Patent Search and Filing

Judge Rules PepsiCo Didn’t Infringe on Coca-Cola Patent (Beverage World)
NEW YORK: A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit by Coca-Cola that charged its rival PepsiCo with patent infringement on a collapsible bag that dispenses syrup for fountain sodas.

Court Denies Validity of AstraZeneca’s Toprol-XL Patent (Seeking Alpha via Yahoo! Finance)
Aaron F. Barkoff submits: On Monday, the Federal Circuit affirmed a district court summary judgment decision that AstraZeneca’s U.S. Patent No. 5,081,154 is invalid for double patenting.

Ranbaxy, GlaxoSmithKline settle dispute over U.S. patent covering Valtrex (Associated Press via Yahoo! India News)
Indian generic drugmaker Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd. said Thursday it has reached an agreement with GlaxoSmithKline PLC to settle their dispute over a U.S. patent covering the British company’s herpes pill Valtrex.

Japan’s Fujitsu plans to license entire Wi-LAN patent portfolio (CP via Yahoo! Canada News)
OTTAWA (CP) – Japanese equipment maker Fujitsu has outlined plans to license Wi-LAN Inc.’s entire patent portfolio, the Canadian technology company (TSX:WIN) says.

Barr confirms patent challenge of TEMODAR (News-Medical-Net)
Barr Pharmaceuticals, Inc. has confirmed that its subsidiary, Barr Laboratories, Inc., has initiated a challenge of the patent listed for Schering Corporation’s TEMODAR (Temozolomide) 5mg, 20mg, 100mg & 250mg capsules.

Unigen settles patent case (Nutraingredients.com)
7/25/2007 – Unigen Pharmaceuticals announced it has settled a patent infringement case against Leiner Health Products and Safeway for the ingredients scutellaria and acacia catechu.

Apple patent posits anti-theft iPods (Macworld UK)
Apple has filed a patent that could make stealing Macs and iPods a pointless affair. The patent puts a little intelligence inside such devices. This intelligence helps devices recognise when they re being synced or connected to an unauthorised recharging mechanism.

Inventors And Patent Attorneys Sue USPTO Over Supposedly Unqualified Appointment (Addict 3D)
There are two ways to look at this: either it’s a noble attempt to ensure the right people are in place to oversee the patent and trademark office and to keep out political hacks, or (as Techdirt might see it) an attempt by patent people to keep their business protected from outsiders.

Acer Files Patent Counterclaim Against HP (PC World via Yahoo! News)
Acer Inc. has filed a patent counterclaim against rival Hewlett-Packard Co. as part of its response to two HP lawsuits.

Patent Reform Fast-tracked Through Senate Committee (BetaNews)
Just two days after the House version of a sweeping patent reform bill passed the US House of Representatives by a voice vote – meaning the supporters were obviously louder than the opponents – the bill as reported to the Senate swept through the Judiciary Committee, most likely with very few amendments.