IPO BOARD HOLDS STRATEGIC PLANNING RETREAT
The IPO Board of Directors convened a strategic planning retreat in Washington, D.C., on May 20–21 to advance work on the association’s strategic plan for 2027–2029. The retreat built on research conducted earlier this year, including member surveys and focus groups. Discussion covered a wide range of topics, including anticipated changes to the intellectual property landscape over the coming decade and governance practices to ensure IPO is well-positioned to address them. The strategic plan is expected to be finalized later this year.
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| IPO Treasurer Troy Prince (RTX Corp.), IPO President John Cheek (Tenneco), Strategic Planning Facilitator Elisa Pratt (Brewer Pratt Solutions), and IPO Executive Director Jessica Landacre |
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THIS AND THAT
Pronouncing Ex Parte ─ This term (e.g., ex parte appeals and ex parte patent reexaminations in the USPTO) is most often pronounced “ex par-tay.” According to a post on Reddit, if you say “ex party” you’ll be laughed out of court. Next week we’ll explore the pronunciation of “amicus,” a more complicated issue.
Grammar in Patent Claims ─ A READER drew attention to a recent Federal Circuit claim construction case that was decided solely on a simple grammatical principle. The principle is that if a modifier could modify either of two words or phrases in a sentence, it is presumed to modify the one that is closer. The court provided a tutorial on syntax and semantics. Netflix v. DivX (Taranto, J.) (2026).
Another Language Source ─ The Michigan Bar Journal has published a monthly plain language column for more than 40 years. Back issues are online.
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The Curmudgeon
IPO OFFICE CLOSED ON MONDAY, MAY 25
IPO will be closed and we will not publish the Daily News on Monday, May 25 in observance of the Memorial Day holiday in the U.S. Normal operations will resume on Tuesday, May 26.