Harrity to Donate to Charity & Gift Oculus Quests to Winners of This Challenge

Harrity & Harrity, LLP is launching a new challenge to test participants’ ability to draft an overview description and a claim for an electronic invention. Winners of the challenge will receive a free Oculus Quest Virtual Reality Headset!

The Harrity Writing Sample Test is used in our application process to screen candidates based on their patent application writing ability.  All identifying information is removed prior to grading the test in order to remove any unconscious bias and ensure that the test is evaluated solely on the quality of the candidate’s submission.  For this challenge, the Writing Sample Test will be graded based on four areas of criteria: Writing, Technical Proficiency, Instructions, and Claim.  Contestants must earn a minimum passing score of 90 points (out of 100) to win an Oculus.  The test takes, on average, 2 hours to complete. While Harrity receives hundreds of applications every year, less than 10% of applicants pass the Writing Sample Test.

While only the top performers will win an Oculus, Harrity is adding another reason to participate. The firm will donate $100 to its Harrity 4 Charity partner charities for every individual that takes the test. Participants can choose how to divide up the donation between the American Heart Association, ZERO: The End of Prostate Cancer, Inova Children’s Hospital, and No More Stolen Childhoods.

If you would like to partake in the challenge, the deadline to submit your Writing Sample Test is Monday, March 1st, 2021. Winners will be notified by email and announced to our Social Media Pages on Wednesday, March 3rd, 2021Feedback will be provided to all contestants via email whether or not they win the challenge, with the goal of helping each participant improve their writing skills.

There is a limit of one prize per person. You must be a registered patent agent or attorney with the USPTO to enter. 

Visit harrityllp.com/wst to take the challenge today!

 

IPWatchdog on Who Should Head the USPTO, ft. Eli Mazour

The Right Choice: IP Stakeholders Emphasize Practical Experience, Strong IP Advocacy in Next USPTO Head

By Gene Quinn

Harrity Partner Eli Mazour is featured in IPWatchdog’s recent article as an IP expert regarding what the profile of the next USPTO Director should look like.

January 26, 2021 (IPWatchdog) At 12:00pm EST on January 20, 2021, Joe Biden was sworn in as America’s 46th President. Over the next several months he and his staff will be working to fill thousands of positions within the federal government that have become vacant due to resignations. This is normal and expected. At the end of each presidential term all presidential appointees offer their resignation, which can then either be accepted or not at the discretion of the President.

The position of Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), as well as Deputy, is now vacant. Commissioner for Patents Drew Hirshfeld has been vested with the authority to act with the powers of the Under Secretary of Commerce for IP and Director of the USPTO, although he has not been given the title Acting Director. This is almost certainly due to the fact that no one in the federal government can hold a title of Acting head of an agency for more than 270 days.

In our space, the position of Under Secretary and Director of the USPTO is a front-line, top-level position. In the greater political scheme, it is likely we will not have an appointee for many months. President Obama did not nominate David Kappos until June 18 and President Trump did not nominate Andrei Iancu until August 26.

There are many capable people—all realistic, based on party affiliation—who should be considered by the Biden Administration for nomination as Under Secretary of Commerce for IP, but in my opinion several names stand out above everyone else based on their background, ties with the tech sector, and what appears to be a preference on the part of President Biden (at least so far) to appoint those with close ties to the Obama Administration and longstanding ties to the Democratic party..

See these suggestions, and what Eli and the other experts have to say on IPwatchdog.com.

 

 

Driving Diversity with Elaine Spector | Episode 1

Join Harrity’s Elaine Spector as she shares tips and sparks conversations to drive diversity in the legal field in her weekly vlog, ‘Driving Diversity.’
EPISODE ONE | THE ISSUE

To learn more about Harrity’s diversity efforts, visit harrityllp.com/diversity. For more diversity resources, including all Driving Diversity episodes, check out The Diversity Channel.

 

Harrity 4 Charity Donations Surpass One Million Dollars

Fairfax, VA (January 25, 2021) Harrity 4 Charity donations have surpassed one million dollars.  Harrity 4 Charity, which began in 2016, reflects our firm’s nationwide giving-back initiative in addition to our partnership with four critical charities: The American Heart Association, ZERO: The End of Prostate Cancer, Inova Children’s Hospital, and No More Stolen Childhoods.

