Permission Granted: D.C. Circuit Preserves Medical Device Repair Access
Key Takeaway(s): Medical device companies should treat copyright as just one part of a layered protection strategy. The DMCA repair exemption preserves meaningful access for qualifying third-party diagnosis, maintenance, and...
Shared Function, Not Shared Structure: Ex parte Chowdhury and the Improper Markush Grouping Rejection
Key Takeaway: A Markush group of structurally dissimilar biomolecules is proper if the specification describes its members as performing the same function within the claimed invention. On August 25, 2026,...
PTAB Update | August 2026
PTAB May Revisit Issues Left Unresolved by Prior Appeal Daniel Kiang & Lizzy T. Do The Board did not exceed the Federal Circuit’s mandate on remand by considering a limitation that...
How Section 337 Litigants Can Prepare for the Newly Confirmed ITC
Key Takeaway: The Senate has confirmed five new commissioners for the International Trade Commission, giving the agency a full slate of commissioners for the first time in nearly a decade,...
Energy Update | August 2026
Wolfspeed Sues Navitas for Patent Infringement Over GaN and SiC Technologies Sameer Khan With demand for high-efficiency power devices continuing to grow, companies are placing greater emphasis on maintaining their...
AI-Powered Skin Cancer Detection Device Developer Announces Commercialization Partnerships
On September 1, 2026, medical device company DermaSensor Inc. announced four new industry partnerships. DermaSensor is focused on early detection of skin cancer. DermaSensor’s website states: “The DermaSensor device is the...
Hosted Payloads and Exceptions to Patent Protection Under the U.S. Space Act
Key Takeaways: Companies relying on the U.S. Space Act for patent protection of inventions in orbit should be aware of exceptions to that Act that prevent such protection in certain...
Jeremiah Helm and Sean Murray Examine the Wyeth Decision and the Enablement Requirement in Law360
In the latest column in their monthly Law360 series on recent noteworthy Federal Circuit decisions, Knobbe Martens partners Jeremiah Helm and Sean Murray explore the court’s opinion in Wyeth LLC....
Aerospace Update | August 2026
Tripling Down on Space: U.S. Space Force Expands Launch Contracts to $17B, Raising the Stakes for IP Michael E. Salamy The Space Force’s decision to triple the size of its...
