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Client Alerts

CAFC Affirms the Importance of Written Description in a Provisional Patent Application

On March 24, 2025, in In re Riggs, No. 22-1945, the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC) addressed when the filing date of a provisional application can be relied on under 35 U.S.C. § 102(e) to support a rejection of a later-filed application. This opinion offers clarity on the importance of written descriptions in provisional patent applications for Patent Owners as well as Petitioners seeking to challenge a patent in a post-grant proceeding. Senior Patent Agent Samantha Page takes a look a the opinion in this Stites & Harbison Client Alert.

by Samantha Page Ph.D. March 28, 2025
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Client Alerts

EEOC and DOJ Issue Guidance Regarding DEI in the Workplace

On March 19, 2025, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Department of Justice issued two technical assistance documents regarding “diversity, equity, and inclusion” (“DEI”) programs in the workplace. Consistent with the Trump Administration’s Executive Orders regarding DEI, these technical assistance documents warn of the potential illegality of certain employment policies or initiatives under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Robin McGuffin takes a look at the guidance recommended in this Stites & Harbison Client Alert.

by Robin E. McGuffin March 21, 2025
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Client Alerts

USPTO’s New Continuation Fees Prompt Strategic Shifts and Raise Pendency Concerns

With the USPTO’s implementation of new fees for certain continuation patent applications, applicants now face important strategic decisions regarding the timing and management of their filings. IP attorney Mandy Decker takes a look at the new fees in this Stites & Harbison Client Alert.

by Mandy Wilson Decker March 21, 2025
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Client Alerts

Securing Global Patents: U.S. "Obviousness" vs. Chinese "Inventive Step" Standards

If you or your company have developed a new technology, filing a patent application is an important step to protect your investment. However, because patent rights are territorial, it’s often necessary to file patent applications not only in the United States, but also globally. IP attorneys James Hayne takes a look at the difference between the U.S. and the Chinese systems.

by James Hayne March 17, 2025
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Client Alerts

UPDATE: FinCEN and Treasury Department Announce They Will Not Enforce CTA Despite March Deadline

There is yet another update with respect to the Corporate Transparency Act (the “CTA”). Less than two weeks after the U.S. Treasury Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FinCEN”) set a new deadline for CTA compliance, both FinCEN and the U.S. Department of Treasury issued separate press releases announcing their intent to not enforce the CTA until new rules are finalized. Stites & Harbison's Corporate Transparency Act Committee takes a look at the update in this Stites & Harbison Client Alert.

by Alison M. Zeitlin , Edward H. Burrell III, William M. Joseph (Bill), Rachel Owsley , and Walter S. Robertson March 06, 2025