Patent Marking 101

Patent marking allows owners and licensees to provide notice to the public that a product is patented. The patent marking statute allows for visual and virtual marking. Virtual marking requires that the product or its packaging identify a web address where the patents associated with the product are listed. Without marking providing notice of the patent, damages for infringement cannot be collected. and when done incorrectly, may result in being unable to collect. Patent marking traditionally was, requiring the patent number be identified on the product or its packaging. Pursuant to the America Invents Act, virtual patent marking became another option. For more information on patent marking, click here. 

Keeping (Trade) Secrets

Non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) are commonly used in business to keep specific information confidential. Often times, NDAs protect trade, technology and business information, and are crucial for businesses, especially those looking to protect a patent or keep a trade secret. However, there are potential issues that must be considered with relying on an NDA to protect trade secrets. These include the term/duration of the NDA and the way in which “confidential information” is defined in the contract. Thus, a business pursuing an NDA to protect proprietary information must be aware of these issues and understand that while it may provide protection, the best practice is to not disclose trade secrets. To learn more about NDAs and how to best protect trade secrets, click here.

USPTO Proposes Patent-Eligibility Revamp

Andrei Iancu, the Director of the US Patent and Trademark Office, recently spoke at the Intellectual Property Owners Association’s 46th Annual Meeting. Iancu’s speech focused on the USPTO’s initiative to improve guidance for evaluating subject matter eligibility requirements under section 101 of the Patent Act. The director acknowledged the struggle examiners and practitioners have with predictably applying subject matter standards in light of 101 court decisions. The proposed guidance would help insure that the basic tools of scientific and technological work are not patented, categorize the judicial exceptions (such as: laws of nature, natural phenomena, abstract ideas, mathematical concepts, methods of organizing human interaction, mental processes), and instruct examiners how to apply them. To learn more about the USPTO’s proposal and read Director Iancu’s speech, click here.

Music Modernization Act Becomes Law

The President signed the Music Modernization Act (MMA) into law in October.  The bi-partisan legislation updates copyright law to reflect the digital age and insure songwriters, artists and music producers are appropriately compensated. The MMM is the first fundamental reform to the nation’s music copyright laws since 1976 and addresses the licensing system and compensation to songwriters. The legislation will create a new organization to identify song copyright owners and pay them digital royalties when their song is streamed on services such as Spotify, Apple Music and Amazon. In addition, the bill creates a new digital royalty for producers and engineers. To learn more about the Music Modernization Act and its updates to copyright law, click here.

Shine On: Dimensional Energy Turning Carbon Dioxide into Fuel

A Cornell University startup has discovered a way to transform carbon dioxide emissions back into fuel. The startup, Dimensional Energy, utilizes artificial photosynthesis to create an environmentally friendly fuel that is useful for transportation, energy, heating and cooling. Dimensional Energy is a part of the McGovern Family Center for Venture Development, a Cornell University business incubator that aims to bring the idea to the commercial level. The startup was formed in 2016 with support from NEXUS-NY, a New York State business incubator. To learn more about Dimensional Energy, click here.

FastTrack Paves Path for Physical Science, Engineering Startups

Cornell University’s Center for Technology Licensing (CTL) launched a new program this summer to help transition science and engineering startups from lab to market. The FastTrack Startup License program works with Cornell entrepreneurs to ease the licensing process by providing pre-set agreements, minimal negotiation and lowered startup costs. In addition to the FastTrack program, CTL is also set to publish an online startup guide this fall. The guide will be a how-to for aspiring entrepreneurs. To learn more about the FastTrack Startup License program, click here.

Cornell University Start-Up Selected to Join Top Accelerator

TERRA, the leading Food and Agriculture Accelerator, has chosen Zymtronix for its latest group of startups. Zymtronix is a life science startup that was created in 2013 at Cornell University. The company aims to provide innovative, cost-effective and sustainable solutions to maximize performance of enzymes in all applications. TERRA will partner Zymtronix with Tate and Lyle, a global provider of ingredients and solutions to food, beverage and industrial markets. To learn more about Zymtronix joining TERRA, click here.

