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Dr. Shuo Liu
Associate, Patents and Innovations
Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati
Dr. Shuo Liu is an associate in the San Diego office of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, where his practice focuses on biotech and pharmaceutical patent prosecution and intellectual property counseling including freedom to operate and validity analysis.
Prior to joining the firm, he was an associate at a boutique IP firm in Orange County where he worked on a variety of IP matters, including patent prosecution and litigation, patent strategy counseling, and global patent portfolio development. Previously, Shuo performed patent due diligence and portfolio analysis at Jazz Pharmaceuticals.
During law school, he served as a judicial extern in the chambers of the Honorable Senior District Judge Susan Illston and the Honorable Magistrate Judge Paul Grewal at the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. Prior to law school, he worked on developing therapies for cerebrovascular diseases including ischemic stroke and cerebral microbleeds at the University of California, Irvine Medical Center.
Recent Articles by Dr. Shuo Liu
Peloton Interactive, Inc. is a popular fitness company that offers high-end stationary bikes, treadmills, and online exercise classes. The demand for online exercise classes increased significantly during the pandemic, and so did Peloton’s market cap. With over 4 million members and quarterly revenue over $1 billion, Peloton has become a leader in the online fitness industry. Peloton secured certain patent rights in the United States with respect to online exercise classes during the early years of its development and has continuously expanded its patent portfolio. Its online exercise patents claim methods and systems that enable users to virtually compare with and compete against other users. This article explores the prosecution history of these patents, their current challenges under inter partes review (IPR) proceedings, and possible future developments.
Cryptocurrencies are virtual currencies based on blockchain technology that uses a network of computers to keep a public ledger of past transactions. The most popular cryptocurrency is Bitcoin, which some believe could replace bonds and serve as a reserve currency in the future. The value of Bitcoin has skyrocketed over recent years, as major companies are buying into it. In February 2021, Tesla Inc. bought $1.5 billion worth of Bitcoin and announced plans to start accepting the currency as payment for its electric vehicles. Since Bitcoin has the potential to be used directly in commercial transactions, fintech companies are developing and patenting related technologies.
While China is becoming an increasingly attractive patent filing destination for foreign companies, foreign counsels are often confused by the country’s inventive step requirement. Indeed, Chinese patent examiners often use abstract legal terms, such as “prominent substantive features” and “notable progress,” in their inventive step analysis. This article provides an overview of the inventive step requirement in China, in comparison with the non-obviousness standard in the United States.