This milestone is only possible due to our partners’ commitment to donate 5% of all firm profits to charity and the generosity of all 60 Harrity employees, who each donate a portion of their paycheck to these causes.

To learn more about giving back through Harrity 4 Charity, click here.

 

IAM Covers the 2020 Top Patent Firms List by Harrity Analytics

(January 22, 2021) IAM Media highlights the top patent prosecution firms in the U.S. in the last year using data from the 2020 Top Patent Firms List. The list, produced by the Harrity Patent Analytics Team, ranks firms based on the total number of US utility patents that issued in 2020 where the patent firms were listed on the front of the utility patents. The rankings include both law firms and in-house filing operations.

The article, by Bridget Diakun, covers annual data on the most active US patent prosecution firms and reveals which secured the most grants for clients, as well the year’s biggest movers. Read the full article here. 

 

About Harrity Patent Analytics

Harrity Patent Analytics, an analytical team within the boutique IP law firm of Harrity & Harrity, LLP, uses cutting-edge capabilities to analyze patent data and extract insights for clients to use when making strategic decisions regarding patent portfolios. Patent 300® companies rely on Harrity Patent Analytics services to understand their patent portfolios, the patent portfolios of their competitors, and patent office trends around the world. For more information, visit harrityllp.com/services/patent-analytics/.

The Business Voice Features Harrity & Harrity Charity Matching

Harrity & Harrity’s efforts to help the American Heart Association in their mission to promote longer, healthier lives has been recognized in The Business Voice from the Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce.

Through the end of 2020, Harrity doubled all American Heart Association donations and registration fees up to $100,000 for the Lawyers Have Heart 10k, 5k, and Fun Walk.

“As a person who had his life saved by the AHA’s science, this cause is beyond important to me and my family,” said John Harrity, Harrity & Harrity LLP’s Co-Founding Partner. “Our firm wanted to give in a big way and we hope this inspires others to do the same.”

Learn more about giving back through Harrity 4 Charity here.

Harrity Obtains 8,000 Patents

Harrity is excited to announce that we have obtained our 8,000th patent! Our team of superstars is dedicated to providing our clients with the highest quality patents in the field, and we’re proud to have achieved this milestone. Congratulations to each member of our team for their hard work to make this happen!

Learn more about Harrity’s patent services here.

Patent 300 Competitive Intelligence & Patent Practice Decision Making

Patent Analytics In Action – Using The Patent 300® Dashboard

Patent Analytics In Action – Using The Patent 300® Dashboard

January 19, 2021 – Rocky Berndsen, Head of Analytics at Harrity, gave a webinar on how companies and law firms can use the Patent 300® Dashboard to understand their own portfolio, their competitors, and the patent field in general.  A video of the entire webinar can be found below.

The demonstration included a deep dive into how to analyze the technology breakdown for a company’s patent portfolio, and how to benchmark patent prosecution statistics across companies patenting in the same technology areas.  Rocky demonstrated how companies and law firms can use the “Company By Law Firm” report to benchmark the patent practice efficiency of the outside counsel that are prosecuting the patent applications for a company.

The webinar then transitioned to a cost-based analytics report called the “Company by Costs”, which gives users the ability to customize the analysis by selecting their own outside counsel fees.  The report provides users with an “Average Cost Per Patent” value by law firm, that users can use to benchmark outside counsel performance, and identify areas within the practice to reduce cost and practice more efficiently.

The “Gap Analysis” demonstration showed how easy it can be to compare the patent portfolios of two companies with the click of a button.  In-house counsel use this report to easily visualize two portfolios side by side and identify whitespaces and portfolio overlap.

The webinar then transitioned to how law firms can use the dashboard for law firm client development and new client business development.  Using the “Law Firm by Client” report, law firms can visualize all of their patent prosecution statistics for a given client to identify strengths and weaknesses that can be used to promote their firm’s services to their clients and to make modifications to their current practice to deliver better services.

