Proposed HIPAA Privacy Rule Amendments

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) published a new Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) on January 21, 2021 which is currently open for comment until March 21, 2021. This proposed rule constitutes the most recent step in HHS’s “Regulatory Sprint to Coordinated Care,” and is intended to improve care coordination and case management…

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Trademark Modernization Act of 2020

The Trademark Modernization Act of 2020 (TM Act) is included in Subtitle B of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, signed into law on December 27, 2020. This law will make several statutory changes to the Trademark Act; each of these changes will be addressed in further detail below. Third-Party Submissions of Evidence The first…

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USPTO Request for Comment: Patentability of Digital Designs

On December 21, 2020, the USPTO issued a request for comments on whether its interpretation of the “article of manufacture” requirement for design patents (35 U.S.C. § 171) should be revised to broaden the scope of patentable subject matter to cover new and developing forms of intangible digital designs. A design patent is granted to…

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USPTO Increases Trademark Filing Fees

The USPTO released a final rule detailing increases for trademark fees that will be effective January 2, 2021. This will increase application and renewal fees as follows: Application and application-related fees TEAS Standard: $350 per classUp from $275 per class TEAS Plus: $250 per class Up from $225 per class Processing fee for failing to meet…

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