DoD Prohibits FY17 Funds for Contractors with Restrictive Confidentiality Agreements
Client Alert | 1 min read | 11.21.16
On November 14, 2016, DoD issued a class deviation prohibiting its agencies from awarding FY17 funds to companies that require employees or subcontractors to sign internal confidentiality agreements or statements that restrict them from lawfully reporting waste, fraud, or abuse. As described here, there has been increased scrutiny by government agencies in recent years of the use of internal confidentiality agreements, and a FAR final rule on the subject is expected in the near future.
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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
