Judge Blocks Patent Rules

摘要

A U.S. federal judge has temporarily blocked new patent rules finalized by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office that would limit certain patent applications. The rules, originally set to take effect last week, would have limited filed amendments that allow applicants to add information to pending applications. Last week, the Virginia district judge ruled in favor of drug giant GlaxoSmithKline, saying that the limits would have "retroactively alter[ed] the bargain" that inventors such as GSK make in trading research secrets for a patent monopoly and "provide[d] a disincentive to their filing of new patent applications for researching new pharmaceutical products." The rules will stay off the books for now. A judge will likely hear the case early next year.