Failure to Negotiate License in Good Faith Under FRAND May Preempt Patent Damages

4/6/2013 - Failure to negotiate a license in good faith under FRAND may preempt patent damages -- The Tokyo District Court ruled that Samsung cannot seek patent damages against Apple because Samsung’s failure to negotiate a license to Apple in good faith under its own FRAND declaration constituted an abuse of patent right. (IPCat, PatentProgress)

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Public Hearing Related to Harmonization of Substantive Patent Law

3/10/2013 - Public Hearing Related to Harmonization of Substantive Patent Law will be held on March 21, 2013 from 8:30am – 12:00pm EDT. The hearing is intended to gather stakeholder input regarding the topics of grace period, publication of applications, treatment of conflicting applications, and prior user rights. The hearing will be available via webcast.

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USPTO Final Guidelines Regarding Novelty and Obviousness Determinations Under the First-Inventor-to-

3/4/2013 - The USPTO has published final guidelines regarding alterations to novelty and obviousness determinations under the First-Inventor-to-File system. First-Inventor-to-File Final Rules and Guidelines.