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NEXT WEEK ON THE IP CHAT CHANNEL™: ETHICS FOR IP PRACTITIONERS: BALANCING CIVILITY AND ZEALOUS ADVOCACY
Join the IP Chat Channel™ on Wednesday, April 29 at 1:00pm ET for a webinar that will review recent case law from various jurisdictions and tribunals involving interesting legal ethics and civility issues for both outside and in-house counsel. After completing this session, led by BEN MAHON (McAndrews), TAMMY PENNINGTON RHODES (Supercharger) and HUNTER YANCEY, JR. (Qualcomm Inc.), participants will be able to balance professional responsibilities and the need for civility with the duty to zealously advocate for clients, address new ethical issues arising with AI, and understand the most recent jurisprudence on ethical issues and best practices.
IP Chat Channel™ webinars are free for IPO members. Advance registration is required. CLE ethics credit offered in most states.
CARPMAELS & RANSFORD TO SPONSOR IPO’S EUROPEAN PRACTICE CONFERENCE IN FRANKFURT ON 28 MAY
Thank you to Carpmaels & Ransford for sponsoring IPO’s European Practice Committee organized conference entitled “Watch Your Words – Claim Interpretations, Estoppel, Information Sharing, Chat Bots and Much More.” The 2026 event will take place on 28 May in Frankfurt, Germany. Visit the conference website for more information or to register.
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COMMON ERRORS IN IP PHRASES
“Invention is Obvious” — People not familiar with patent law often say, “The invention is obvious.” The correct phrase is “would have been obvious.” The statutory test is whether the invention would have been obvious before the filing date.
“Patent is Obvious” — People often say, “The patent would have been obvious.” They should say, “The claimed invention would have been obvious.”
“Registrar of Copyrights” — The head of the U.S. Copyright Office often is intuitively but incorrectly called “the Registrar of Copyrights.” The correct title is “Register of Copyrights.” The word “Register,” strange today, was used when Congress created the position in 1897 because “Register” at the time described an official who kept a list or records.
Reader Question — Reader KATIE PACYNSKI asked whether bolding, italicizing, or underlining is preferred for emphasizing words or phrases. The Bluebook generally uses italics for emphasis, so that’s preferred for formal legal documents.
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Your friend,
The Curmudgeon