For detailed analytics on the patent field, Harrity Patent Analytics makes available the Patent 300® Dashboard, the intellectual property industry’s premier resource for patent insights and competitive intelligence on the world’s leaders in technology.  It contains analytics on more than 6,000,000 patents, including patent portfolio analyses, detailed patent prosecution insights, technology area breakdowns, and portfolio cost and budget analytics.

About Harrity Patent Analytics

Harrity Patent Analytics, an analytical team within the boutique IP law firm of Harrity & Harrity, LLP, uses cutting-edge capabilities to analyze patent data and extract insights for clients to use when making strategic decisions regarding patent portfolios. Patent 300® companies rely on Harrity Patent Analytics services to understand their patent portfolios, the patent portfolios of their competitors, and patent office trends around the world. For more information, visit harrityllp.com/services/patent-analytics/.

Patent 300 Harrity Analytics

Harrity Patent Analytics Releases The 2021 Patent 300® List

HARRITY PATENT ANALYTICS RELEASES THE 2021 PATENT 300® LIST

List ranks top 300 companies, organizations, and universities in the patent field

WASHINGTON (January 15, 2021) – Harrity Patent Analytics today released the publication of its inaugural Patent 300® List.  The list ranks the top 300 companies, organizations and universities in the patent field based on the total number of U.S. utility patents.  The top 10 from the Patent 300® List includes:

  1. IBM (9435)
  2. Samsung (8539)
  3. LG Corporation (5112)
  4. Canon (3689)
  5. Intel (3284)
  6. Raytheon Technologies (3213)
  7. Huawei (3178)
  8. Microsoft (2972)
  9. TSMC (2892)
  10. Sony (2886)

For detailed analytics on the Patent 300®, Harrity Patent Analytics makes available the Patent 300® Dashboard, the intellectual property industry’s premier resource for patent insights and competitive intelligence on the world’s leaders in technology.  It contains analytics on more than 6,000,000 patents, including patent portfolio analyses, detailed patent prosecution insights, technology area breakdowns, and portfolio cost and budget analytics.

The Patent 300® Dashboard provides in-house counsel, law firm partners, and c-suite executives with a detailed analysis of the world’s technology leaders, ranging from technology giants such as IBM (ranked #1) and Samsung (ranked #2), to leading universities such as MIT (ranked #106) and Johns Hopkins University (ranked #232), to newcomers including Palantir (ranked #248) and Techtronic Industries (ranked #278).  The list represents 54 percent of the more than 350,000 U.S. patents issued in 2020.

“The Patent 300® List identifies the global technology leaders obtaining patents in the United States,” said Rocky Berndsen, Head of Analytics for Harrity & Harrity. “The data contained in the Patent 300® Dashboard is invaluable information to companies, in-house counsel and law firms because it identifies the key players and summarizes what is happening today in the patent world.”

A ranking of the top 300 companies, organizations and universities can be found here.

About Harrity Patent Analytics

Harrity Patent Analytics, an analytical team within the boutique IP law firm of Harrity & Harrity, LLP, uses cutting-edge capabilities to analyze patent data and extract insights for clients to use when making strategic decisions regarding patent portfolios. Patent 300® companies rely on Harrity Patent Analytics services to understand their patent portfolios, the patent portfolios of their competitors, and patent office trends around the world. For more information, visit harrityllp.com/services/patent-analytics/.

 

Law360: This Firm Secured The Most Utility Patents Again In 2020

Law360 (January 15, 2021, 11:34 PM EST) — One law firm has scored over 350 more utility patents in 2020 than the next closest firm, marking the sixth consecutive year it has landed the No. 1 spot in the latest ranking of law firms…

“You can see which patent firms are making big moves up and down in our field,” Harrity’s head of patent analytics, Rocky Berndsen, said in a statement. “The impact of a firm merger or one or more partners leaving a firm can be seen in the data. Law firms and companies are using the prosecution data from last year’s patents to make strategic decisions in their practice.”

Read the full article on the Top Patent Firms of 2020, by Dave Simpson, on Law360.

The 2020 Top Patent Firms List, produced by the Harrity Patent Analytics Team, ranks firms based on the total number of US utility patents that issued in 2020 where the patent firms were listed on the front of the utility patents. The rankings include both law firms and in-house filing operations.

