Patent and Patent Information Events in February 2026 (Part 1: Feb. 2-13, 2026)
Patent and Patent Information Events in February 2026 (Part 1: Feb. 2-13, 2026) (Updated 2/9/2024)
The post below is a copy of the post published on Feb. 1, 2026 (updated Feb.9, 2026) at the PIUG Community Discussion Forum.
Summary 2/2-5 EPO Search and Examination Matters 2026; PCT CTC/33; 2/6 PCT/WG/19; 2/2 EPO AI Tools for the Future 2/3 WIPO Standard Essentiality Verification in Patentscope; EPO Prior art search with Ansera/Standards; EPO Pre-search; PIUG QPIP Exam Prep Course (+2/4); LexisNexis 5G Patent Leaders and the Road to 6G (+2/4); CAS IP Finder™ Tips and Tricks (+2/4); 2/4 EPO GUI + AI; EPO AI in Bioinformatics; 2/4-6 INPIT Beginners’ Patent information utilization training; 2/5 EPO The Legal Interactive Platform; Judicial decisions around AI and patents; Sterne Kessler 2025 PTAB Year in Review; 2/6 EPO/I3PM IP strategy bootcamp (2/17 & 3/2); 2/10-11 USPTO [Novelty Assesment]; 2/9 EU IP Helpdesk IP in Biotechnology; 2/10 Patsnap Chemical Structure Searching; Questel Basic Training Orbit Intelligence (+2/24);WIPO SEP essentialy verification information in PATENTSCOPE (new); Junior /IPWatchdog How to Prompt AI – A Hands-On Workshop; 2/11 PIUG Community Engagement Hour: Structure & Sequence Searching; BARDEHLE-PAGENBERG IP Academy Patent Prosecution in US; LES USA & Canada How to Kill a Design Patent; USPTO/LES SVC Successful Inventing 2026: Market Research 2/12 Clarivate: DesignVision: AI-Powered Image Search; Questel Advanced Training Orbit Intelligence; Venable LLP New Product Development and Acquisition: IP Diligence; Sterne Kessler 2025 Federal Circuit Year in Review;26th Annual Berkeley-Stanford Advanced Patent Law Institute, Dec, 4-5, 2025 (Mark Lemley’s Annual Patent Law Update; AI Tools and Litigation; AI Tools and Prosecution (recordings) (new); WIPO Academy Courses (new)
Details:
Mon. – Thu., Feb. 2-5, 2026
7:00-10:00 AM ET | 13.00-17.00 CET
EPO Search and Examination Matters 2026 (Registration)
See below, Feb.2, Feb. 3, Feb. 4 and Feb. 5, 2025
Mon. – Fri., Feb. 2-6, 2026
WIPO Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) Working Group, 19th session, PCT/WG/19 (Webcast)
PCT Statistics; MIA Under the PCT: Report of the Thirty-Second Session; Sequence listings (Processing of Sequence Listings, Sequence Listings Task Force: Status Report}; PCT Minimum Documentation Task Force: Status Report; WIPO Treaty on Intellectual Property, Genetic Resources and Associated Traditional Knowledge
Mon. – Fri., Feb. 2-6, 2026
WIPO Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) Committee for Technical Cooperation, 33rd session (Webcast)
Revised Draft Agenda:Model Agreement Between an Office and the International Bureau in Relation to its Functioning as an International Searching and Preliminary Examining Authority and Proposed Amendments to the PCT Regulations for Use of the Model Agreement; Appointment of the Mexican Institute of Industrial Property as an ISA/PEA Under the PCT, Training program for new substantive examiners of the IMPI Patent Division
https://www.wipo.int/edocs/mdocs/pct/en/pct_ctc_33/pct_ctc_33_27.pdf p.4-9
Mon., Feb.2, 2026
EPO Search and Examination Matters 2026 (Registration)
Day 1 The AI IP Landscape
7:20-8:00 AM ET | 13.20-14.00 CET
How AI is impacting IP. Angel Aledo Lopez, COO & CTO, EPO, Julia Gwilt, Patent attorney, epi
8:20-9:15 AM ET | 14.15-15.15 CET
How AI is Shaping the Tools for the Future (…what changes are expected in patent processing based on current and future tools, changes to daily work examiners and patent attorneys; we’ll share practical examples of new and upcoming tools—such as improved pre-search and AI-supported drafting of communications—and discuss what these changes mean in real cases; … providing concrete examples of what to expect next in patent practice.)Åsa Ribbe, Principal director, EPO; Bastian Best, Patent attorney, epi
Add. Info:; Åsa Ribbe EPO & Michael Thesen, epi, AI at the EPO: Learning from the best - INSIGHT epi, Part 1 (patent search, classification and examination. Dec., 17, 2025, 14:03) & Part 2 (operational implementation and quality control, Jan. 14, 2026, 22:17); Lopez, A. Aledo 2025 Searching for prior art in the age of AI: The EPO’s approach. epi Information (3) 17–20
Tue., Feb.3, 2026
7:45-8:30 AM ET |13.45-14.30 CET
WIPO SEPs in PATENTSCOPE : Introducing Standard Essentiality Verification Launch Event (Registration)
