Patent Prosecution

2022.06.23 Alvyn Lin

As a critical component of electric vehicles, batteries not only affect the endurance and performance of electric vehicles: they are also a key aspect of electric vehicles’ possible popularity in the future. With the rise of the electric vehicle industry, the global power battery field is also gradually moving towards a more mature stage where a hundred schools of thought compete in a rather fierce manner. Both Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Limited (CATL) and China Aviation Lithium Electricity Technology Co., Ltd. (formerly known as China Aviation Lithium Battery Co., Ltd., or CALB) are China-based power battery manufacturers. Their batteries are...

2020.11.06 Kimberly Uy

As the joint pilot project between the European Patent Office (EPO) and the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) is due to commence on December 1st, 2020, we took a look at the various benefits and drawbacks that this program may bring to the table.   Patent applications originating in China accounted for 5% of European applications in 2018. The number of Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) applications originating in China was seen to grow further in the following years.   The agreement is a development in a strategic partnership between the EPO and CNIPA that began in 2017. The EPO-CNIPA...

2020.10.20 Steven Chang

Since the debut of Apple’s Airpods in 2016, it’s hard not to notice increasing numbers of people enjoying music and videos with a pair of small, white, streamlined earbuds in their ears. As reported this September by DigiTimes, the PCB and IC substrate suppliers have seen a significant rise in the shipment of True Wireless Stereo (TWS) gadgets in the second half of 2020. We didn’t need to wait until the end of 2020 to see that happen, as Apple’s financial statement — published in 2019 — shed some light on what was to come. Apple’s 2019 10-K report stated...

2020.09.15 Daniel Ko

I always ask the patent application drafters, “what’s the most important part or section of a patent application?” Some will answer “the claims, of course.” Others may say, “it’s the detailed description.” A few will say, “both.” But I will tell them, “drawings are the most important part of a patent application.”   During a patent application drafting, one would usually start with the claims, then the detailed description, and finally, the drawings. But I suggest the other way around. That is, the drawings first, then the detailed description, and then the claims at the end. Many believe that the...

2020.09.09 Kimberly Uy

The USPTO recently rejected two patent applications filed, which named an AI “creativity engine” called DABUS as the inventor. Similar patent applications filed under British, German, and European Union patent regulators have also been rejected. Other applications naming DABUS as the inventor filed in China, Japan, India, and several other countries are still awaiting decisions. Now, the creator of DABUS, Stephen Thaler, has filed a lawsuit against the USPTO, claiming that an AI system is capable of generating original inventions.   While the USPTO asserts that “conception—the touchstone of inventorship—must be performed by a natural person,” Thaler argues that the...

2020.09.08 Eugene Lu

In 2001, Medtronic strategically acquired Minimed and Medical Research Group to enter the battlefield of diabetes care management. During the last two years, mergers and acquisitions have also expanded its diabetes market.   In 2018, Medtronic acquired Nutrino, a start-up company. It was aiming for Nutrino’s food database and the algorithm for predicting blood glucose after meals. Medtronic will integrate related technologies into its own diabetes products to help diabetes management. In 2019, Medtronic acquired Klue, a start-up company. Klue uses gesture sensing technology to monitor and record users’ eating behavior and give advice on eating behaviors/habits. Recently, Medtronic announced that it...

2020.09.01 Dennis Wang

When it comes to patents, people may think of cumbersome and lengthy utility patent specifications and the puzzling patent claim riddles. In contrast, while also carrying the name “patent,” the design patent often gave an impression of low cost and incidental insurance. However, design patents have recently been hyped up after the US Apple and Samsung patent duel. The fiery trend seems to have spread its way to Taiwan. To cite a mind-blowing example,  as Taiwan’s DEPO AUTO PARTS IND. CO., LTD. and its US subsidiary (Maxzone Vehicle Lighting Corp.) have been stirring up trouble in various jurisdictions since 2017,...

2020.08.11 Patrick Liu

According to reports, the four-year ConVex1 C-V2X (Cellular Vehicle-to-Everything) trial—which the German government invested in—successfully ended last month. Swarco—a leading provider of traffic solutions that participated in the trial—concluded that C-V2X would be added to traffic infrastructure product portfolios based on the trial results. Additionally, last month, Qualcomm, the world’s communications leader, and San Diego Regional Proving Ground (SDRPG) announced the launch of C-V2X direct communication program2 in California, which uses 5.9GHz LTE direct communication technology to provide vehicle communication tests and case studies on real roads.   C-V2X is a connected-vehicle technology that combines wide-area cellular networks and direct communication. Specifically,...