IP News

IP News

Federal Circuit Reverses Noninfringement Rulings in VLSI v. Intel, Reviving Patent Claims on Extraterritoriality and Equivalents

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC) issued a precedential decision on April 14, 2026, reversing the...
IP News

EPO Receives Record 201,974 Patent Applications in 2025 — AI and Quantum Tech Drive Growth as China Surpasses Japan

The European Patent Office (EPO) announced on April 13, 2026 that patent applications received in 2025 exceeded 200,000 ...
IP News

Disney, WB, Universal Fire Back Against Chinese AI Firm MiniMax’s Bid to Dismiss Copyright Suit Over Hailuo AI

Disney, Warner Bros., and Universal are urging a California federal judge to deny Chinese AI company MiniMax's motion to dismiss their copyright infringement suit over the Hailuo AI generative video service. The April 10, 2026 motion raises key legal questions on personal jurisdiction, copyright registration specificity, and extraterritorial AI training. A hearing is set for May 29, 2026.
IP News

PTAB IPR Filings Hit Historic Low in Q1 2026: 64% Drop and Discretionary Denial Surge Signal Structural Shift

PTAB inter partes review petitions collapsed 64% year-over-year in Q1 2026 to just 131 total filings. Institution rates for NPEs fell to 24.6%, discretionary denials surged 622% YoY, and ex parte reexamination hit its second-highest level in history. Analysis of the structural shift in U.S. post-grant proceedings.
IP News

USPTO Creates Pre-Order Response Procedure for Ex Parte Reexamination—Patent Owners Get 30 Days to Contest SNQ Before Order Issues

The USPTO introduced a new Pre-Order Response Procedure for ex parte reexamination effective April 1, 2026. Under an Off...
IP News

EPO 2026 Examination Guidelines Enter Force—AI Provisions, Color Drawings, PACE Changes, and New Medical Use Chapter

The European Patent Office’s 2026 Guidelines for Examination under the EPC entered into force on April 1, 2026. The revi...
IP News

PTAB Petition Filings Collapse 64% in Q1 2026—Discretionary Denials Drive Historic Low

PTAB petition filings fell 64.2% year-over-year to a historic low of 131 petitions in the first quarter of 2026, accordi...
IP News

Samsung Surpasses 2,000 Patent Approvals in China in Q1 2026, Driven by AI Memory and Advanced Chips

Samsung Electronics a​nd its affiliated subsidiaries achieved 2,083 approved patents in China during Q1 2026 (January–Ma...
IP News

USPTO Launches ‘Class ACT’ AI Agent to Cut Trademark Classification Time from Five Months to Five Minutes

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) announced on March 19, 2026, the launch of "Class ACT" — the Trade...
IP News

USPTO Director Vacates All Seven TikTok IPRs Over Foreign Government RPI Under Tianma Framework

USPTO Director John A. Squires vacated all seven inter partes review (IPR) proceedings that TikTok Inc. had filed agains...