies for air and water, and semiconductor design and production, among others. Before joining Mintz Levin, Mike was a patent agent at a national intellectual property law firm in Silicon Valley and at a Palo Alto incubator venture fund.

About Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C.

Mintz Levin is a full-service, general practice law firm with over 500 attorneys, and eight offices throughout the US and the UK. Major practice areas include Antitrust, Bankruptcy, Corporate & Securities, Employment, Environmental Law, Health Law, Intellectual Property, Litigation, Public Finance, Real Estate, and Tax. Mintz Levin’s Intellectual Property practice includes a global team of over 110 prosecution, counseling, and litigation attorneys, technology specialists, and patent agents that routinely handle complex patent litigation cases and prosecute hundreds of patents per year. The firm serves clients of all sizes and at all stages of growth, representing Fortune 500 companies, entrepreneurs, emerging growth companies, government agencies, and nonprofits. The firm also encourages pro bono service, dedicating a certain percentage of its billable hours to pro bono matters.

Event Synopsis:

On July 30, 2015, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has issued additional guidelines in determining Subject Matter Eligibility under 35 U.S.C. § 101. These guidelines conform to the public comments provided in response to the Interim Patent Eligibility Guidance released by the USPTO in December 2014. The various themes of the comments include requests for additional examples of claims directed to abstract ideas and laws of nature; explanation of the markedly different characteristics (MDC) analysis; and clarification of the requirements of a prima facie case of unpatentability under § 101 and the role of evidence in subject matter rejections.

The newest updates focus on analysis of abstract ideas, particularly in the business method, Graphical User Interface, and software areas. It also provides additional examples of subject matter eligible claims in various technologies as well as sample analyses applying the Supreme Court and Federal Circuit’s considerations for determining whether a claim is subject matter eligible. These examples are deem equally valuable to USPTO examiners and applicants by giving both parties cleaner roadmap on the proper analysis for determining patent eligible subject matter.

Both the December 2014 Interim Guidance and the July 2015 Update have shown USPTO’s extended efforts to develop and implement policy regarding the judicially recognized patent ineligible exceptions. The significant changes in how the office examines patent applications since the Supreme Court’s decisions in Alice Corp v. CLS Bank and Mayo v. Prometheus serve as the turning points in the conventional wisdom of subject matter eligibility.

Unfortunately, the July 2015 Guidance was viewed with obscurity concerning the requirements for establishing a sufficient prima facie case of subject matter ineligibility. It appears to indicate that an examiner can take official notice as to whether additional elements in the claim amount to significantly more than the judicial exception by noting that “a rejection should only be made if an examiner relying on his or her expertise in the art can readily conclude in the Step 2B inquiry that the additional elements do not amount to significantly more.”

In this two-hour Live Webcast, the Knowledge Group has assembled a panel of key thought leaders and practitioners to help examine the USPTO’s July 2015 Interim Guidance. The panel will also highlight the implications of the Guidance on patent eligibility and will provide practical advice and best strategies for drafting claims and writing applications under this latest Guidance.

Some of the major topics that will be covered in this course are:
§ Subject Matter Eligibility: An Overview
§ 2014 Interim Patent Eligibility Guidance
§ July 2015 New Guidance: Practical Implications and Best Practices
§ Prima Facie Case
§ Recent Decisions
§ Alice Corp v. CLS Bank
§ Mayo v. Prometheus
§ Patent Eligibility: Best Practices for Handling Uncertainties
§ Possible Outcomes and Changes

About The Knowledge Group/The Knowledge Congress Live Webcast Series

The Knowledge Group was established with the mission to produce unbiased, objective, and educational live webinars that examine industry trends and regulatory changes from a variety of different perspectives. The goal is to deliver a unique multilevel analysis of an important issue affecting business in a highly focused format. To contact or register to an event, please visit: http://theknowledgegroup.org