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C4IP is recognizing a renowned American inventor who provided cold-weather protection — and altered the course of his hometown — with his patented invention: earmuffs. Chester Greenwood, American inventor and founder of Greenwood’s Ear Protector Factory. Born in Maine, with an affinity for ice skating outdoors, Greenwood was no stranger to winter-weather discomforts — including

The USPTO has launched a new Cancer Moonshot Expedited Examination Pilot Program. The program — which began on February 1, 2023 — expedites the examination of patent applications pertaining to a host of technologies that prevent cancer and cancer mortality. This is a promising measure taken by the Biden administration to encourage IP-based investments in

C4IP is recognizing the late inventor and candy company executive who mechanized the process of making marshmallow chicks and was affectionately known as “Father of Peeps.” Bob Born, American inventor and executive of the Pennsylvania-based Just Born Quality Confections. Bob Born was the son of a Russian immigrant who came to New York in 1909.

Digital piracy — the illegal download or distribution of copyrighted digital content — continues to be on the rise. A recent report from research firm Muso found that illegal film streaming increased nearly 39% between 2021 and 2022. Meanwhile, website traffic for pirated television content rose by almost 9% over the same period. This nefarious

Claim: President Biden recently lauded the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) proposal to ban all non-compete agreements — which prevent employees who leave jobs from working for rival firms for a period of time — as a positive step taken to “restore the dignity of work.” He claimed that, under the current agreements, “a cashier at

This year’s star-studded GRAMMY Awards featured extraordinary performances by Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson, Missy Elliott, Mary J. Blige, Jay-Z, and more. Their groundbreaking careers and presence on the stage are reminders that the journey to superstardom is not easy. According to the Recording Industry Association of America, it can cost $2 million to break an

Dr. Rachel Goode, an executive at a German generic pharmaceutical company, recently argued that “brand-name drug companies are gaming the [U.S.] patent system” by filing duplicative patents meant to block generics manufacturers from entering the market with cheaper copy-cat treatments. But there’s scant evidence to support that claim. Brand-name drugmakers file patents at a rate

More than two dozen policymakers recently sent a letter to the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, Xavier Becerra, calling on him to misuse a provision of the Bayh-Dole Act to lower the price of the prostate cancer drug Xtandi. The lawmakers’ request, if Becerra grants it, would chill innovation and disincentivize the launch

They may not have green fur or hearts that are three sizes too small. Yet counterfeiters — individuals who illegally reproduce and sell fake versions of a trademarked product — are stealing an unprecedented amount of intellectual property from underneath inventors’ trees this year. As of August, U.S. Customs and Border Protection had confiscated $2.4 billion in

Today, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative urged the World Trade Organization to postpone making a decision on expanding the TRIPS waiver. Citing the need for more information, USTR plans to ask the U.S. International Trade Commission to investigate the “market dynamics” for Covid-19 diagnostics and therapeutics. But after five months of consultations with

This week, the Senate took a major step toward bolstering America’s innovative ecosystem with the unanimous passage of the Patents for Humanity Act of 2022.  The bipartisan legislation — sponsored by Senators Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) — codifies the USPTO’s Patents for Humanity Program, which recognizes U.S. innovators who leverage their patented