Cornell University Partners with NSA “Lablet”

The International Computer Science Institute (ICSI) has partnered with Cornell Tech on their new NSA-sponsored “lablet.” The program focuses on security and privacy research and is led by Cornell Professor Helen Nissenbaum. The collaboration aims to research people’s attitudes towards privacy using real-world situations. The goal of the partnership is to help designers, engineers and policy-makers create and maintain more privacy-protective systems. To learn more about the partnership, click here.

FuzeHub Commercialization Competition 2018

Wednesday, November 7 – Thursday, November 8, 2018 – Albany Capital Center, Albany, NY

FuzeHub will host its second annual Commercialization Competition as a part of the Jeff Lawrence Innovation Fund. The $350,000 Commercialization Competition, which is sponsored by the NYS Science and Technology Law Center, will feature a pitch competition and aims to expand the entrepreneurial network in New York State. To learn more about the Commercialization Competition, click here. To register, click here.

Blackstone LaunchPad powered by Techstars Training Camp

Thursday, November 8 – Friday, November 9, 2018 – New York, NY

The Blackstone LaunchPad will host its Techstars Training Camp in New York City. For more information, click here.

NYSTAR Defense Diversification Workshop

Tuesday, November 13, 2018 – Joseph A. Floreano Riverside Convention Center, Rochester, NY

Empire State Development’s Division of Science, Technology will host a match-maker event for defense manufacturing organizations and business and technology experts. The program will allow the organizations to meet with the experts in one-on-one consultations and discuss collaboration opportunities. To learn more about the NYSTAR Defense Diversification Workshop and register, click here.

MedTech 2018

Tuesday, November 13 – Wednesday, November 14, 2018 – The OnCenter, Syracuse, NY

MedTech, New York State’s premier biomedical conference returns to Syracuse in November. The event will be the biggest MedTech to date, featuring keynote speakers, speed networking, educational programs, and a tech showcase, among other activities. MedTech aims to connect, learn and grow businesses in the biomedical field. To learn more about the event and register, click here.

Save the Date for NEXT 2018

Thursday, November 15, 2018 – Holiday Inn Conference Center, Livepool, NY

Cohosted by the NYS STLC and now in its fifth year, the NEXT conference will take place in November. NEXT focuses on innovation in technology, manufacturing and biotech. The event brings together fast-track companies, managers, researchers, medical professionals, investors and entrepreneurs in Central NY to meet and learn from each other and from global thought leaders and industry experts. In addition to workshops, NEXT will feature two keynote speakers: Chris Kelly, former Chief Privacy Officer of Facebook, and Rob Shepherd, head of Cornell University’s Organic Robotics Lab (ORL). To register for NEXT 2018, click here.

Biotechnology Resource Center Bioinformatics Facility Fall 2018 Workshop Series

October – December 2018 – Rhodes Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY

Cornell University will host a series of bioinformatics workshops throughout fall 2018. The sessions will discuss practical aspects of different bioinformatics techniques and applications. The first session, which will take place on Oct. 31 and Nov. 7, will focus on RNA-Seq data analysis. The second workshop, which will take place on Nov. 14, 28 and Dec. 5, will focus on genomic sequence data analysis. The third and final workshop, which will take place on Dec. 12 and 19, will feature genome annotation and sequence-based gene function prediction. To learn more about the bioinformatics workshop series and register, click here.

Global NY

Is your NYS business thinking about exporting? If you’re already sending some of what you make overseas, would you like to expand that part of your operation? Many small-to-medium companies want to reach global markets, but they need to manage their risks. As the result of the National Export Initiative (NEXT) and Global NY initiative, the federal and state governments are willing to share this risk with you. Global NY can connect your company to the State Trade and Export Promotion (STEP) program. The STEP Program is offered by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) through Empire State Development (ESD). To learn more about STEP and how it can help your business, click here. NYS STLC has also compiled an Export Control Guidebook to assist individuals considering the export of their technology.