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AI, Budget Cuts, and the Future of In-House Patent Teams | IPWatchdog Unleashed

It is hardly a secret that corporate IP departments are under growing pressure to do more with less. Budgets are tightening, leadership increasingly expects patents to deliver measurable business value, and artificial intelligence is rapidly changing how patent work can be performed. What does this mean for the future of in-house patent teams—and for the law firms that support them? Our conversation explores several major trends shaping patent strategy today, including the shift toward quality over quantity in patent portfolios, the growing emphasis on maintenance fee pruning and portfolio discipline, and the evolving relationship between in-house counsel and outside patent law firms. We also examine how companies are using competitive intelligence, patent analytics, and emerging tools to guide filing strategy, manage costs, and identify licensing and enforcement opportunities. We also tackle one of the biggest questions facing the IP profession: What can AI realistically do for patent practitioners today—and what can’t it do yet?

Gene Quinn

13 minutes ago 0

Harrity & Harrity is Seeking an Innovation Specialist – Patent Technology

Harrity & Harrity is seeking a motivated and detail-oriented Innovation Specialist in Patent Technology to join its growing team. This unique role sits at the exciting intersection of patent law, artificial intelligence, and software development. Reporting directly to the software development team leads, you will play a crucial role in shaping the AI-powered tools used by our patent professionals and clients. You’ll play a hands-on role in prompt engineering, tool testing, documentation, support, and customer onboarding, and you will be a key player in the transformation of patent practice through AI, enabling better client outcomes and defining best practices in a rapidly evolving field.

JobOrtunities Help Wanted

5 hours ago 0

CAFC Affirms Dismissal for Lack of Standing in Software Patent Dispute

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC) today issued a decision in Applications in Internet Time, LLC v. Salesforce, Inc., affirming a district court’s dismissal of AIT’s patent infringement suit against Salesforce for lack of constitutional standing. The court determined that the district court correctly concluded that Applications in Internet Time, LLC (AIT) had no exclusionary patent rights at the inception of the lawsuit. It also held that the district court did not abuse its discretion in denying equitable relief to cure the constitutional standing defect.

Rose Esfandiari

19 hours ago 0

Netlist, Samsung Spar Over RPI Requirements for PTAB Trial Petitions in Requests for Director Review

Last week, consumer electronics giant Samsung filed responses to requests for Director Review by patent owner Netlist in validity proceedings instituted at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB). Netlist is contending that the trials should be dismissed because Samsung failed to identify all real parties in interest (RPIs) in the PTAB petitions challenging Netlist patent claims directed to dynamic random access memory (the ‘087 patent) and memory modules for reduced noise in signal transmissions (the ‘731 patent).

Steve Brachmann

March 16, 2026, 10:15 AM 3

Inside the PTAB Reset: Practical Fixes for a Reengineered PTAB | IPWatchdog Unleashed

In this episode of IPWatchdog Unleashed, I speak with Matt Johnson, Co-Chair of the PTAB Practice at Jones Day, and we take an in-depth look at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) nearly a decade and a half after its launch. Johnson and I discuss the ongoing PTAB reset at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and suggest practical fixes for a better, reengineered PTAB. The majority of the conversation is devoted to concrete, targeted reform suggestions that would lead to a better functioning PTAB and more streamlined IPR review system. Instead of abstract complaints, Johnson proposes narrowing PGR estoppel to encourage early challenges, moving IPR estoppel to the point of institution to eliminate gamesmanship, separating institution decisions from full merits adjudication to reduce confirmation bias, and rethinking quiet-title concepts to better align notice to implementers with settled expectations of patent owners.

Gene Quinn

February 3, 2026, 03:29 PM 2

Strengthening IP Enables Human Creativity and Economic Mobility | IPWatchdog Unleashed

In this week’s episode of IPWatchdog Unleashed, I speak with Megan Carpenter, who just recently stepped down as Dean of UNH Franklin Pierce School of Law after more than eight years. Our conversation was part personal journey and business philosophy together with a candid assessment of the IP ecosystem. We tackle emerging issues, including AI’s impact on legal practice and education. And we discuss the role of IP as essential to sustaining innovation in a rapidly evolving global economy, and fostering human creativity, innovation, and economic mobility.

