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IEEE Student Chapter: Patent Talk with Keith Grzelak
October 22, 2015 @ 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM
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Joint meeting of the IEEE Richland Section, Nuclear & Plasma Sciences Chapter & INCOSE Cascade Chapter
TOPIC: New Challenges to Patentable Subject Matter and Software Patentability
6:00 PM on Thursday, 22 OCTOBER 2015
Room CIC 120/120A, WSU Tri-Cities, Richland, WA
Pizza and soft drinks available at 5:30 social time
TOPIC ABSTRACT: Recent changes have occurred in how we determine patentable subject matter. IEEE-USA’s intellectual property policy committee (IPC) filed an amicus brief before the US Supreme Court in Alice v. CLS. A decision came down in June 2014 that raises more questions than it answers. The IPC subsequently filed comments to proposed guidance issued from the US Patent Office. The amicus position and comments will be reviewed to provide a summary of the questions that are now raised, and a review of recent interpretations from the Federal Circuit will be summarized. The US Patent Office, in the wake of this decision, has withdrawn many software patents (for which notices of allowance had already been granted), and is currently aggressively issuing rejections for many software and business method patent applications based on patent ineligibility. The office has issued guidelines that are now used by way of example in order to determine subject matter eligibility and recent guidelines will be reviewed.
SPEAKER: Keith Grzelak worked at General Motors and Ford Motor Company as a safety and crashworthiness engineer supporting numerous vehicle platforms. With his employer’s support, he attended law school, became a patent lawyer, and currently represents engineers and scientists. He has worked in many technical areas including electrical, mechanical and medical systems. He has worked for a broad range of entities, ranging from Fortune 100 companies to start-up businesses, including universities and faculty start-up entities.
He is currently a director of Wells St. John PS in Spokane, Washington where he supports technology companies. He is active in teaching courses to STEM workers on technology policy and legal issues.