WIPO is unveiling a
new enhancement to its global patent database, PATENTSCOPE, giving
users direct access to verified standard essentiality information
supplied by patent pools. This first phase of integration includes data
provided by Sisvel, the first
patent pool administrator to join WIPO’s voluntary industry
collaboration initiative. Sisvel’s patent licensing programs rely on
independent third-party evaluators to assess patent essentiality with
results routinely published and regularly updated.
See Program:
Strategic insights on the SEP ecosystem; Feature overview; → Live
Q&A with experts (Include: Panel Discussion: Ms. Nina Belbl, Legal
Officer, Patent and Technology Law Division, WIPO (Moderator);
Panelists: Ms. Magdalena Zelenkovska, Senior Patent Data Manager, Patent
Database Section and David Diaz Diaz, Data Administrator, Patent
Database Section, WIPO, Mr. Matteo Sabattini, Sisvel)
What's new: Verified essentiality data from Sisvel patent pool programs; Third-party expert evaluation integrated into search results; Clear distinction between declared vs. verified SEPs; Coverage across multiple technology standards (5G, IoT, video compression)
Hands-on webinars coming soon to show you how to search and use this new feature.
Add/ info:
8:00 – 9:00 PM ET | 14:00 – 15:00 CET (also 2/5 at 2:00 ET below)
CAS CAS IP Finder™ Tips and Tricks (Registration)
…new query builder and AI-enhanced exploratory search; new results viewer and analysis and visualization tools.
Speaker: Paul Peters, Director, Customer Success Specialists, ACS International
Add. Info. Introduction to CAS IP Finder™ (Jan. 28, 2026, Paul Peters, 57:44); CAS IP Finder expands intellectual property search access across organizations (CAS Press Release, Jan. 20, 2026), CAS IP Finder, powered by STN™ (Patent searching is complex. We make it simpler.)
EPO Search and Examination Matters 2026 (Registration)
Day 2 AI in Search
8:00-9:00 AM ET | 14.00-15.00 CET
Prior art search with Ansera with a focus on Standards (latest developments in the EPO ANSERA search tool, functionalities, upcoming enhancements, current use of AI used in ANSERA and what is pipeline; How EPO searches, retrieves, and manages standards-related documentation) Stefan Klocke, and Abderrahim Moumen, Directors, EPO
Add. Info: Ansera snapshots (Standards in Ansera, 6s, play speed 0.25); UK IPO Powerful new search tool will help IPO maintain patent quality PR 4 Sep. 2023; McKitten, M., 2017. Looking for answers on ANSERA. The IPKat. Nov. 13, 2017; Patent standards explorer (Dataset, 135 MB, captures 168 620 distinct XP numbers linked to SDOs amd cited in 417 951 instances across 190 116 EP patent applications; see methodology and data structure are provided in section 3 of the , study Standards and the European patent system. (EPO, May 2025. p.30-51 (incl. 3.3. The relationship between SDO citations and SEP declarations + ANNEX 1: EPO SDO data: sample description); See also Sec. 2 EPO SDO databases and integration into Patent grant procedure, p.21-30 (2.1. SDO databases; 2.2. Using the SDO databases in EPO search reports)
9:15-10:15 AM ET | 15.15-16.15 CET
Pre-search and state of the art cited ( The automatic pre-search is being continuously improved to provide examiners with the closest prior art at the earliest opportunity) Jean-Michel Wulveryck, Senior expert, EPO, Bart van Wezenbeek, Patent attorney, epi
Add. Info: Lopez, A. Aledo 2025 Searching for prior art in the age of AI: The EPO’s approach. epi Information (3) 17–20; Lopez, Angel Aledo. AI tools for IP offices, WIPO ICT Leadership Dialogue, Apr. 15, 2025, pp.11-14; Andlauer, Dominique, 2018. Automatic Pre-Search: An overview. World Patent Information, Best of Search Matters 54(9), S59–S65. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wpi.2017.02.007)
10:00 AM – 12:00PM ET | 16.00 -18.00 CET
PIUG Preparation Course for the QPIP Certification Exam (Registration, Fee)
Session 3: Patent Landscaping Theory Questions & Patent Landscaping Case Study
Instructors: Kunal Bhalla. QPIP, Indian Patent Agent, Patinnovate Consulting, and John Zabilski, QPIP, US Patent Agent, Chair, PIUG Education & Training Committee
See QPIP Examination, Feb. 24-25, 2026; See samples [question with answers] of previous QPIP (2020-2022) in Documentation, for example, 2022 QPIP questions: and Patent Landscape Analysis Case Study (+data).
