In our latest IPWatchdog Unleashed podcast, we had a riveting and sometimes emotional conversation that unfolded around one of the most pressing issues in life sciences today: the journey of life-saving drugs from laboratory to patient. We discuss the pivotal role a strong patent system plays in this important journey with guest Sherry Knowles. Sherry is the founder of Knowles Intellectual Property Strategies and former Senior Vice President and Chief Patent Counsel for GlaxoSmithKline. In addition to being one of the leading voices in the life sciences and patent industries, Sherry is also a cancer survivor. Among other things we discuss numerous patent system challenges facing innovator drug companies, the downward pressure generic drugs place on the industry and leading to important drugs becoming unavailable, the role of Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) with respect to significantly raising the cost of drugs for Americans, and policy influences and legislation on Capitol Hill. Sherry also shares her personal story and insights into why patents are more than just legal constructs—they are deeply personal lifelines.
In October 2025, a federal district judge with an active docket of patent suits addressed the question of whether the filing (and, presumably, the service) of a complaint for patent infringement in and of itself precludes the defendant from asserting that it was unaware of the patent (and, thus, could not be a willful infringer). The bad news for plaintiffs: the answer was no. The court also addressed the question of whether a defendant could utilize a Rule 12(b) (6) motion to dismiss a plaintiff’s assertion of entitlement to enhanced damages under 35 U.S.C. §284 for willful infringement. The bad news for defendants: the answer was no again.
Two weeks after the Trump administration asked the U.S. Supreme Court to stay an interlocutory injunction issued by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, in September that allowed Register of Copyrights Shira Perlmutter to return to her post pending her lawsuit against President Donald Trump for allegedly illegally removing her from office, Perlmutter has responded. In her opposition to the application for a stay, filed on Monday, Perlmutter accused the administration of making “an inexcusable mess of Congress’s plans for the governance of its Library.”
In the latest episode of IP Innovators, host Steve Brachmann discusses the evolution of patent practice, in-house innovation, and the growing role of AI with Phil Harris, Equity Partner and Patent Practice Group Leader at Holland & Hart. As firms navigate when to build their own tools versus partnering with vendors, Harris offers a grounded look at how automation is reshaping the daily realities of patent work, and why the most forward-thinking teams treat innovation not as a one-time project, but as a continuous practice.
In our latest IPWatchdog Unleashed podcast, we had a riveting and sometimes emotional conversation that unfolded around one of the most pressing issues in life sciences today: the journey of life-saving drugs from laboratory to patient. We discuss the pivotal role a strong patent system plays in this important journey with guest Sherry Knowles. Sherry is the founder of Knowles Intellectual Property Strategies and former Senior Vice President and Chief Patent Counsel for GlaxoSmithKline. In addition to being one of the leading voices in the life sciences and patent industries, Sherry is also a cancer survivor. Among other things we discuss numerous patent system challenges facing innovator drug companies, the downward pressure generic drugs place on the industry and leading to important drugs becoming unavailable, the role of Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) with respect to significantly raising the cost of drugs for Americans, and policy influences and legislation on Capitol Hill. Sherry also shares her personal story and insights into why patents are more than just legal constructs—they are deeply personal lifelines.
This week on IPWatchdog Unleashed we tackle the impact of tariffs and geopolitical uncertainty on intellectual property (IP) strategy, budgets and patent portfolios. In today’s fast-paced global economy, intellectual property (IP) teams face unprecedented challenges and opportunities. The world is witnessing a flux of geopolitical tensions, economic uncertainties, and rapid technological advancements, all of which demand agility and strategic foresight from IP professionals. Meanwhile, to complicate matters the United States is attempting to rearrange international business norms by diversifying supply chains for particularly important goods and components, while simultaneously aggressively using tariffs to change global economic behavior and settle international conflicts and wars. There is no doubt that this is a tumultuous time for all businesses, which demands attention, forethought and deliberate strategic action.
