After a slow but steady start to 2020, the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) saw a flurry of new complaints filed in the second half of the year. Eight new complaints were filed in December, resulting in a total of 57 complaints filed in 2020. As discussed in previous posts (e.g. here and here), the ITC adapted to the COVID-19 crisis and demonstrated its ability to conclude investigations in a timely manner. The post-pandemic…

The UK Parliament and EU Commission have now agreed on a wide-ranging EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement, focused on the supply of goods. Pharmaceuticals are highlighted in a number of areas. For example, Annex TBT-2 of the Agreement provides for recognition of Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) inspections for medicinal products carried out in the other party’s jurisdiction, i.e. across the UK and EU. In his most recent blog here, Adrian Spooner explains this and other new…

Top technology trends in the legal profession for 2021 are likely to include artificial intelligence, block chain and cryptocurrencies, autonomous vehicles, digital health, and … court filings on paper. Following a recent widespread cybersecurity breach, the United States federal courts are prohibiting electronic filing of highly confidential documents. Parties must file such documents on paper or as electronic files on a secure electronic device. In mid-December, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Cybersecurity and Infrastructure…

With the end of the transition period on 31 December 2020, the EU legislation governing the EU trademark and design system ceased to apply to the UK. While Brexit trade deal talks were in full swing, the SPB Team worked through all administrative details to comply with the new Brexit requirements, which took effect on 1 January 2021.…

False claims of use and fake specimens of use have bedeviled the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and legitimate trademark owners for many years. The Trademark Modernization Act of 2020 (“TMA”) — part of the COVID-19 relief legislative package signed by President Trump on December 27, 2020 — provides significant relief for trademark owners’ efforts to combat that fraud. As noted in a separate post, that omnibus legislative package provides relief to copyright…

Copyright owners seeking damages under $30,000 now have the choice of adjudicating their claims outside of federal court. Passed as part of the December 2020 COVID-19 relief bill, the Copyright Alternative in Small-Claims Enforcement Act of 2019 (“CASE Act”) created an alternative small claims tribunal system that can adjudicate certain copyright infringement claims.…

The year 2020 saw increasing acceptance of cannabis in the US, as indicated by legalization in another five states, proposed federal legalization, and the designation of cannabis (where available) as essential during the coronavirus pandemic. The United Nation’s recent reclassification of cannabis signals similar changes on a global scale. As a result of these changes, cannabis “growing” has evolved into a $14 billion industry in the US for which the benefits of federal laws,…