12:00 PM – 1:00 PM ET | 18.00 -19.00 CET
LexisNexis/IPWatchdog: 5G Patent Leaders and the Road to 6G (Registration) (also Feb. 4 at 9.00 CET, below)
Tipics:… Why FRAND determinations are becoming increasingly data-driven.;…The role of 5G and future 6G networks in enabling AI at the edge; Potential entry of new market players into 3GPP, including AI, cloud, semiconductor, and platform companies.
Speakers: Shahrokh Nayeb Nazar, Qualcomm; Lew Zaretzki, Hamilton IPV; Tim Pohlmann, Ph.D., LexisNexis Intellectual Property Solutions; Gene Quinn, IPWatchdog, Inc.
Wed., Feb.4, 2026
3:00-9:00 AM ET | 9.00-10.00 CET
LexisNexis 5G Patent Race Leaders and the Road to 6G (Registration) (also Feb. 3, 2026 at 12:00 PM, above)
Speaker Panel: Tim Pohlmann, LexisNexis IP Solutions, Mi Yao, ZTE, Peiying Zhu, Huawei, Eren He, Purplevine
5G is a foundational technology for AI-driven networks, industrial automation, autonomous systems, and next-generation infrastructure. As a result, the competitive landscape around 5G SEPs is evolving rapidly, technologically, commercially, and geopolitically; … strategic investments and partnerships blur traditional industry boundaries…This webinar panel discussion will explore … how [SEP] data is becoming central to navigating this increasingly complex environment.
EPO Search and Examination Matters 2026 (Registration)
Day 3 AI in Examination
8:00-9:00 AM ET | 14.00-15.00 CET
Graphical User interfaces (GUI), Inventive Step, and AI (how inventive step is assessed in GUI-related patent applications when innovations focus on user experience rather than clear technical effects; GUI features that merely display information ovs those solving a technical problem, AI-driven GUI behavior: system operation, resource management, or input processing). Cristina Russo dos Santos, Team manager, EPO, Barry Moore, Patent attorney, epi
9:15-10:15 AM ET | 15.15-16.15 CET
AI in Bioinformatics (Bioinformatics inventions combine biological insight with computational and AI methods, and their prior art is frequently spread across papers, preprints, code repositories, and data resources rather than classic patent literature. This talk explores how this affects searching and the evaluation of technicality, sufficiency, and inventive step, illustrated with examples from current practice. Alexander Heidrich, Examiner, EPO
Add. info: See for example, T 0161/18 (Equivalent Aortic Printing/ARC SEIBERSDORF) 12-05-2020 (in German): The application used an artificial neural network to transform the blood pressure curve measured on the periphery into the equivalent aortic pressure (not inventive, insufficiently disclosed); Heckeler, P., Training of an artificial neural network: insufficiently disclosed. European Software Patents. Jun. 23, 2020; Hagel, F., 2020. T 0161/18 brings to the fore the requirement of disclosing training data in AI case. epi Information (4) 22–25; T 598/07: This case involved a heartbeat monitoring method based on a neural network for identifying irregular heartbeats. (a technical contribution, inventive); cf. Darno, P., Fasse, J.P. 2024. Patent Strategies for Bioinformatics and Genomics Inventions. Fish & Richardson, April 3, 2024, 61 p. (Enablement Issues for Software- and AI-Based Inventions, pp. 45-57)
10:00 AM – 12:00PM ET | 16.00 -18.00 CET
PIUG Preparation Course for the QPIP Certification Exam (Registration, Fee)
Session 4: Patent Infringement Risk Search and Freedom-to Operate
Instructors: Kunal Bhalla. QPIP, Indian Patent Agent, Patinnovate Consulting, and John Zabilski, QPIP, US Patent Agent, Chair, PIUG Education & Training Committee
Add. Info: Patent Infringement Risk searches Theory: See Schedule 1, S1.8 (p.7-8)Search Skills Syllabus. See examples of Patent Infringement Risk search assignments from 2022 QPIP exams Chemistry, Biotech, and Engineering. See model answers for this exam and sample assignments for mock, 2020-2021 exams in the QPIP Documention.
