Visiting Biomet

Guest post by MSPL student Kary Yergler

Before touring the Biomet manufacturing facility, a select few of us had the pleasure of touring a lesser known building at the Biomet Headquarters.  Dr. Dane Miller, one of the founders of Biomet, houses his personal car collection in a two-story facility right next to the manufacturing plant.  The collection includes a wide variety of classic cars from the mid to late 1900s, including the gems seen in the following photos.  Mr. Miller has a phenomenal collection of vehicles, and we appreciated the opportunity to tour this collection.

 

Meet Sarah Goodman

My name is Sarah Goodman and I am currently a student in the Master of Science in Patent Law Class of 2013.

The MSPL program at the University of Notre Dame will give me opportunities to learn about intellectual property law, as well as practice field-related skills for employment as a patent agent following graduation.

I have a B.S. in Medical Biotechnology from Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, NY.  While at Upstate, I worked on two research projects in the department of Neuroscience and Physiology. Both of these projects focused on the isolation and characterization of mutations in subjects with Parkinson`s disease or schizophrenia.

This past summer, I conducted research in the biology laboratory of the Centre Hospitalier Intercommunal; the hospital of Saint Germain en Laye and Poissy in France. For two months I designed and conducted a research project investigating genetic mutations in subjects with Factor XII deficiency. I am currently analyzing the sequencing files from this project for any novel variations.

My capstone project will be to research an invention and write the patent application. The project I chose is in the molecular biology field and will concern genetically engineered yeast for use as an analytical tool.

I enrolled in this program because patent law is a growing field with technologies constantly evolving. This is a good career to combine a passion for science with an interest in law.  The University of Notre Dame is a great place to begin this career because of the dedication of the professors and researchers on campus. The resources available for this program far exceed my expectations.  As I begin classes, this upcoming school year promises to be very exciting!

Jury’s Out, and the Future of Technology Awaits

The nine jurors who will convene this week in the Apple vs. Samsung patent lawsuit may not know it, but their decision will likely have a profound impact on the shape (and many other features) of mobile technology to come.

According to the New York Times, if Samsung comes out on top, we should expect to see a lot more devices on the market with an unabashed likeness to the iPhone and iPad. Without any retribution handed down in a landmark case like this, it may be open season for imitators of Apple’s signature sleek, minimalist design.

As for the other outcome, the Times cites Christopher V. Carani, an intellectual property lawyer in Chicago: “I think what we’ll see is a diversification of designs in the marketplace if Apple wins.” Rather than face similar lawsuits, the burden will be on mobile manufacturers to make products of distinct design and functionality.

But experts say the verdict will likely be a mixed bag. The Times reports that Apple’s case for infringement of design patents—regarding the look of the devices—is weaker than that of their utility patents, which protect functional features. Experts say Apple will likely win-some, lose-some, and ultimately won’t come close to the 2.5 billion in damages they were seeking.

But how’s this for some juicy courtroom tidbits—evidence was presented in which a top-level Samsung executive expressed that the iPhone’s release gave their company “a crisis of design” and that using the iPhone compared to Samsung’s products was a difference like “that of Heaven and Earth.”

Ouch! How will it all shake down? We should know this week!

Introducing Hal Milton, Jr.

I’m thrilled to introduce Hal Milton, who will be teaching our Fall Semester 60201 (Legal Writing and Analysis) class. Hal’s bio is below, and he’ll be visiting the MSPL during the second week of BootCamp.

 

Harold (Hal) W. Milton, Jr.

Hal received a B.S. degree in aeronautical engineering from Purdue University in 1957 and worked for the Rocketdyne Division of North American Aviation test firing rocket engines for the Thor and Atlas missiles. Having been commissioned a 2nd Lt. upon graduation from ROTC at Purdue, he then attended pilot training in the U.S. Air Force. Because of his experience in the development of rocket engines, he was one of the first officers assigned to and for development of the missile training school for the USAF. As a missile maintenance officer, Hal monitored the building of a training launch pad for training the first crews of the Atlas ICBM missile sites, for which he received the Air Force Commendation Medal. Following the military tour, Hal enrolled at the Georgetown University Law Center, where he was a member of the Law Journal. Hal passed and was admitted to the Virginia Bar prior to graduating from law school in 1964. Later that same year, he was admitted to the Michigan Bar. During law school, Hal worked as an Examiner in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and then as a Patent Advisor in the Office of Naval Research, U.S. Navy.
Hal entered the private practice of law in 1964 in metropolitan Detroit, Michigan, the area where he grew up. In the years since, he has engaged in all phases of patent, trademark and copyright practice, including prosecution of patent applications and licensing.
Hal’s practice also included serving as lead trial counsel and successfully litigating various patented technologies; assisting new enterprises in protecting their technology to entice investment or the sale of the enterprise; and overseeing the creation of patent, trade secret and trademark portfolios during periods of significant growth for several large corporations. As one example, he represented an automotive supplier to develop a dominant patent portfolio over forty years from start-up to maintain a major portion of their relevant market. In another success story, Hal helped catapult a start-up company by obtaining a patent for them, which they immediately used to sue an established competitor to obtain both monetary damages and an injunction. Hal successfully argued before the Court of Customs and Patent Appeals to force the USPTO to curtail the rejection known as “undue multiplicity.” During the last forty-five years, Hal has mentored approximately 100 new attorneys in the practice of patent prosecution and, as a result, developed an organized and focused training program. The training program serves as the basis for a law school course in patent preparation taught by Hal. In addition and as an adjunct to this book, Hal has developed a word processing computer program (patentarchitect.com) to render more efficient and focus the preparation of a patent application. He has been added to America’s Best Lawyers list published by Woodward/White, Inc.

Apple v. Samsung: The Inside Tweets

Here’s a fun one: we report all the time on the steady stream of Silicon Valley legal imbroglios, but rarely does one get to be a fly on the wall of the courtroom. Here’s an insider look at the latest throwdown, Samsung vs. Apple, courtesy of selected tweets from the peanut gallery:

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Feisty start in patent case, Samsung lawyer clashes with Judge Koh over evidence it wants to submit. “We need to move fwd” says Koh sternly

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John Quinn, Samsung lawyer: “Your honor, I’ve been practicing law for 36 years and I’ve never begged the court. I’m begging the court now.”

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Samsung atty Charles Quinn trying to get judge to rehear an issue, and she just blasts him..”I want you to sit down, please!”

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Judge Koh threatens to sanction Samsung lawyer John Quinn in a heated exchange over exhibits.

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25 years covering courts, and haven’t seen big name law firm partner eviscerated in court like that….i think i see an intestine on the…

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Opening statements have started. Apple lawyer Harold J. McElhinny of law firm Morrison Foerster (which calls itself MoFo) is talking to jury

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Apple lawyer arguing that it is “hard to remember what phones looked” like before the iPhone launched in 2007

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How did Samsung get from its 2006 phones to its 2010 phones? Apple witnesses will say it’s all about iPhone introduction, Apple atty says.

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”Less than 10 miles form this courthouse, that is what this team put together,” says Apple playing to the home advantage

 

And that’s just the first day… get the rest at Mashable.