Intellectual Property Insights from Fishman Stewart
Mini Article – Volume 23, Issue 10
Share on Social
World Ocean Day and Patents Powering the Tide of Change
By Kristyn Webb
June 8th is World Ocean Day which raises awareness about the importance of the oceans and encourages conservation efforts to protect marine ecosystems. Since this is a topic very near and dear to our beloved mascot Finny, we are taking a moment to highlight some of the game changing inventions designed to keep our oceans clean.
US8795519B2 describes a method and system for cleaning up oil spills, like what occurred in the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster. The invention seeds the spilled oil with tiny magnetic particles and then uses a boom to create a magnetic field to manipulate the oil spill for better cleanup.
The invention of US20230084588A1 is another play on magnetism for use in cleaning up oil spills. The disclosed magnetic nanoparticle coating turns a normal, everyday sponge into a “smart sponge”—an oil absorber that can suck up and store more than 30 times its weight in oil until wrung out or otherwise safely decontaminated and then reused.
Species of oil-eating bacteria occur in nature, and some are man-made. For example, in the 1970’s, Ananda M. Chakrabarty developed a new genetically engineered strain of the Pseudomonas bacteria, now known as Pseudomonas putida, that has the ability to break down hydrocarbons found in oil. He filed a patent with the US Patent Office but was initially rejected on the basis that a living organism could not be patented. He appealed the rejection, and it eventually landed in front of the US Supreme Court which ruled in his favor, establishing a precedent that genetically engineered living organisms could indeed be patented. This decision had far-reaching implications for the biotechnology industry, opening the doors to the patenting of genetically modified organisms and stimulating further advancements in the field.
In honor of World Ocean Day, we are offering for sale Finny NFTs. Any proceeds will go to support The Ocean Conservancy.
Kristyn Webb is the Group Leader of Fishman Stewart’s Copyright Practice Group, and is currently earning a Master’s Degree in Copyright Law at King’s College London.
Published June 2, 2023
Related Content from Fishman Stewart
First, a big “thank you” to all our readers who have given feedback on our newsletter. We appreciate your interest and insights. It is always a treat to hear from you! Second, we wanted to provide you with updates on some of our most popular articles
“Palworld”— a computer game created and published by Japanese developer Pocket Pair. Released as an early access game in January 2024, it sold over seven million copies on the computer platform Steam in the first five days and had nearly 20 million players in the first two weeks.
This year’s Super Bowl featured a thrilling overtime victory for the Kansas City Chiefs over the San Francisco 49ers. With estimates as high as 123 million viewers, America's premier sporting event also serves as a grand stage for creativity and intellectual property protections that enhance the game’s success.
Valentine’s Day is just around the corner and jewelry sales are usually around $6 billion USD in the United States alone. In 2021, the US Customs and Border Protection agency seized over $1 billion USD worth of counterfeit pieces of jewelry.
Detroit Lions In Copyright Dispute Over Barry Sanders Statue
Fish Tank: Newsletter Volume 24, Issue 3
This season marked many ‘firsts’ for the Lions including unveiling the first statue at Ford Field immortalizing a former Lion: Barry Sanders. However, some may not consider the Sanders statue a clear ‘win’ for the Detroit Lions franchise.
A few years ago, the Copyright Office received a large number of requests from Twilight fans who wanted to get a peek at the registered and unpublished manuscript of Stephanie Meyer’s Forever Dawn.
Demetrious Polychron was a big fan of The Lord of the Rings books by author J.R.R. Tolkien, which described the world of Middle Earth where Hobbits, Elves, Dwarves, Wizards, and other creatures engage in an epic battle of good and evil involving a ring with magical powers.
Public Domain Day is celebrated on January 1st and commemorates the expiration of copyright protection for certain creative works.
Taylor Swift has had an incredible 2023. Her “Eras Tour” has been a massive success, becoming one of the most profitable tours for an artist of all time. The release of the concert film of the tour became the highest-grossing concert film of all time.
Why is IP Protection Crucial for Small Businesses? We understand the challenges faced by small businesses, and we encourage you to take proactive measures to protect your intellectual property.
IDENTIFYING, SECURING AND ADVANCING CREATIVITY®