Wed. – Fri., Feb. 4- 6, 2026
9:50 -17:10 JST
INPIT Beginners’ Patent information utilization training (Online, 20 persons)
From the Program: (Engl. Transl.)
Day 1 Overview of Patent Law (Patent Act and Examination Guidelines as a basis for patent searching) and F-term Classification System (2h 50 m); Prior Art Document Search Theory (for analysis of technological trends and patentability, incl. JPO examiners ‘know-how’) (2h 50 m); Day 2 Prior art search practice (Use of J-PlatPat for searches necessary for determine patentability of actual patent application) (5h 50 m); ; Day 3 Small group discussion of search results (development of search strategies/formulas; assessment of novelty and Inventive step based on search results)
Faculty include Matsuoka,Toru (松岡 徹), Professor of Graduate School of Law, Tohoku University; Masahiro Nakamura (中村 理弘), Ochanomizu Inai Patent Office, Hayato Akao (赤尾 隼人)¸ UNIUS Patent Attorneys Office, etc.
Thu., Feb. 5, 2026
EPO Search and Examination Matters 2026 (Registration)
Day 4 Judicial decisions on AI
7:00-7:30 AM ET | 13.00-13.30 CET
The Legal Interactive Platform (AI-powered legal search tool designed to support users navigating European patent law and procedures; scope and coverage; best practices and tips) Sonia Perez Diez, Director, EPO
Add. Info.Coverage: EPC, EPO Guidelines, BoA decisions, OJ of the EPO, Case-law of BoA; MyEPO feature guide – Legal Interactive Platform (Jan. 2025, 10 p, + interactive e-course, 7 lessons); MyEPO Nuggets – Introduction to the Legal Interactive Platform (Aug. 2025, 4:04); Lacy, Adam (Hoffmann Eitle). OK Computer: the EPO’s New Generative AI Legal Interactive platform. Kluwer Patent Blog. Feb. 26, 2025
9:45-10:45 AM ET | 15.45-16.45 CET
Judicial decisions around AI and patents (… how AI decisions will impact the stakeholder groups, with regard to search and examination) Martin Müller, BoA, Florian Meyer, Patent attorney, epi, Alain Dumont, Judge, UPC
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM EST | 19:00 PM – 2o:00 CET
Sterne Kessler 2025 PTAB Year in Review (Registration)
Speakers: Jackie Bonilla, Ph.D., David Holman, Ph.D., and Steven Pappas, Sterne Kessler
Our program will recap the year’s most impactful PTAB developments and will also preview what to expect in 2026 and how the developments of 2025 may shape post-grant practice going forward.
Add. Info: Wright-Bonilla, J. “Jackie,” Meyer-Chagnon, J., Haapala, M.A., Sterne Kessler, PTAB Year in Review: A Shifting Landscape and Outlook for 2026 [abbreviated]. World IP Review, Jan. 2, 2026
2:00 – 3:00 PM ET | 20:00 – 21:00 CET (also 2/3 at 8:00 AM ET above)
CAS CAS IP Finder™ Tips and Tricks (Registration)
…new query builder and AI-enhanced exploratory search; new results viewer and analysis and visualization tools.