Gene Quinn

January 27, 2026, 11:56 AM 1

Patent Reset: 2025’s Pivotal Moments and What Comes Next

As we wind down 2025 it is time to reflect on the year that was, and what the future will bring. This year was punctuated by a structural reset for the U.S. patent system. What unfolded was not just incremental reform, but a coordinated shift driven by leadership change, policy realignment, economic pressure, and accelerating adoption of AI—all converging to reshape how patents are examined, challenged, monetized, and managed. This week on IPWatchdog Unleashed we explore the monumental changes and the biggest trends that impacted the patent and innovation industry during 2025, and which will play an important role in defining 2026.

Gene Quinn

December 22, 2025, 04:05 PM 1

NCLA Revives Newman Case Against Moore with Supreme Court Petition

The New Civil Liberties Alliance (NCLA) has filed a petition for a writ of certiorari asking the U.S. Supreme Court to review its case against U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC) Chief Judge Kimberly Moore for what the NCLA dubs the “unlawful” removal of Newman from her duties on the court.

Eileen McDermott

March 13, 2026, 02:15 PM 5

Other Barks & Bites for Friday, March 13: Former USPTO Patent Examiner Settles Conflict Allegations; EU Parliament Endorses EUIPO Register of Works Used to Train AI; U.S.-Based Operations Become Discretionary Denial Factor at PTAB

This week in Other Barks & Bites: the U.S. Department of Justice announces a six-figure settlement with a former U.S. Patent and Trademark Office patent examiner over conflict of interest allegations for the second time in two weeks; USPTO Director John Squires issues a memo establishing U.S.-based operations as a discretionary denial consideration for petitions at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board; and more.

Steve Brachmann

March 13, 2026, 12:15 PM 0

Chamber’s 2026 IP Index Sees Scores Decrease in Eight EU Member States

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Global Innovation Policy Center (GIPC) today released its 2026 International IP Index, which flagged concerning trends about the “growing erosion of IP leadership” among the world’s high-performing economies, according to the report’s authors. In particular, the report noted that scores in eight EU Member States have declined this year, although the top ten rankings remained the same from 2025. The United States was again number one, with a relatively stable score of 95.15% compared with last year’s 95.17%.

Eileen McDermott

March 12, 2026, 01:36 PM 0

Why PTAB Reform Alone Won’t Save the U.S. Patent System | IPWatchdog Unleashed

In the latest episode of IPWatchdog Unleashed, I sat down with my good friends Brad Close, who is the Executive Vice President of Transpacific IP, and Jim Carmichael, a former judge on the Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences and founder of Carmichael IP. Brad, Jim and I engaged in a candid conversation that provides our unvarnished assessment of the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB), where it started historically, where it is today, and where it may finally be headed. Bottom line: the PTAB is no longer the automatic execution squad it once was, but durable patent rights will require reform well beyond the agency level.

Gene Quinn

January 20, 2026, 09:58 AM 1

Pioneering AI Innovations and Legacy: A Conversation with Inventor Gil Hyatt / IPWatchdog Unleashed

This week on IPWatchdog Unleashed, I sat down with prolific inventor Gil Hyatt, exploring his innovative journey and aspirations to leave a lasting legacy. One of the key highlights of the conversation was Gil’s creation of a non-profit Pioneering AI Foundation, which is aimed at advancing AI technology and bolstering U.S. economic interests. This non-profit organization is set to hold Gil’s substantial portfolio of AI patent applications, which cover his pioneering work dating back to the 1980s, and includes groundbreaking claims in artificial intelligence that could revolutionize sectors like education, manufacturing, and trade.

Gene Quinn

January 13, 2026, 02:15 PM 4

Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Becoming a Patented Inventor: Behind the Scenes with Renee Quinn

This week on IPWatchdog Unleashed, I sat down with my business and life partner, Renee Quinn. In addition to telling Renee’s story about how she found her way into the intellectual property world, and through our sometimes-comical banter, we together explore what it really takes to build, sustain, and continuously reinvent an entrepreneurial company like IPWatchdog. What emerged was a practical roadmap for entrepreneurship, invention, navigating platform risk, and focused on the necessity of constantly being ready to pivot as old business models start to show signs of age and ultimately falter. From Renee’s journey from IP outsider to patented inventor, to firsthand lessons learned navigating Amazon’s reseller ecosystem, the discussion highlights how intellectual property operates in the real world, not the classroom.

Gene Quinn

January 6, 2026, 02:15 PM 1

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