Oblon, Spivak Hosts Roundtable on U.S. Patent Reform

Alexandria, Va. – The intellectual property law firm Oblon, Spivak, McClelland, Maier & Neustadt, P.C. hosted a roundtable on U.S. patent reform, discussing the implications of the legislative reforms and patent rule changes on corporate IP managers and how they will need to react once the laws and rules are in place. The firm sponsored the roundtable discussion, which will be published in the October issue of Managing Intellectual Property in the Americas IP Focus supplement.

“John Doll explained USPTO current rule changes, as well as a series of upcoming rule changes. The positive and negative effects of those rule changes on the enforcement of patents were debated at length as we challenged him on the effectiveness of the changes on patents when used in litigation. In particular, the group discussed whether the new rule changes will make litigation more complex because of greater uncertainty with regard to inequitable conduct and patent validity,” said Bradley D. Lytle, a partner in the firm's Electrical/Mechanical Department and a member of the firm's Board of Directors, who moderated the panel.

Participants in the roundtable included:

• Robert A. Armitage, Senior Vice President and General Counsel Eli Lilly
• John J. Doll, Commissioner for Patents United States Patent & Trademark Office
• Chuck Fish, Vice President & Chief Patent Counsel Time Warner
• Michael K. Kirk, Executive Director American Intellectual Property Law Association
• Bradley D. Lytle, Partner Oblon, Spivak, McClelland, Maier & Neustadt, P.C.
• Morgan Reed, Executive Director Association for Competitive Technology
• Herbert C. Wamsley, Executive Director Intellectual Property Owners Association

Assisting clients for more than 35 years, Oblon, Spivak, McClelland, Maier & Neustadt, P.C., in Alexandria, Va., is one of the largest intellectual property specialty firms in the United States. The firm provides a full range of intellectual property services, including litigation matters in all courts. The firm also continues to have a significant trademark, copyright and patent interference practice.

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