 

About Harrity Patent Analytics

Harrity Patent Analytics, an analytical team within the boutique IP law firm of Harrity & Harrity, LLP, uses cutting-edge capabilities to analyze patent data and extract insights for clients to use when making strategic decisions regarding patent portfolios. Patent 300® companies rely on Harrity Patent Analytics services to understand their patent portfolios, the patent portfolios of their competitors, and patent office trends around the world. For more information, visit harrityllp.com/services/patent-analytics/.

2020 Top Patent Firms List Announced

WASHINGTON (January 15, 2021) –  Harrity Patent Analytics is pleased to announce the release of the 2020 Top Patent Firms list. The list, published annually, ranks industry-leading patent law firms based on the total number of U.S. utility patents issued in the past year and contains exclusive prosecution metrics. 

The 2020 Top Patent Firms list incorporates notable differences from last year’s rankings, including the year-over-year change in the quantity of patents firms obtained from 2019 to 2020.  Rocky Berndsen, Head of Patent Analytics, says of these changes, “You can see which patent firms are making big moves up and down in our field.  The impact of a firm merger or one or more partners leaving a firm can be seen in the data.  Law firms and companies are using the prosecution data from last year’s patents to make strategic decisions in their practice”.

The Top Patent Firms list is accompanied by an interactive dashboard and includes patent firms that have obtained at least 50 U.S. utility patents where the patent firms are listed on the front of the utility patents. Company legal departments have not been eliminated from the list.  The full list is available here.

About Harrity Patent Analytics 

Harrity Patent Analytics, an analytical team within the boutique IP law firm of Harrity & Harrity, LLP, uses cutting-edge capabilities to analyze patent data and extract insights for clients to use when making strategic decisions regarding patent portfolios.  Patent 300® companies rely on Harrity Patent Analytics services to understand their patent portfolios, the patent portfolios of their competitors, and patent office trends around the world.  For more information, visit harrityllp.com/services/patent-analytics/. 

 

Harrity Welcomes Ten Superstar Attorneys in 2020

2020 was a difficult year for all – with plenty of pitfalls, including quarantining, social distancing, and economic concern brought on by the ongoing global pandemic. At Harrity, we were fortunate enough to be able to continue to provide outstanding service to our clients and build upon the productivity and success of our remote workforce. We are pleased to announce that our firm also welcomed ten superstar patent attorneys to our team in 2020, making it one of our biggest years of growth to date.

Check out the newest members of Team Harrity below!

Robert ‘Bob’ O’Loughlin | Lakewood, CO (Joined 1/6/2020)

Bob has over 12 years of experience in patent preparation and prosecution for electrical and mechanical applications, with specific expertise in software patentability in light of Alice. Prior to joining Harrity & Harrity, Bob worked for over a decade in private practice representing clients with a focus on collaborating to navigate intellectual property opportunities and risks in light of his clients’ objectives regarding innovation, commercialization and competition. Click here to learn more about Bob.

James Bennin | Winter Garden, FL  (Joined 2/3/2020)

James is the first recipient of Harrity’s Minority Firm Incubator, a four-year program designed to train, develop, and launch minority-owned patent law firms. James has 15 years of experience in the intellectual property field, with extensive experience counseling clients on various IP matters in the United States and in various other jurisdictions. Prior to joining Harrity in the MFI program, James was previously an associate general counsel at one of the largest universities in the US, and IP counsel at a large multinational company where he counseled multiple business units on matters related to IP. Click here to learn more about James.

Michael Woodward | Albany, NY (Joined 2/3/2020)

Michael has experience in conducting all phases of prosecution for U.S. and foreign patent applications related to computer software, telecommunications, networking devices, and mechanical devices. Prior to joining Harrity, Michael worked at a boutique intellectual property law firm where his practice focused on patent preparation, prosecution, litigation, and patent portfolio management. He also served as Executive Managing Editor of the Albany Law Review, President of the Intellectual Property Law Society, and was a Sponsler Honors Teaching Fellow while attending Albany Law School. Click here to learn more about Michael.

