Apologies

Things have been a little hectic and busy in my IP litigation world lately -- I'll hopefully get back to posting more regularly sometime soon, so keep checking back!

No Crustless PB&J For You!

The Federal Circuit came through. Smuckers' method for crustless PB&J is not patentable. Article here, and in part:

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit on Friday rejected an effort by J.M. Smucker Co. to patent its process for making pocket-size peanut butter and jelly pastries called "Uncrustables."

The Patent Review Process

Is it flawed?

The USPTO says no.

Who Invented Baseball?

This article from The Saratogian ponders the issue. In part:

In 1907, a special baseball commission recognized Doubleday as baseball's founder based on the testimony of a boyhood friend named Abner Graves. 'It's all part of American mythology and folklore, like Paul Bunyan and John Henry,' said Jim Gates, library director at the National Baseball of Fame & Museum in Cooperstown. 'But folklore is an important part of the American story.'

PB&J Crustless Sandwiches

The argument happened yesterday in front of the Federal Circuit. Is this patentable? Should the patent really be extended? We shall see. The USPTO said no way.

Google Google Google

Google's latest patent, a "Information Retrieval Based on Historical Data" is analyzed here at the SEO Blog. In part:

Google is in the midst of sweeping changes to the way it operates as a search engine. As a matter of fact, it isn't really a search engine in the fine sense of the word anymore. It isn't really a portal either. It is more of an institution, the ultimate private-public partnership. Calling itself a media-company, Google is now a multi-faceted information and multi-media delivery system that is accessed primarily through its well-known interface found at www.google.com .

Tivo's Patent Portfolio

I want Tivo. Desperately. But I haven't gotten it yet. I guess the main reason is that I'm afraid if I get it I will never leave my house again...

But Tivo's patent portfolio is ridiculous. See this article. In part:

The DVR pioneer has been amassing a patent portfolio to boost its licensing business and fend off new entrants to the DVR market. However, TiVo hasn't yet been able to turn its intellectual property into significant financial success.

Early last month, TiVo was granted five patents from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. The company has 76 patents, with 106 still pending.