Monday, December 12, 2011

India IP and Innovation Forum

India IP and Innovation Forum

www.managingip.com/IndiaIP2012
Regency Hyatt Hotel, New Delhi

February 28, 2012

Free for IP counsel, academics and R&D professionals

Dear Colleague:

Managing IP and Law Wire Blog invite you to the inaugural India IP & Innovation Forum on February 28, 2012 in New Delhi.

The forum provides the best platform for IP counsel, their advisers and leading officials to meet and debate the latest legal issues and practical strategies for IP owners in India, from patent prosecution to portfolio management strategies.

Easy ways to register

Visit www.managingip.com/IndiaIP2012
Email mfabri@euromoneyplc.com
Call +852 2842 6995

Agenda topics:

· Patent prosecution tips

· Defending your copy right

· US focus – recent patent reform and implications for Indian IP owners

· The Indian Patent Act and software patentability

· Litigation in life sciences – lessons learnt from recent cases

· Trade mark protection in India

· Portfolio management strategies

Speakers include:

Viswanathan Seshan, head of IP&S India, Philips Electronics India

Keshav Dhakad, director, IPR & license compliance, Microsoft India

Anshuman Sharma, country general & legal head, Novartis

R Parthasarathy, partner, Lakshmi Kumaran & Sridharan

Rajiv Chauhan, VP and general counsel, Pernod Ricard

Aravind Chinchure, assistant vice president, Reliance Industries Ltd

V Lakshmi Kumaran, managing partner, Lakshmi Kumaran & Sridharan


For more information about the agenda, please see the brochure here:
http://www.managingip.com/pdfs/IndiaIP.pdf

Don’t forget that the forum is free for IP counsel. Places are allocated on a first come, first served basis, register today to secure yours.

Advisers, consultants or private practitioners can SAVE US$200 by registering before December 23, 2011.

We look forward to meeting you in February.

Kind regards,

James Nurton

Managing Editor

www.mangingip.com

Website "Means" Requires Algorithm Disclosure

In Ex parte Catlin, (U.S. PTO Bd. App. & Int. February 3, 2009)(precedential), the Board held that a method claim for implementing an on-line incentive system that recited "providing, at a merchant's web site, means for a consumer to participate in an earning activity to earn value from a merchant" was invalid for indefiniteness under 35 U.S.C. Section 112, second paragraph, where the application failed to disclose any algorithms that transformed the disclosed general purpose processor to a special purpose computer programmed to perform the disclosed functions:

According to Administrative Patent Judge Horner,

. . . we have thoroughly reviewed the Appellants' Specification and have not been able to locate an adequate disclosure of structure, material, or acts corresponding to the functions of allowing a consumer to participate in an earning activity and earn value from an earning activity. In particular, the Specification does not disclose any specific algorithm that could be implemented on a general purpose computer to allow a consumer to participate in an earning activity and earn value from an earning activity. Accordingly, the Specification fails to disclose the algorithms that transform the general purpose processor to a special purpose computer programmed to perform the disclosed functions of the first elements of claims 1, 9, and 20. The Appellant has failed to disclose any algorithm, and thus has failed to adequately describe sufficient structure, for performing the functions recited in the means elements contained in the first step of claims 1, 9, and 20 so as to render the claims definite. Accordingly, claims 1, 9, and 20, and claims 2-8, 1 1 - 19, and 2 1-25 depending therefrom, are unpatentable . . . as indefinite.

46th Annual Corporate Patent Seminar

Registration is now open for the 46th Annual Corporate Patent Seminar in Austin, Texas on November 14-16th. Past participants have included representatives from Procter & Gamble, Caterpillar, SC Johnson, Pfizer, Eli Lilly and others.

Limited to senior-level corporate counsel, the CPS is an informal group of patent professionals who exist only for the purpose of putting this seminar together. The cost is $800 per person and additional information including registration information can be found at www.corporatepatent.com