Hann Intellectual Property Services

Hann Intellectual Property Services provides intellectual property management services to high technology companies in software and biotechnology. We can help you file a new patent, license existing patents, enforce or defend against copyright infringement, and advise incorporation of a new tech company.

Protecting invention and innovation

Do you have an invention, innovation or new idea? Do you need help filing your idea with the patent office? Hann Intellectual Property Services can help you obtain strong legal protection for your idea. Poorly filed patents have little or no value and rarely hold up in court. When it comes to your businesses most valuable assets, your intellectual property, it is important to consult an expert and find a patent attorney that is right for you and understands your technology. Contact us today to see what Hann Intellectual Property Services can do for you!

Intellectual Property News

Akamai Technologies, Inc. v. Limelight Networks, Inc., (Fed. Cir. 2011)

Akamai Technologies, Inc. v. Limelight Networks, Inc., (Fed. Cir. 2011) ,

Akamai is the patent holder of 3 patents relating to webhosting including a content delivery service in which the embedded objects of a page (e.g. a picture) are provided on a separate content server other than a content provider domain (e.g. a regular web-host). To simplify, this means having a special set of servers designated for the picture and video content of a webpage. As a part of this content delivery system the patent specifies that the embedded objects of the page are "tagged" to indicate retrieval from the designated content server instead of from a content provider domain.

Akamai won a jury verdict of $41.5 million dollars; however, this verdict has been overturned by the courts and is presently embroiled in an expensive appeals process. Why? All because the tagging step in Akamai's patent was not performed by Limelight, but rather was performed by Limelight's customers following instructions from Limelight. The Federal Circuit is currently considering the legal rule for direct infringement and scope of liability when multiple parties are separately perform separate steps of a patented method. However, if you were the plaintiff you don't want to be involved in expensive appeals processes - it is preferable to win and be done.

When a patent becomes embroiled in litigation with millions of dollars at stake every-word-counts. There are so many potential pitfalls for the un-wary that assistance of patent counsel is essential for the development of a high quality patent with value which will hold up to the scrutiny of litigation.
With the right claim drafted, Akamai could have avoided millions of dollars in appeals litigation.

New "Micro-Entity" Fee Discounts

The America Invents Act (AIA), passed in September, creates a new statutory class of inventors called "Micro-entities" who will receive a 75% reduced fee on filing with the USPTO. To qualify as a micro-entity you must qualify for small-entity status, have filed fewer than 4 patents in the last year, and have an income in the last year less than 3 times the median household income. This is one of many provisions of the AIA designed to help small startups and independent inventors. These discounts become available as soon as the USPTO uses the fee setting authority granted by the AIA to reset or adjust fees.

Patent Reform, Part 1 - Removal of Best Mode Requirement

On September 16, 2011, with the signing of H.R. 1249, the "Leahy-Smith America Invents Act," a failure to include "best mode" under 112 is no longer a basis for subsequent invalidity or cancelation of a patent as a defense during litigation.