Summary
Though politics ruled the headlines in 2016, the year still brought big changes in intellectual property law and its application, most notably in patent subject matter eligibility, inter partes review institution and appeal and design patent damages.
With new appointments to the US Supreme Court and the USPTO under Trump's administration, increased use of inter partes review and covered business method review proceedings plus software patents backed by stronger arguments of patent eligibility, 2017 promises more changes in IP law.
This Special Report summarizes the key IP cases from 2016, and provides a quick reference guide for in-house counsel seeking to navigate their company's patent, trademark, trade secret and copyright matters in the months ahead.
2017 Intellectual Property Law Year In Review
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.