FEATURED
Innovation Gadfly
- June 1, 2025
198 views 11 min

Reinventing Patent Quality: A NIST-Based Program for the USPTO 

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is the cornerstone of America’s innovation engine, issuing patents that fuel technological advancement and economic growth. However, perceptions of poor patent quality, driven by vague claim language, inconsistent examinations, costly litigation, and occasional bad rulings by the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC) or the […]

29 POSTS
Paul Morinville is Founder and Executive Director of SPARK Innovation.  SPARK Innovation strives to create an policy environment ...
FEATURED
Innovation Gadfly
- May 27, 2025
240 views 7 min

Time to Turn the US Rejection Office Back into the US Patent Office – Part 2

Analyzing the US Rejection Office Given the USPTO’s pro-rejection tendencies introduced in Part 1 of this series, one might expect the agency would function like a well-oiled machine to properly reject claims in a smooth and efficient fashion. MPEP guidance on how to examine and reject claims is extensive, straightforward and reasonable. Examples include: MPEP […]

0 POSTS

Julie Burke has a PhD in Biochemistry from the University of London College of Science, Technology, a ...

FEATURED
Innovation Gadfly
- May 20, 2025
363 views 7 min

CATL’s Regulation S Switch: Covering Up Fishy Patents?

On May 12, 2025, Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Ltd. (CATL), the world’s leading EV battery maker, restructured its Hong Kong IPO as a Regulation S offering, barring US onshore investors, avoiding SEC oversight before its May 20 debut. This shift from a $5-8 billion target down to a near $4B raise signals the impact of […]

0 POSTS
"Peter Harter cut his teeth on encryption export controls at Netscape under Jim Barksdale. After t ...
FEATURED
Innovation Gadfly
- April 18, 2025
614 views 7 min

Why Patent Reform Is Urgent: How China Exploits U.S. Disclosures and Undermines Innovation

In 2007, the United States led the world in 60 out of 64 technologies critical to our economic and national security.  However, warning signs that a shift had occurred emerged in 2018 when it was reported that China accounted for 48% of global Artificial Intelligence (AI) startup funding in 2017, surpassing the U.S., which held […]

29 POSTS
Paul Morinville is Founder and Executive Director of SPARK Innovation.  SPARK Innovation strives to create an policy environment ...
FEATURED
Innovation Gadfly
- April 9, 2025
1,316 views 9 min

Weaponized Fairness: Big Tech’s Dirty Secret in the U.S. Patent System

There’s a nasty little game going on in the U.S. patent system—one that no one in Washington seems willing to talk about. Big Tech corporations, the same ones screaming the loudest about imaginary “patent trolls” and “bad patents”, are quietly withholding prior art from the USPTO. Then, when those patents get issued, they turn around […]

29 POSTS
Paul Morinville is Founder and Executive Director of SPARK Innovation.  SPARK Innovation strives to create an policy environment ...
FEATURED
Innovation Gadfly
- February 9, 2025
1,418 views 9 min

Our Unhealthy Patent System in the US

With Robert Kennedy, Jr. making the rounds in Congress for his confirmation, many institutions do not like what he has to say about the American food industry, the ag industry, the pharmaceutical industry, the fast-food industry, and more. President Trump has stated that the health of our nation is something that must be addressed, and […]

-12 POSTS
Raymond Van Dyke is an IP/Patent Attorney and Educator. In his practice, he helps a variety of clients in their IP matters. He spe ...
FEATURED
Innovation Gadfly
- September 10, 2024
3,192 views 13 min

The RESTORE Act Fails; Codifies the Effects of eBay

The U.S. Constitution constructs a patent as nothing but an “exclusive Right,” the very essence of a private property right. As such, for two centuries preceding 2006, over 90% of patent owners who won patent infringement cases were awarded injunctive relief. Infringers knew ahead of time that the courts would stop their infringement, which could […]

29 POSTS
Paul Morinville is Founder and Executive Director of SPARK Innovation.  SPARK Innovation strives to create an policy environment ...
FEATURED
Innovation Gadfly
- July 31, 2024
1,704 views 10 min

Rep. Darrell Issa Proposes Legislation Harmful to Startups and Inventors

Rep. Darrell Issa, the Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee’s IP Subcommittee, recently introduced draft legislation titled the Litigation Transparency Act of 2024 (LTA).  Issa knows this legislation is bad for inventors and startups because it was explained clearly to him in a hearing in his IP Subcommittee. You can read more about this hearing […]

29 POSTS
Paul Morinville is Founder and Executive Director of SPARK Innovation.  SPARK Innovation strives to create an policy environment ...
FEATURED
Innovation Gadfly
- July 11, 2024
1,071 views 7 min

Got Knockoffs? Hit ‘Em with a 337 Complaint

We had a problem. Our patented Smartgrip, which allows any item to grip when knocked but lifts naturally, was gaining steam. Mighty Mug, our first item with Smartgrip, was so innovative that it attracted many imitators, which became a problem we were set on solving. Imitation is a form of flattery and a sign that […]

-12 POSTS
Jayme Smaldone is the Founder and CEO of Mighty Ventures, a company specializing in the development and licensing of innovative pr ...