Eric Williams, Pharm.D.,Intellectual Property Law Department, Barnes & Thornburg, LLP, will present an informative talk on this topic titled, “USPTO Guidance For Determining Subject Matter Eligibility: Did Patentable Subject Matter Survive?” Thursday, April 17, 2014, at 11:00 a.m.; Veterinary and Biomedical Research Building Science Forum (Room 305) and WSU Spokane, AMS Room SPBS 409.
Following the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2013 decision on the patentability of DNA, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) issued an examination guidance document to assist examiners in evaluating the patentability of these claims. The guidance document is quite extensive, and is not only directed to DNA sequences that were the subject of decision, but all claims that involve “laws of nature/natural principles, natural phenomena, and/or natural products or processes.” This is important to patent protection for many technology areas (including healthcare, biotechnology, and chemistry) that include these applications.
Contact: Kelly Burns (335-5526; Kelly.burns@wsu.edu