Speaker: Mike Axton, Manager, Customer Success Specialists, CAS
Add. Info. Introduction to CAS IP Finder™ (Jan. 29, 2026, Mike Axton, 59:02), see also comments to Feb. 3, 2026 webinar above.
Fri., Feb.6, 2026
8:00-11:00 AM ET | 14.00-17.00 CET
EPO/I3PM IP strategy bootcamp (Registration closed)
3 day program (with Days 2 and 3 on Feb.17, 2026 and Mar. 2, 2026)
The bootcamp focuses on both strategic and human dimensions of IP management combining analytical tools with the soft skills required for successful cross-functional collaboration between general management, R&D, and legal divisions. Learning Objectives: … Apply key IP management tools and methods strategically in alignment with organizational goals; Develop and implement value-based IP strategies to manage core IP assets; Design a comprehensive 360° IP strategy aligned with your organization's goals; Communicate and negotiate effectively across technical, legal, and management functions
Speakers: Jamie Soon, I3PM International Institute for IP Management; Thomas Bereuter. EPO, Prof. Alexander Wurzer; CEIPI, University of Strasbourg, Benjamin Delsol, DELSOL Group, I3PM, Maria Boicova-Wynates, Wynants & Co (IBD Group), Maier Fenster. The Ehrlich Group (IL)
Mon., Feb. 9, 2026
4:30 – 6:00 AM ET | 10:30 – 12:00 CET
EU IP Helpdesk IP in Biotechnology (Registration)
Speaker: Dr. Sebastian Tegethoff, Fortmann Tegethoff IP Attorneys
The webinar will give an overview about: …the context of IP in product development, specifics of IP in biotech, development and management of an IP portfolio.
See A recording of the Feb, 11, 2025 webinar on the subject (1:06:51, from 09:15)
Note: The webinar include interesting discussion of low-cost high-quality filing strategies, using National-to-European Application, by choosing countries (FR, LU, NL, BG, etc.) which use the EPO as the Search Authority for a national patent application, For LU, the cost of the European-style search report is at only 490 Euros [10.2025],which is about 1/3 of the European fees
Tue. – Wed. Feb. 10-11, 2026
9:00 AM - 4:00 p.m. ET | 15.00 - 23.59 CET
USPTO Pre-Application Assessment Program [Novelty Assesment] (Interest Form, by Fri. , Feb, 6)
In two-day virtual workshop Learn to assess the strengths and weaknesses of your patent application …we’ll guide you through searching public patent databases to determine if your idea is completely new or has ever been used for the same purpose.
Tue., Feb. 10, 2026
10:00 – 11:00 AM ET | 16.00 - 17.00 CET
Patsnap Chemical Essentials: Mastering Chemical Structure Searching (Registration)
Speaker: Jason Xi, Patsnap
Add.Info: Empower Your Chemical Structures Search and Analysis; Patsnap Chemical 101; Getting Started with PatSnap Chemical (Aug. 2018, 10 p.); Marvin JS Draw tool- Guide; Basic Search on Patsnap Chemical; How to Prevent Substitutions; Searching with Markush Structures; Patsnap Upgrades Its AI-Powered Markush Searching (June 2023); Chemical Structure Patent Search Tools: Top 6 for 2025 (Nov. 12, 2025, by Patsnap Team)
10:00 – 11:30 AM ET | 16.00 - 17.30 CET (also 2/24/2026 at 10:00 AM CET)
Questel Basic Training Orbit Intelligence (Registration)
11:30 AM - 12:15 PM ET | 17:30 - 18:15 CET (Also Feb. 10, 2026, at 8:30 CET) (new)
WIPO SEP information in PATENTSCOPE New SEP feature and overview (Registration)
See also: SEPs in PATENTSCOPE Launch Event Introducing Standard Essentiality Verification Information Provided by Patent Pools [Sisvel](Feb. 3, 2026) webcast, SEP in Patentscope @24:54, Declared SEP vs.Verified SEP @29:34; Demo @32:41-43:26; Why some verified patent non declared [IEEE blanket declarations] @43:35, etc.); highlights and presentation (11 p.) WIPO Webinar SEP declarations in PATENTSCOPE (May 15, 2025, slides 60 p. , see pp.42-52 p for a presentation of Ms. Magdalena Zelenkovska, Senior Patent Data Manager about the project); PATENTSCOPE: Fostering Global SEP Transparency and Visibility (9 p., Magdalena Zelenkovska, WIPO Symposium on Standard Essential Patents, Sep.19, 2025, Session.13)
Sisvel Patent Lists [Patenscope Verified SEPs coverage]: Licensing programmes 5G Multimode Program (62 p.) (launched Jan. 22, 2026, not in Patentscope); WILUS Cellular Portfolio (14 p., as of March 2024), Patent Brochure (3p.)]; IoT(1) Cellular IoT:LTE-M and NB-IoT Patent List (77 p.); (2)TS-UNB Patents (SEPs, 4 p.), and Complementary Patents (NEPs (NON-ESSENTIAL PATENTs), 5 p.); Wi-Fi Multimode (75 p., new, not in Patentscope); Digital Video & Broadcasting: DVB-S2 (2 p.), DVB-S2X (3 p.), DVB-SIS (1 p.) and DVB-T2 (27 p.)
