Previous posts (e.g., here, here and here) discussed the continually expanding green patent war between advanced biofuels startup Gevo and a BP-DuPont joint venture called Butamax Advanced Biofuels (Butamax).

There are at least 17 patents at issue in the various actions brought by both parties. The patents relate (more…)

For more than ten years, Heslin Rothenberg’s Clean Energy Patent Growth Index has been reliably tracking green technology patent grants. The CEPGI consistently provides interesting data, which often put solid numbers behind the trends those of us in this field see, hear anecdotally, or just intuitively know. (more…)

In a number of previous posts (e.g., here, here, here and here), I and others have reported on the accelerated examination programs for green technology patent applications offered by various national patent/IP offices in countries such as the UK, Korea, Brazil and China.

My most recent article, published last week in the Fall (more…)

The State Intellectual Property Office (SIPO) of China recently enacted a prioritized examination program for invention patent applications directed to a number of technology areas, including several categories of green technologies (see the translated program administrative measures here). (more…)

As readers of this blog know, green patent activity continues at a record pace. Accordingly, Cleantech companies of all sizes need to stay aware of general trends in patent litigation, as the increasing number of green patents in circulation concomitantly increases the likelihood of litigation either now or in the future. (more…)

As discussed in a previous post, the Brazilian National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI) recently announced a Green Patent Fast Track designed to provide accelerated examination of patent applications related to “Green” technology in Brazil.

At first glance this looks like an admirable step (more…)

There have been several green patent complaints filed in the past several weeks in the fields of biofuels, LEDs, lithium ion batteries, and industrial water purification.

Biofuels

Gevo, Inc. v. Butamax Advanced Biofuels, LLC and (more…)

The Heslin Rothenberg firm’s Clean Energy Patent Growth Index (CEPGI) 2011 Year in Review was published earlier this month.

The 2011 roundup found that granted green patents were at an all time high of 2331 for last year, a rise of 450 patents, or 24%, over 2010.

Always an interesting read, the CEPGI is quarterly (more…)

Last week we reported the launch of the Brazilian National Institute of Industrial Property’s (INPI) pilot program to accelerate green patent applications.

But there’s a lot more to this story than meets the eye. Though INPI joins several other national intellectual property offices around the world in offering a green patent fast track, this is not simply (more…)

Earlier this week, the National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI) of Brazil launched a pilot program to accelerate green patent applications (see the Folha news piece here).

The goal of the program is to reduce the period of examination of patent applications related to green (more…)