Trademark & Brand Protection Update | December 2025
From Cute to Criminal: The Counterfeit Labubu Crisis in the United States Greg Phillips & Stella B. Haynes Kiehn In the world of designer toys, few characters have captured hearts, and...
Green With Envy: When Your Color Trademark Turns Out to Be Generic
PT Medisafe Technologies (“Medisafe”) has petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to review a Federal Circuit decision upholding the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board’s (“TTAB”) refusal to register Medisafe’s dark green...
Vertos Medical Latest Acquistion in Stryker’s M&A Streak
Medical technologies giant Stryker announced on Tuesday, October 1st, that it completed the acquisition of Vertos Medical for an undisclosed amount. Vertos Medical is a privately held company specializing in interventional pain management solutions for chronic back pain caused by lumbar spinal stenosis.
Knobbe Martens Advises Vertos Medical, Inc. in Definitive Agreement To Be Acquired by Stryker
IRVINE, Calif., August 23, 2024 – Stryker, a global leader in medical technologies, announced today a definitive agreement to acquire Vertos Medical Inc., a privately held company providing a minimally...
Look Both Ways: A Two-Way Test to Determine Whether Pre- And Post-bar Date Claims Are Materially Different Applies in Interference Proceedings
Speck v. Bates
Before Dyk, Bryson, and Stoll.
Appeal from the United States Patent and Trademark Office, Patent Trial and Appeal Board.
Summary: Comparing pre-Section 135 bar date claims to amended post-bar date claims in an interference proceeding requires comparing the two sets of claims to determine if either set contains material limitations not found in the other—a “two-way test.”
FDA Approves Edwards EVOQUE® Tricuspid Valve Replacement System
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) recently approved the Edwards EVOQUE® Tricuspid Valve Replacement System (the “EVOQUE® system”) for use in treating Tricuspid Regurgitation (“TR”). The EVOQUE® system is designed to replace the native tricuspid valve in patients suffering from severe TR without the need for conventional open-heart surgery, according to the system’s Instructions For Use. As shown in the following illustrations from page 5 of the EVOQUE® system’s Patient Guide, the EVOQUE® valve is made of a nitinol self-expanding frame, an intra-annular sealing skirt and anchors, and tissue leaflets made from bovine pericardial tissue.
FDA Clears Sonic DL™ for Cardiac MRI Scans
On June 5, 2023, GE HealthCare announced the FDA 510(k) clearance of Sonic DL™. GE HealthCare reports that Sonic DL™ is a deep learning-based technology intended to capture cardiac MRI images within a single heartbeat.
The Patent Ineligibility of Digital Imaging Processing Method Claims
SANDERLING MANAGEMENT LTD. v. SNAP INC.
Before Chen, Cunningham, and Stark. Appeal from the United States District Court for the Central District of California.
Summary: The district court properly found that digital imaging processing method claims were patent ineligible under 35 U.S.C. §101.
Timbits® in California – Real or Fake?
Attorneys Harnik Shukla and Julie Vo authored, “Timbits® in California – Real or Fake?” which was published on the Maple Business Council website. Excerpt: “The question remains, what actions could...
Knobbe Martens Welcomes New Class of Associates
Knobbe Martens announces its continued commitment to providing the highest quality legal services with the addition of 30 new Associates firmwide. “Our new associates have a wide range of talents...