12:00 PM – 1:00 PM ET | 18.00 -19.00 CET
Junior /IPWatchdog How to Prompt AI – A Hands-On Workshop for Patent Prep and Pros (Registration)
Prompting for effective patent search and prior art analysis;…Differentiating over prior art and within a patent family with claim chart prompts; Mining for continuation and divisional patent claims and alternative embodiments; Mapping claims to products and features…
Panelists: Shrut Kirti, Ph.D., Director of IP Risk at Applied Materials, Chris Schaffer, FisherBroyles, Puya Navid, Seyfarth, and Maryam Salehijam, Ph.D., Junior and Gene Quinn, IPWatchdog (moderator)
Add. Info: AI Prompting for Patent Prep & Pros (Junior/IPWatchdog, Nov.11, 2025, video (1:06:14, w/transcript), slide deck, 22 p.) (Eric Maschoff (Maschoff Brennan) Structured AI Patent Drafting, pp. 8-18, particular p.16 “Example: The Smart Mug”, video, 43:33-52:05 (Slide 16) (use of ChatGPT 5 canvas); Gideon Myles, OpenAI, video, 37:41-43:17); Junior Patent AI Agent (Dec. 23, 2025, 4:53); Brewing Better AI Prompts: Prompting to Perk Up Your Patent Practice (SLW Institute, Nov. 18, 2025,, video, (30:34 w/transcript), slides, 18 p,) (structured prompting methods, chain-of-thought prompting and context management strategies, and choosing the right AI models); Effective Prompts for AI: The Essentials, (2023). MIT Sloan Teaching & Learning Technologies.
Wed., Feb. 11, 2026
11:00am – 12:00pm ET | 17.00 -18.00 CET
PIUG Community Engagement Hour (Registration)
Theme: Cracking the Code: A Practical Guide to Structure & Sequence Searching
- Decode complexity: Master search strategies for chemical structures, DNA sequences, and protein data.
- Tool expertise: Navigate specialized databases and search interfaces for structure/sequence queries.
- Master the Molecules: Confidently tackle chemical information requests by learning the fundamentals of substructure, similarity, and Markush searching.
- Navigate the Sequences: Gain practical skills in performing BLAST and alignment searches for DNA, RNA, and protein sequences.
- Networking: Share tips with experts tackling complex chemical/sequence queries
12:00 PM – 1:00 PM ET | 18.00 -19.00 CET
BARDEHLE-PAGENBERG IP Academy Patent Prosecution in US (iCal)
Speaker:James C. Signor, Leydig, Voit & Mayer, Ltd.
Add. Info: In IP Academy archive for 2023-2025, see video (2:00:01) and slides (53 p.) of the Feb, 21, 2024 lecture [Agenga: Types of Applications [incl. Foreign Filing Licenses, p.8]; Restriction Requirements (p.10-11); 35 U.S.C. § 101 – Patent Eligibility (p.12-28); 35 U.S.C. § 112 – Written Description, Enablement, Indefiniteness and “means-plus-function” (p.29-32); 35 U.S.C. § § 102 and 103 – Novelty and Obviousness (p.32-35); Timing, Examiner Interviews and After-Final Practice (p.37-47); Appeals (p.48-51); Allowance (p.52)]
12:00 PM – 1:00 PM ET | 18.00 -19.00 CET
LES USA & Canada How to Non-Violently Kill a Design Patent (Registration, fee)
Speaker: Michael Greenberg, Greenberg & Lieberman, LLC
We’ll delve into the exciting world of design patents – patents that protect the look of things. Not only will we show you a few of the more interesting ones, but most importantly, we will show you one that was invalidated. Design patents seem pretty straightforward, but they are not, and we’ll take you on a quick tour of what they cannot be used to protect.
