Past Webinars
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Recorded Webinar from December 16, 2020
Please join Fitch Even for a free webinar, “Legal Ethics for IP Practitioners: A Cautionary Tale of Professional Irresponsibility,” on December 16, 2020, at 9:00 a.m. PST / 10:00 a.m. MST / 11:00 a.m. CST / 12 noon EST.
Registered patent practitioners must follow the USPTO Rules of Professional Conduct, which conform to the ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct. Although largely similar to state bar rules, the USPTO rules can be applied in some fact scenarios that are unique to the intellectual property world.
During this webinar, we will take a deep dive into how one patent attorney repeatedly ran afoul of the USPTO Rules of Professional Conduct in the context of a business venture that purported to serve the unique needs of the inventor community. This troublesome tale showcases some interesting ways in which the USPTO Office of Enrollment and Discipline interprets and applies these USPTO rules. We’ll examine these and other behaviors to which the USPTO objected:
- Following instructions from an intermediary on when to file a patent application for a client
- Disclosing a fee arrangement with a client
- Supervising an employee working for a client via an intermediary
- Doing business under an assumed name
Our presenter will be Fitch Even partner Steven G. Parmelee. Steve has extensive experience in complex patent preparation and prosecution in the U.S. and abroad. He has assisted clients with patent portfolio management, freedom-to-operate issues, and transactions for over 40 years.
Steve frequently speaks on intellectual property law topics, ranging from the basics to the innovative and beyond. He has contributed to several books on IP-related issues, most recently The Essentials of Japanese Patent Prosecution, published in August by the ABA.
A recording of this webinar is available through December 15, 2021.
