Jenkins, Wilson, Taylor & Hunt will be a sponsor of the 2018 Eastern Regional AUTM Meeting (September 13-14) in Baltimore, Maryland. AUTM, short for the Association of University Technology Managers, is a leading non-profit with the mission to educate, promote, and inspire professionals throughout their careers to support the development of academic research that changes the world.

At the Eastern Region AUTM Meeting, discussions will be held about best practices and strategies for industry-academia partnerships that will result in successful product commercialization through company formation and licensing.

This year’s keynote speaker will be Andrew H. Hirshfeld, Esq. of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Hirshfeld holds the position of Commissioner for Patents and is responsible for directing all aspects of patent operations, patent quality management, resources and planning, and much more. We’re extremely excited for the opportunity to hear him speak and we’re looking forward to an insightful meeting!

JWTH’s very own Leon R. Legleiter is currently serving as Chair for the Research Triangle Park Chapter of the Licensing Executives Society. Leon has been serving as Chair since February of this year. For those of you that don’t know about the Licensing Executives Society, they have been the leading association for licensing, intellectual property (IP), technology, and business development professionals for more than 50 years. Their mission is to facilitate global IP commerce through education, networking, standards development, and certification.

The RTP Chapter of LES is one of 35 LES Chapters across the United States and Canada. LES Chapters are typically located in areas that contain a high number of LES Members and licensing professionals. Under the direction of Leon and the Chapter’s leadership, they hold regular meetings where members and outside speakers can discuss topics related to technology transfer and licensing. To register for upcoming events, visit the LES website and navigate to the RTP Chapter.

The NC Bar Association has appointed Dan Atcheson as Chair of their Membership Committee for the 2018 – 2019 fiscal year. In this role he will work with committee members and NC Bar Association leadership to drive membership growth and enhance the overall membership experience. All of us at Jenkins, Wilson, Taylor & Hunt are extremely proud of Dan and this accomplishment and we know that he will serve the Committee well.

The Membership Committee is responsible for identifying and recommending strategies to bring on new members, as well as continued memberships, of the NC Bar Association. It is also responsible for reviewing all services offered to members, hosting networking events, and leading efforts to recruit and retain members. You can visit the NCBA website for more information on their committees.

Leon Legleiter of Jenkins, Wilson, Taylor & Hunt will be attending the AACC Annual Scientific Meeting & Clinical Lab Expo this week, hosted in Chicago, IL. This will be the 70th annual meeting held by AACC and the team is excited for the opportunity to attend. In addition to the exposure to new science and technology, we will have the opportunity to network and collaborate with more than 850 companies that will be exhibiting this year.

The Clinical Lab Expo gives exhibiting companies the opportunity to introduce their new technology products. It is estimated that an average of 200 products are presented each year, making the event one of the world’s largest expos for clinical laboratory products and services. Check out the AACC website for more information!

Durham Patent Attorneys JWTH featured in Triangle Gardener podcast – Trademarking Trees

Prominent plant breeder, Dr. Denny Werner, explains how he created the popular ‘Ruby Falls’ redbud tree and gives us a sneak peak at his latest creation. He also explains why some plants are trademarked or patented and how that supports future research.

Get the full podcast here

Got the Next Great Invention? Don’t Talk It Up Quite Yet

Memo to the city’s start-ups, entrepreneurs and inventors:

If you have created the next game-changing product, widget or unique new stuff, then zip your lips tightly shut. Get a patent attorney and file for patent protection and begin the process of application and review.

Arles Taylor, a veteran patent attorney, took a full house to law school during a detailed presentation outlining the state of intellectual property laws nationally and internationally.

The subject is particularly important in Durham and the Research Triangle, respective homes to start-ups and research organizations at the major universities and commercial businesses.

Read the full article on durhamrotaryclub.org

On December 1-2, 2015 the TM5 (USPTO, JPO, KIPO, OHIM and SAIC) met at the USPTP headquarter to cooperate on common processes and to exchange best practices. The TM5 aim to improve users’ interactions with national trademark offices and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) through projects and activities that aim to minimize bad faith filings, TMview, common status descriptions and ID List, and comparison of examination results and Madrid Protocol procedure.

Minimizing Bad Faith Filings

TM5 partners aim to reduce bad faith trademark filings globally and provide more transparent information to users by exchanging best practices and summarizing them in a report. The next seminar for the TM5 partners will be held in Tokyo, on March 1, 2016.

TMview

The TM5 partners submit their trademark data for the project “User Friendly Access to Trademark Information” which is managed by the designated project leader OHIM. This project, also known as “TMview,” allows a user to access databases from 43 trademark offices (including OHIM, WIPO, USPTO, JPO, and KIPO) with a single search.

Common Status Descriptors and ID List

The TM5 partners, led by the USPTO, are developing “common status descriptors,” or uniform terms and icons that can be used to signify the status of a trademark registration or application. The aim of this project is to make TMview easier to understand for users. The USPTO also leads the project “TM5 ID List” which aims to develop a harmonized global “pick list” of preapproved and pre-classified identifications (IDs) of goods or services and their translations. The ID List is now available online and is fully searchable.

Comparison of Examination Results and Madrid Protocol Procedure

In order to gain a better understanding of the partners’ practices and policies, the TM5 partners are comparing examination results for applications filed using the Madrid Protocol before each of the partners’ offices. The analysis could be useful for users and partner offices in registering applied-for marks. Additionally, a JPO led project aims to standardize information about practices and procedures related to designations under the Madrid System.

On November 23, 2015, as part of the Global Dossier Initiative, the USPTO launched the Global Dossier Access — a  distinctly user-friendly online interface for patent applicants.

The Global Dossier aims to allow users to quickly and easily research IP protection globally by providing access to the dossiers of applications filed at the five participating offices:

1. United States Patent & Trademark Office
2. European Patent Office
3. Japan Patent Office
4. Korean Intellectual Property Office
5. State Intellectual Property Office of China

This project was initially proposed in 2011, and we are hopeful regarding its benefits to innovation around the globe.

As with many of the beneficial changes coming from the USPTO, this initiative aims to be user-friendly for the public to use. To help further this, the USPTO has opened the floor to ideas and feedback regarding Dossier Access.