Note: The case study was previously presented Nov. 5, 2025, at the LES DC Chapter meeting in Potomac, MD. The US Design patent D823093 has been challenged as unpatentable under 35 U.S.C. § 171 for lacking ornamentality in Sattler Tech. Corp. v. Humancentric Ventures, LLC, PGR2019-00030, PGR2019-00030 proceedings (which differ from commonly used challenges of under 35 U.S.C. § 102 or § 103). The institution decision (PGR2019-00030, Paper 9, July 26, 2019) has been designated as informative and widely commented. The lecturer represented the petitioner and discussed the strategy chosen to defeat the patent and the arguments presented in the petition. (Refs: PTAB Designates As Informative a Decision Instituting Post-Grant Review for a Design Patent Lacking Ornamentality, Mintz, Jun. 16, 2020, Design Patents, PGR, and Functionality – the USPTO’s Sattler Decision, Oblon, Protecting Designs Blog, July 9, 2020; Balance is Key in Design Patent Claim Drafting, Jones Day, PTAB Litigation Blog, Aug 10, 2020, see also add. info on design patents invalidation in comments to the PIUG Community forum post on Nov. 2025 events.)
7:00–8:30 PM ET | (Jan. 12. 2025 1.00 -2:30 CET)
USPTO/LES SVC Successful Inventing 2026: Market Research (Registration)
…go-to-market strategy: practical, real-world approaches to market research
Speakers: Gwen Edwards - Global Innovation and Market Strategy Leader, supporting Golden Seeds, National Health Foundation, and Astia; Sam Wiley - Managing Director and Patent Intelligence Leader at Ocean Tomo, William ‘Bill’ Seidel - President and CEO, America Invents
Thu., Feb. 12, 2026
10:00 – 11:00 AM ET | 16.00 - 17.00
Clarivate: Introducing DesignVision: AI-Powered Image Search for Industrial Designs (Registration)
[DesignVision is being used by all three major North American IP offices in their examination processes] …You will learn: How AI-powered image search works and what makes DesignVision uniquely effective; How to perform visual similarity searches to uncover relevant prior art and competitive designs; design screening, novelty assessment, and portfolio management; AI-driven design intelligence: In-depth product demo
Add. info: Discover DesignVision; USPTO. DesignVision: A New Artificial Intelligence-Powered Image Search Tool (Coke Morgan Stewart, Acting Director, USPTO, Jul. 16, 2025, 2 p.)
10:00 – 11:30 AM ET | 16.00 - 17.30 CET (also 2/26/2026 at 10:00 AM CET)
Questel Advanced Training Orbit Intelligence (Registration)
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM EST | 19:00 PM – 2o:00 CET
Sterne Kessler 2025 Federal Circuit Year in Review (Registration)
Speakers: Michael Joffre and William Milliken, Sterne Kessler
This program will review key Federal Circuit statistics and highlight significant intellectual property decisions issued in 2025.
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM EST | 19:00 PM – 20:00 CET
Venable LLP New Product Development and Acquisition: IP Diligence (Registration)
Speakers: Chris Borello and Jackie DiRamio, Venable LLP
TriPaw is considering expanding its offerings through both in-house development and acquisitions. Using this scenario, we will walk through the IP diligence process, addressing common issues such as patent landscapes, trade secrets, and brand protection.
On-demand, free non-CLE view
26th Annual Berkeley-Stanford Advanced Patent Law Institute (Dec.4-5, 2025)
Day 1 Keynote 1
Mark Lemley’s Annual Patent Law Update (Prof. Mark Lemley, Stanford Law School, (49:11)), see 19:10 Novelty; 21:19 Obviousness; 24:10 Claim construction; 29:57-35:06 Doctrine of equivalent; 48:20 Estoppel). Based on a review: Lemley, M.A., Gleiberman, J., Phelan, M., 2025. Recent Developments in Patent Law 2025 (Stanford Public Law Working Paper). Stanford Law School, Dec. 1, 2025, 71 p.