Alexander Zajac | Greenbelt, MD (Joined 4/6/2020)

Alex is a patent attorney specializing in the preparation and prosecution of applications in electrical and computer technologies. Prior to Harrity, Alex worked with an intellectual property law firm in Washington, DC, where he drafted and prosecuted patent applications as well as assisted with opinions and litigations. He also previously worked at the United States District Court for the District of Columbia with Magistrate Judge Alan Kay. Click here to learn more about Alex.

Steven DiPasquo | Basking Ridge, NJ (Joined 6/1/2020)

Steven has prepared and prosecuted hundreds of patent applications in a wide range of technical fields, including artificial intelligence and machine learning, computer hardware and software systems, and telecommunications. Prior to joining Harrity & Harrity, Steven worked for over 15 years in private practice and has extensive experience counseling clients and preparing opinions regarding patentability, infringement, validity, and freedom to operate. Click here to learn more about Steven.

Nelson Nolte | Manchester, MO (Joined 6/16/2020)

Nelson has more than twenty years of experience as a patent attorney, including patent preparation, prosecution, opinion matters, trademark preparation and prosecution, and copyright protection. During this time, Nelson has drafted and prosecuted hundreds of patent applications in the electrical, software and mechanical arts. Click here to learn more about Nelson.

Madhu Ramanujam | Portland, OR (Joined 7/13/2020)

Madhu’s experience as a patent attorney includes diverse areas of technology, particularly in the electrical and software arts. He has extensive experience in developing patent licensing strategies and creating claim charts to maximize a patent’s monetary value. As an inventor himself, Madhu’s knowledge in patent licensing and his passion for inventing has led to him successfully licensing his own patents to several large multinational corporations. Click here to learn more about Madhu.

Edward Kim | New York, NY (Joined 8/3/2020)

Edward’s practice focuses on helping companies build high-quality patent portfolios in an efficient manner, with specific experience prosecuting patent applications related to up-and-coming technologies. Prior to joining Harrity, Edward worked in patent litigation and spent over a decade as a Primary Patent Examiner at the USPTO. During this time, Edward served the Office of International Patent Cooperation on global IP initiatives. He previously has experience working with engineers overseas as an intern engineer and is both fluent in Korean and proficient in Japanese. Click here to learn more about Edward.

George Howarah | Reston, VA  (Joined 11/2/2020)

George is a patent attorney with nearly a decade of experience in all facets of patent procurement and enforcement. Prior to joining Harrity, George worked as a Patent Examiner at the United States Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO) and as an associate at Venable LLP and Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox PLLC, where he prepared, prosecuted, and enforced patents for Fortune 500, midsize, and startup companies. Click here to learn more about George.

Jim Weixel | Sandwich, MA (Joined 12/14/2020)

Jim is a patent attorney with over 20 years of in-house and law firm experience in patent procurement enforcement and in IP operations, including time at Verizon, Bowditch & Dewey, LLP, and The MathWorks Inc. Most recently, Jim served as the IP lead at Accenture for several business units, with a combined annual revenue exceeding $20B. Jim has been involved with protecting innovations in a variety of technologies, such as healthcare, financial services, machine learning, process automation, artificial intelligence, biometric identification, and pharmacovigilance. Click here to learn more about Jim.

 

IPWatchdog: Wish Upon a Star ft. Eli Mazour

Wish Upon a Star: Experts Share Their Wildest IP Dreams for 2021

Harrity Partner Eli Mazour is featured in IPWatchdog’s recent article as an IP expert.

January 4, 2021 (IPWatchdog) We have already published industry roundups on the biggest moments in IP for 2020 and predictions and thoughts for 2021. But the longest running industry insider feature on IPWatchdog is our annual “wishes” article. Each year, we invite stakeholders to share their wildest IP dreams and wishes for the coming year.

Unlike our Predictions and What Mattered roundups, this series allows our experts to get creative. The responses may have nothing to do with what is likely to happen, but rather gives commenters a chance to explain how 2021 would unfold in their dream scenario. This year, responses remained fairly grounded in reality, with the possible exceptions of hope for clarity on Section 101 law and other issues from the Supreme Court and that Andrei Iancu will remain USPTO Director under future President Biden…

See what Eli and the other experts have to say on IPwatchdog.com.