The authors thank Zarah Bhatti for her contributions to this post. The UK’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has banned two ads for breach of the rule prohibiting the use of gender stereotypes in advertising, which was introduced in 2019. We commented at the time that these restrictions were likely to see a rise in number … Continue Reading
The news about Steven Schwartz, the attorney who asked ChatGPT, an artificial intelligence chatbot, to find cases relevant to his client’s lawsuit only to submit a brief full of bogus caselaw, spread gleefully fast, as embarrassing news does. And although we shook our heads in disapproval, I suspect many attorneys were grateful to Mr. Schwartz. … Continue Reading
Every year, on April 26, intellectual property organizations around the world observe “World IP Day” – an event established by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) to raise awareness of patents, copyrights, designs, and trademarks, and to celebrate the creativity and contributions of inventors, authors, artists and entrepreneurs. The theme for 2023 is “Women and … Continue Reading
A bipartisan group of Senators, including the Chair and ranking minority member of the Subcommittee on Intellectual Property, has proposed legislation that would allow the US Patent & Trademark Office to collect demographic data on patent applicants. The bill, known as the Inventor Diversity for Economic Advancement Act of 2021 or, more simply, the “IDEA … Continue Reading
The US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has issued an encouraging and informative 2020 Update to its February 2019 Progress and Potential profile of women inventors on US patents. The initial report documented trends in the proportion of patent inventors who are women (the “Women Inventor Rate”) and the proportion of patents that have at … Continue Reading
Most inventors named on patents are men – in the US, almost 90%. The disparity, discussed in a previous blog here, exceeds the underlying disparities in the education and advancement of women in science, technology, and engineering (STEM), suggesting that innovative contributions of women are not being patented. To assess and address this issue, the … Continue Reading
On March 24, 2020, the US Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”) launched the “Expanding Innovation Hub” (“Hub”), a centralized online platform to make the patent process more accessible to diverse inventors. USPTO Director Andrei Iancu and Deputy Director Laura Peter described the Hub as part of the USPTO’s efforts to “inspire more women, minorities, veterans, … Continue Reading
In March, we celebrate Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day, acknowledging the role of women in American history and the achievements of women worldwide. In the world of intellectual property (IP), we remember those who invented frequency hopping spread-spectrum signaling, kevlar, center-track restraint systems for animals, and the paper bag, among other things. We … Continue Reading
In a November 2019 blog post, Intel’s Executive Vice President and General Counsel Steven R. Rodgers announced Intel’s new diversity requirements.[1] “Beginning Jan. 1, 2021, Intel will not retain or use outside law firms in the U.S. that are average or below average on diversity.” Intel’s new “above-average” rule requires that firms doing work for … Continue Reading
