President Obama signed the America Invents Act into law on Friday, September 16th. The act makes several significant changes, including scrapping the first to invent system in favor of a first to file system, imposing surcharges on filing, modifying certain litigation and reexamination practices, and curtailing litigation based on false patent marking.
The Senate has passed a patent reform bill that would incorporate several significant changes including a first-to-file system, enlarged post-grant patent review procedures, and many others.
After many years of confusion, the Supreme Court has agreed to review a lawsuit addressing the standard of intent required for inducement of infringement. This pivotal case may resolve once and for all whether a party must intend to infringe a patent in order to be liable, or whether it is sufficient to be aware of the possibility of infringement by third parties.