Congress Enacts Appropriations Restriction Relating to Felony Convictions
Client Alert | 1 min read | 01.18.12
As is discussed in more detail in a blog posting, the recently enacted Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2012 includes provision in five of the nine individual bills covered in the Act prohibiting the use of funds “to enter into a contract, memorandum of understanding, or cooperative agreement with, make a grant to, or provide a loan or loan guarantee to, any corporation” with a felony conviction within the preceding 24 months, unless the agency has considered suspension or debarment and made a determination that no further action is necessary. This provision is almost sure to create uncertainty because Congress did not create a uniform standard, but instead included language in only certain individual appropriation acts, with substantial variances between the different provisions (e.g., some provisions only apply if the corporation is convicted while other also include officers or agents of the corporation).
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Client Alert | 6 min read | 11.26.25
From ‘Second’ to ‘First:’ Federal Circuit Tackles Obvious Claim Errors
Patent claims must be clear and definite, as they set the boundaries of the patentee’s rights. Occasionally, however, claim language contains errors, such as typographical mistakes or incorrect numbering. Courts possess very limited authority to correct such errors. The United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has emphasized that judicial correction is appropriate only in rare circumstances, where (1) the error is evident from the face of the patent, and (2) the proposed correction is the sole reasonable interpretation in view of the claim language, specification, and prosecution history. See Group One, Ltd. v. Hallmark Cards, Inc., 407 F.3d 1297, 1303 (Fed. Cir. 2005) and Novo Indus., L.P. v. Micro Molds Corp., 350 F.3d 1348, 1357 (Fed. Cir. 2003).
Client Alert | 5 min read | 11.26.25
Client Alert | 6 min read | 11.25.25
Brussels Court Clarifies the EU’s SPC Manufacturing Waiver Regulation Rules
Client Alert | 3 min read | 11.24.25