This week on IPWatchdog Unleashed we tackle the impact of tariffs and geopolitical uncertainty on intellectual property (IP) strategy, budgets and patent portfolios. In today’s fast-paced global economy, intellectual property (IP) teams face unprecedented challenges and opportunities. The world is witnessing a flux of geopolitical tensions, economic uncertainties, and rapid technological advancements, all of which demand agility and strategic foresight from IP professionals. Meanwhile, to complicate matters the United States is attempting to rearrange international business norms by diversifying supply chains for particularly important goods and components, while simultaneously aggressively using tariffs to change global economic behavior and settle international conflicts and wars. There is no doubt that this is a tumultuous time for all businesses, which demands attention, forethought and deliberate strategic action.
Today, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC) issued a nonprecedential ruling in CPC Patent Technologies Pty Ltd. v. ASSA ABLOY AB reversing an obviousness determination by the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) over a dissent by Circuit Judge Evan Wallach from the majority’s analysis of the PTAB’s factual findings on prior art disclosures. Although the reversal gives CPC Patent another opportunity to salvage patent claims to biometric card security systems, the CAFC also issued a Rule 36 summary affirmance affirming the invalidity of other claims from the patent-at-issue, while the U.S. Supreme Court denied cert to a CPC Patent petition challenging the CAFC’s Rule 36 practice in separate PTAB appeals.
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday granted a motion from the U.S. Solicitor General to participate in oral argument as an amicus in the copyright case between Cox Communications and Sony Music Entertainment. The order allows the government to weigh in during the December 1 hearing on whether an internet service provider (ISP) can be held contributorily liable for copyright infringement committed by its users.
The Federal Circuit issued its long-awaited decision in Google LLC v. Sonos, Inc. on August 28, 2025, providing guidance on the doctrine of prosecution laches. As the first U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit decision on prosecution laches for a patent issued after 1995—when patent terms changed from 17-years-from issuance to 20-years-from filing—some suspected the Federal Circuit might definitively end the prosecution laches doctrine. Although prosecution laches remains a valid equitable defense, the Federal Circuit placed significant limitations on its applicability.
This week on IPWatchdog Unleashed, I speak with Dana Colarulli, who is a partner at ACG Advocacy—one of the premiere intellectual property lobby firms in Washington, DC. During our conversation we delve into the intricate world of patent policy and politics, discussing laws, the dynamic environment at the USPTO. Dana shares his extensive experience and insights on high-growth technology businesses. We address critical topics such as the recent shake-ups at the USPTO, the controversial “patent tax” proposal, how despite the fact that the USPTO is user-fee funded it is being swept up in broader Trump Administration efforts to downsize the federal government, what the word “innovation” really means, how businesses use intellectual property assets, the importance of predictable IP assets, the challenges of effective patent valuation, international collaboration and education to support small and medium size enterprises (SMEs), and much more.
On Friday, October 10, we hosted an impromptu webinar with the intention of using that conversation as our next podcast. While this is not always feasible, because we do often have PowerPoint slides when we host webinars, this webinar was simply a conversation about a very important recent decision of the Unified Patent Court (UPC) without any slides. The case we discuss is Philips v. Belkin, where after the conclusion of all appeals, the UPC issued the first ever final permanent injunction in a case involving standard essential patents (SEPs). So, our conversation this week is about the impact and ramifications of the UPC’s final decision in Philips v. Belkin. We discussed the UPC’s final decision and permanent injunction in Philips v. Belkin with an in-house attorney from Philips and the litigation team at Bardehle Pagenberg in Germany that represented Philips in this important win. By originally having this conversation as a webinar with a live audience, I was able to incorporate questions from the audience, which you’ll hear periodically throughout the podcast.
This week on IPWatchdog Unleashed, we welcome Marlene Valderrama, who is Principal Intellectual Property Manager & Technology Scout for Halliburton. During our conversation, Marlene shares insights from her role as an innovation scout, the challenges of encouraging innovators inside Halliburton to recognize the importance and magnitude of their novel contributions, and the exciting advancements in drilling technology facilitated by AI. The conversation delves into best practices for AI implementation and the importance of continuous training for IP and innovation management. Additionally, Marlene opens up about her personal journey, her unexpected career path from drilling engineer to IP advocate, her passion for giving back through long-distance biking to raise money for multiple sclerosis research, and much more.
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