Cases discussed: Novelty: Lynk Labs, Inc. v. SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD., 125 F. 4th 1120 (when a published patent application is deemed prior art in an IPR—can it be as of the application's filing date, or only as of the application's publication) (See the review, p.19) ; Obviousness: Bayer Pharma Aktiengesellschaft v. Mylan Pharms. Inc., Ancora Techs, Inc. v. Roku, Inc. (Review, p. 21-12); Claim construction: Aortic Innovations v. Edwards Life Sciences; LabCorp v. Kea-Chen; Eye Therapies v. Slayback, Alnylam Pharm v. Moderna; Maquet Cardiovascular LLC v. Abiomed Inc.; Kids2, LLC v. TOMY Int’l, Inc (Review, 25-36), etc.
Day 2 Litigation Track Panel 5
AI Tools and Litigation (Chris Mammen, Womble Bond Dickinson (Moderator), Sharif Jacob, Keker, Van Nest & Peters, Eric Lin, Patlytics, David Lisson, Davis Polk, Sasha Rao, Nixon Peabody) )[Use cases 13:09-30:42, including Invalidity claim charts [14:01-14:34,Sasha Rao], [15:00-15:45, Sharif Jacob]; analyzing portfolios at scale (pre-litigation diligence, diligence in support of licensing transactions, general IP strategy like competitive landscaping, and then also identifying opportunities for enforcement and monetization general IP strategy like competitive landscaping, and then also identifying opportunities for enforcement and monetization [16:58-20:02, Eric Lin] (auto-classify them based on subject matter, filter by a desired subject matter [semiconductor packaging], identifying targets … through the identification of products, through the searching of publicly available documentation…); preparing for expert depositions [22:30-23:41, Chris Mammen] (in which patents/publications from 200 p. CV, the expert could take an opposite position); claim charting of multiple AI-generated prior art references presented by a client; pushing back NPE by providing AI found prior art and keeping best references [26:13-28:30, Eric Lin]; infringement charts [29:57-30:38,Sasha Rao], etc.; Future of practice of law [53:02- 1:01:47] (doom and gloom? …cf. elimination of onerous task of 40h claim charting by hand @57:13 [Sharif Jacob]; how to teach to review an invalidity chart w/o a grunt work @1:00:30 [David Lisson])
Day 2 Prosecution Track Panel 6
AI Tools and Patent Prosecution [Steve Gong, Google, Michelle Lee, Obsidian Strategies (former USPTO Director), Ian Schick, Paximal, Ayan Roy-Chowdhury, Fish & Richardson)] What are the possible things you can do with gen AI [07:30-11:54, Michelle Lee]; Agentic AI/Human-in-the-loop vs Co-pilot/AI--in-the-loop for patent drafting [11:54-17:29, Ian Schick]; A proposal to benchmark AI invalidation tools against a litigated case [0:38:31-0:39:25, Michelle Lee]; How prompt-free Agentic AI drafts patent application [42:49-43:37, Ian Schick]; USPTO ASAP! [48:45-49:44, Ayan Chowdhury]; motivation “to validate their search tool so they can get away from human searching?”, step to “automated examination” [52:50-53:20, Ian Schick, Steve Gong ]; [ASAP!] search results not listed in PTO-892/IDS will not be published on the face of the patent [54:10-54:43,Ayan Roy Chowdhury], etc. No AI-generated search reports for 103 [52:29, Ayan Chowdhury];
WIPO Academy has opened registration for the first session of tutored certificate courses. The registration deadline is March. 22, 2026
Apr.8 – Jul. 6, 2026 (Registration by Mar., 22, 2026) (100 h, except DL-304) (Certificate)
DL 301E Patents (Registration, Fee)
DL-318E Patent Information Search (Registration, Fee)
DL-320E Basics of Patent Drafting (Registration, Fee) (include Discussion Modules on Basic Chemistry/Pharmaceuticals/ Biotechnology/Computing and Communications/Mechanical Patents)
Fees: Professionals: $320/$60, Students and Academics $200/$40 (Industrialized/Developing Countries)
See information on other free self-study and tutored courses on the Patent & Patent Information Events in January 2026
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